2nd Opinion after non diagnosis

dantheman1983 said:

Is it worth getting a second opinion in case the assessment didn't uncover everything? 

Personally I would try a bunch of the online autism tests to see if I scored significantly above the threshold for a diagnosis.

Remember that the diagnosis is given only when you are autisitc enough to be disabled by it. You can have lots of autistic traits but not reach the threshold but this does not mean you are not on the spectrum.

The point set for the diagnosis is a fairly fixed point and if it was a case of you have to score 70% or higher to be diagnised then those at 69% would feel a bit short changed. It is just a reflection that the system is not as flexible as it should be.

Should you do this and score above the threshold and decide to try for another assessment then I would recommend looking at the list of autistic traits, list all the ones you have and give examples of how they affect you and take this with you to the next assessment along with your test results from the online tests.

Not all assessors are equal so there can be human error or bias involved, but by taking your evidence with you you avoid giving incomplete information and are more likely to be convince them, especially as we often clam up or mask when under stress.

At the end of the day the diagnosis is fairly irrelevant - what is important is knowing you are on the spectrum and you can then look for ways to help deal with the issues you have in light of this.

I think I was around 70% on the online tests, so I guess on the threshold.

That makes a lot of sense what you say about being disabled by it. Having too many people diagnosed officially could water down what it really means to struggle with ASD and maybe affect those who need help and understanding the most.   

On surface to most people I've been fairly successful and in contrast even though he is still young my son is most definitely going to be hampered more as an adult than I am, his issues with communication and understanding situations are clear as day.  My dad is so similar to him, we are all from different era's and upbringings (Dad- old fashioned. / Me - difficult / Son - modern and molly coddled!) so that I guess comes in to play. .  

"At the end of the day the diagnosis is fairly irrelevant - what is important is knowing you are on the spectrum and you can then look for ways to help deal with the issues you have in light of this."

This really resonates with me actually when talking with my wife last night, looking for ways to cope with issues that affect me like lack of resilience, noise sensory, change etc are more important getting a label from a professional.

Thanks and thank you to everyone on here for the great advice

I think I was around 70% on the online tests, so I guess on the threshold.

That makes a lot of sense what you say about being disabled by it. Having too many people diagnosed officially could water down what it really means to struggle with ASD and maybe affect those who need help and understanding the most.   

On surface to most people I've been fairly successful and in contrast even though he is still young my son is most definitely going to be hampered more as an adult than I am, his issues with communication and understanding situations are clear as day.  My dad is so similar to him, we are all from different era's and upbringings (Dad- old fashioned. / Me - difficult / Son - modern and molly coddled!) so that I guess comes in to play. .  

"At the end of the day the diagnosis is fairly irrelevant - what is important is knowing you are on the spectrum and you can then look for ways to help deal with the issues you have in light of this."

This really resonates with me actually when talking with my wife last night, looking for ways to cope with issues that affect me like lack of resilience, noise sensory, change etc are more important getting a label from a professional.

Thanks and thank you to everyone on here for the great advice