• Replies 38 replies
  • Subscribers 93 subscribers
  • Views 1436 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Getting a diagnosis

Orangegnome

Hi I just want to ask a question about getting a diagnosis as an adult. I am considering applying to be assessed, but at the age of 50 I am not sure what value I will get from this. I can read all the A.S.D.  self help books on how to be kind to myself and cope with the world better and gain a lot from that. But I wonder what the benefits of having a confirmed diagnosis would be. Can anyone enlighten me on their experience? Pray

Parents

  • Perhaps if you find yourself suffering from impostor syndrome, a formal diagnosis might help. If you are comfortable with your self-diagnosis, then there probably isn't much need other than overcoming other people's scepticism. Keep learning, of course.

    I saw/read/heard somewhere that about 90% (or was it 93%?) of self-diagnosed autistics who go for a formal diagnosis have their self-diagnosis confirmed. I suppose if you are confident enough in your self-diagnosis to put money behind it, then you probably don't need to put money behind it, if you know what I mean. You're autistic, most likely.

    Back in the day (2002), I was diagnosed ADHD (which is what I had sought), so by the definitions in the DSM-4 and ICD-10 I could not also be Autistic. At the time you could only be one or the other. The diagnosis got around that by labelling me as "ADHD with Asperger's Traits". I could probably equally have been diagnosed as "Asperger's Syndrome with ADHD Traits", but then they couldn't prescribe stimulant medication for ADHD, because I wouldn't formally have ADHD. It irks me a bit now that I'm not actually formally diagnosed Autistic, yet I'm formally diagnosed enough that I don't know if there's any point in paying to be "upgraded to full Autism". I suppose I self-upgraded.

Reply

  • Perhaps if you find yourself suffering from impostor syndrome, a formal diagnosis might help. If you are comfortable with your self-diagnosis, then there probably isn't much need other than overcoming other people's scepticism. Keep learning, of course.

    I saw/read/heard somewhere that about 90% (or was it 93%?) of self-diagnosed autistics who go for a formal diagnosis have their self-diagnosis confirmed. I suppose if you are confident enough in your self-diagnosis to put money behind it, then you probably don't need to put money behind it, if you know what I mean. You're autistic, most likely.

    Back in the day (2002), I was diagnosed ADHD (which is what I had sought), so by the definitions in the DSM-4 and ICD-10 I could not also be Autistic. At the time you could only be one or the other. The diagnosis got around that by labelling me as "ADHD with Asperger's Traits". I could probably equally have been diagnosed as "Asperger's Syndrome with ADHD Traits", but then they couldn't prescribe stimulant medication for ADHD, because I wouldn't formally have ADHD. It irks me a bit now that I'm not actually formally diagnosed Autistic, yet I'm formally diagnosed enough that I don't know if there's any point in paying to be "upgraded to full Autism". I suppose I self-upgraded.

Children
  • in reply to Damojo

    Your reply is so well thought out, I appreciate you taking the time. Still finding out so much about autism, but I think I’ve found my place in the world and it does help to know there is a reason why life is so hard for me. “I am autistic, most likely” is what I’m taking from this.