Awaiting assessment

That sounds a good idea.  If I discover other similar ones I will let you know.

Thank you   it was very emotional. I've just found the Late Discovered Club podcast on Spotify, so I'm begining to hear of the stories of other older people newly diagnosed x

Best wishes for this new phase of your journey. 

Hoping you have been able to take some time to do some things which you find relaxing; following the nervousness and emotional investment of attending your diagnosis assessment.

Congrats Elle84 

Congratulations! 

Pleased for you

Congratulations !!

Update!!! 

I now have an official diagnosis!!! Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and support  it was an emotional rollercoaster but I can now begin my journey into putting my needs first

Hi and welcome to the community!

Elle84 said:

I'm nervous and want to be as honest as I possibly can be but due to being used to putting barriers up

I was worried about whether my assessors would be able to see beyond my masking, but I was assured in advance (by my NHS therapist) that they would, given their professional training and experience. 

I was also concerned that I'd feel awkward or otherwise reluctant to open up to them - but I was comforted by how kind and understanding they turned out to be, so this wasn't a problem.

I'd suggest mentioning your nervousness and concerns at the beginning of your assessment, so that they're aware of it, and can offer some calming reassurance.

Elle84 said:

Has anyone else had as assessment that came back without a diagnosis? If so, how do you manage?

In the event that you don't get the outcome that you're expecting, the NAS explains your options here. They include raising your concerns directly with the assessors, and/or potentially requesting a second opinion via your GP. The article also explains more about what you can expect during the assessment:

NAS - What happens during an autism assessment > Assessment results and report

In the meantime, you might find this resource useful:

NAS - What can I do while waiting for an autism assessment?

The diagnosis hub also contains lots of other information that you might find helpful:

NAS - Diagnosis

I wish you all the best with your assessment! 

Hi Elle84 welcome to the forums, I have not got to this stage myself and not sure whether its something I will pursue but wish you well,. Its easier said than done but I would try and take your mind off it if you can. I'm sure it will work out one way or another.

I agree. I think it has been close to 3 years now that I've waited and I suspect that it's just nerves getting the better of me.

I think in the meantime, I will just wait and not over-prepare myself. It's the OCD trying to micromanage everything

Thanks again! 

My opinion is you can over-burden yourself with information to the point that it is no longer helpful. 

Clearly you've sat in line (likely for quite a time) for a test for good reason, and come out with consistent self-administered scores to back up the opinions of whoever evaluated you & your own feelings.

I'd not go down the rabbit hole of wondering 'what if it doesn't turn out to be....'  at this point, because the odds suggest the opposite.   That's not a medical opinion, that's one that comes from reading many a post. 

However, I appreciate the nervous times.  Plenty of subjects here from an ASD perspective that might help take your mind off things over the next couple of weeks!  

Thank you so much. Yes, I'm new here and only really follow a few ASD content creators on Instagram but have read a few books about the experience of others, which I have related to. I came here to seek advice and get a feeling for what the community is like. 

I have completed several online assessments/questionnaires which come back with around 36/37 out of 50 consistently.

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Hello & welcome.  There's something odd going on with this forum at the moment & I can't see if you are a new member or not, so I am saying welcome regardless. 

Generally you'll get a result and a detailed explanation of the diagnosis following assessment.   It could even be the case that they may find you have Autism (presumably that is what you are being assessed for) and something else, or just the something else, and not Autism, and they'd explain to you the reasoning for coming to that conclusion. 

After reading again, I suspect you are actually asking about those who aren't found to have Autism.  Most on this forum are diagnosed, self-diagnosed or are awaiting diagnosis.  I think I may have read of one or two that possibly disagreed with their assessments.  

I'd say it is probably best not to go down that route at the moment.  You can take an online test, if you haven't already, and these have a surprising level of accuracy.  

https://embrace-autism.com/autism-spectrum-quotient/

Doing that test might put your mind at rest, and give you some insight into the kind of questions you might be asked, although each assessor will have their own methodology. 

I wish you well - and hopefully some peace of mind.