Does anyone here know the waiting time for assessment at the NSFT (Norfolk and suffolk)
Does anyone here know the waiting time for assessment at the NSFT (Norfolk and suffolk)
Thank you for your reply. There's a lot to take in there. I'll think about what you said, and also thanks for being there.
You are in good company here - many of us share or have shared your "what if" concerns.
You wouldn't be human if that hadn't rattled around your heart and mind.
Your job is just to present yourself to the assessor - the art and training of their job is to aid you to do so authentically and to consider to what extent your life experience maps onto the assessment criteria.
Many of our community members were assessed or self-realised as adults in their 50's.
We cope, as best we can, undiagnosed - until something in our life circumstances trips us up and we reappraise: am I missing some manual everyone else had all along?
It is never too late to re-evaluate our life experiences. There is benefit and solace to be derived. We have older adult members who are living proof that it is the case.
Some of our members who were diagnosed well beyond their 50's choose to share their experiences in various conversation threads - they are role models for Autistic adults of every decade.
That is the clue to my earlier enquiry. We don't need to merely mark time worrying on waiting lists.
We can learn hints and tips from each other along the way - pragmatic things to hear about and trial in our own lives - diagnosed or not.
Some deceptively simple Autism life hacks, at any age, csn facilitate options and possibilities for no longer needing to "put up and shut up".
Even within the last 12 months; I have been exposed to so many things which make a difference to my self-regulation and therefore extend what I can navigate without so much detriment to my wellbeing.
My only puzzle: why such things aren't by default taught to everyone as essential life skills to benefit all - not just Autistic people.
That is a big hint: many "reasonable adjustments" in support of Autistic people are free / nearly free and generally benefit all - not just Autistic people.
When you are ready; please don't be shy about asking the community here for an idea / support about "whatever" gnashes your World. Chances are: you will not be solo in that experience.
We are tolerant of a good rant too!
I am encouraging you to use you waiting list time to explore, learn, mull over, ask questions and experiment around things which matter to you.
Partly, because I hope you might discover some things which better support you right now, plus, partly as that journey might give you the scenarios and vocabulary to help fully introduce yourself to your assessor in due course.
It shouldn't become a full-on totally absorbing major project though, as it is equally important while on a waiting list to pay time and attention to wellbeing - to make the time to pursue things you enjoy and to pay attention to which things provide relaxation and comfort in life.
The important things about being on a waiting list a similar to what we would recommend to ourselves when recuperating from an illness or operation: sleep, hydration, healthy food, reduce stress, enjoyable and fun pastimes, immersive hobbies such as reading or watching a favourite film, connecting with people on our energy terms, reconnecting with the passions of our inner child, giving ourselves an airing outdoors somewhere, not overlooking healthy routines like keeping healthcare appointments / exercise / selfcare.
Two thing as an undiagnosed Autistic adult which might be surprise additions to that list:
1) understanding that regular solo time to just "be" with our own thought and processing style is important, and
2) learning to respect our energy and emotional capacity means learning to say "no" instead of being too quick to be a people pleaser (now is the time to pragmatically prioritise our own wellbeing).
It csn be stressful being on an assessment waiting list - nowhere is it written that we must be a super-hero about it too!
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis
You don't have to be on this journey all by yourself. Fun, camaraderie and support are allowed along the way.
I'm just concerned that after waiting 2 or 3 years, the assessor may say that I'm not Autistic, and that I have to start rethinking what is going on with me. I'm 59 and it's a little late to be reevaluating my experiences.
It can feel a lonely place in the void pre-assessment - is there anything on the top of your stack of puzzles / frustrations / information needs with which the community might be able to support you in making progress - so that the pre-assessment phase doesn't just feel like "hurry up and wait"?
We are a community combining self-identified / realised and those in receipt of a formal diagnosis - with representatives drawn from a large range of lived experience decades.
We are living proof that lives do not need to be put on hold awaiting assessment validation - we are a tenacious lot and both society and ourselves sometimes benefit from a reminder of that fact!
It can feel a lonely place in the void pre-assessment - is there anything on the top of your stack of puzzles / frustrations / information needs with which the community might be able to support you in making progress - so that the pre-assessment phase doesn't just feel like "hurry up and wait"?
We are a community combining self-identified / realised and those in receipt of a formal diagnosis - with representatives drawn from a large range of lived experience decades.
We are living proof that lives do not need to be put on hold awaiting assessment validation - we are a tenacious lot and both society and ourselves sometimes benefit from a reminder of that fact!
Thank you for your reply. There's a lot to take in there. I'll think about what you said, and also thanks for being there.
You are in good company here - many of us share or have shared your "what if" concerns.
You wouldn't be human if that hadn't rattled around your heart and mind.
Your job is just to present yourself to the assessor - the art and training of their job is to aid you to do so authentically and to consider to what extent your life experience maps onto the assessment criteria.
Many of our community members were assessed or self-realised as adults in their 50's.
We cope, as best we can, undiagnosed - until something in our life circumstances trips us up and we reappraise: am I missing some manual everyone else had all along?
It is never too late to re-evaluate our life experiences. There is benefit and solace to be derived. We have older adult members who are living proof that it is the case.
Some of our members who were diagnosed well beyond their 50's choose to share their experiences in various conversation threads - they are role models for Autistic adults of every decade.
That is the clue to my earlier enquiry. We don't need to merely mark time worrying on waiting lists.
We can learn hints and tips from each other along the way - pragmatic things to hear about and trial in our own lives - diagnosed or not.
Some deceptively simple Autism life hacks, at any age, csn facilitate options and possibilities for no longer needing to "put up and shut up".
Even within the last 12 months; I have been exposed to so many things which make a difference to my self-regulation and therefore extend what I can navigate without so much detriment to my wellbeing.
My only puzzle: why such things aren't by default taught to everyone as essential life skills to benefit all - not just Autistic people.
That is a big hint: many "reasonable adjustments" in support of Autistic people are free / nearly free and generally benefit all - not just Autistic people.
When you are ready; please don't be shy about asking the community here for an idea / support about "whatever" gnashes your World. Chances are: you will not be solo in that experience.
We are tolerant of a good rant too!
I am encouraging you to use you waiting list time to explore, learn, mull over, ask questions and experiment around things which matter to you.
Partly, because I hope you might discover some things which better support you right now, plus, partly as that journey might give you the scenarios and vocabulary to help fully introduce yourself to your assessor in due course.
It shouldn't become a full-on totally absorbing major project though, as it is equally important while on a waiting list to pay time and attention to wellbeing - to make the time to pursue things you enjoy and to pay attention to which things provide relaxation and comfort in life.
The important things about being on a waiting list a similar to what we would recommend to ourselves when recuperating from an illness or operation: sleep, hydration, healthy food, reduce stress, enjoyable and fun pastimes, immersive hobbies such as reading or watching a favourite film, connecting with people on our energy terms, reconnecting with the passions of our inner child, giving ourselves an airing outdoors somewhere, not overlooking healthy routines like keeping healthcare appointments / exercise / selfcare.
Two thing as an undiagnosed Autistic adult which might be surprise additions to that list:
1) understanding that regular solo time to just "be" with our own thought and processing style is important, and
2) learning to respect our energy and emotional capacity means learning to say "no" instead of being too quick to be a people pleaser (now is the time to pragmatically prioritise our own wellbeing).
It csn be stressful being on an assessment waiting list - nowhere is it written that we must be a super-hero about it too!
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis
You don't have to be on this journey all by yourself. Fun, camaraderie and support are allowed along the way.
I'm just concerned that after waiting 2 or 3 years, the assessor may say that I'm not Autistic, and that I have to start rethinking what is going on with me. I'm 59 and it's a little late to be reevaluating my experiences.
