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Assessment query

EAHfan20.

Hi guys,

I'm new to this chat, I thought I'd ask about autism diagnoses and assessments. I'm on the psychiatry UK waitlist. I talked to my GP in August, who referred me, and I had to wait 8 weeks for Psychiatry UK to receive and accept/approve this and put me on the waitlist. I now have to wait 7 weeks for the forms to be sent to me for me to fill them in. I didn't even realise this happened.

I’m feeling a mix of nerves and also feeling curious about what to expect next. Since 2022, I’ve struggled with dissociation and started researching autism after some of my friends and a counselor said I showed traits. The more I read, the more things from my past began to make sense — it was like everything clicked. Now I genuinely cannot see how I don't have autism cause everything aligns perfectly all my traits from childhood to now fit. The only thing tho, since 2022, I've started rocking back and forth, hand flapping, kicking my heels together when sitting down and excited, and having meltdowns a lot. None of this happened as a kid from what I can recall. I've stimmed all my life but nothing like this which makes me think I could be faking it. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

For those of you who’ve already had your assessments or diagnoses:

How did you find the process?

What were the forms like, and how long did it take from start to finish?

I’d also love to hear how you felt afterward?

Thank you so much Smiley

Parents

  • I am a few months on from where you are. Just waiting for completed report now.

    I went into the assessment with no agenda for a diagnosis, I just needed answers. I'm not going to lie and say the process has been easy, but I've gained insight into how my brain processes information differently to those around me and that's quite a revelation.

    The forms were mostly straightforward. I had to get help from friends but got through them in a week. The bits I really struggled with I just circled and took back like that. I think the pattern of the bits I couldn't answer and why actually ended up telling us a lot in itself!

    I was worried they would have to drag my family into it. I'm 46 and pracrically estranged from them. They managed to get enough information without opening that can of worms!

    I don't know about timings as I was seen privately by clinical psychologist who works with my psychiatrist. Very long story. The assessment was done over 4 weeks and 4 more for waiting for the full report.

    To give you an idea of the benefit of this process, I've been to the supermarket on my own today and for the first time in as long as I can remember I felt grounded. One of the things that became obvious from the assessment process was that I had sound sensory difficulties that I've been masking. As an experiment, today I tried out a type of ear plug. I could actually think and problem solve whilst in the store! When they didn't have the thing I was expecting I was able to think through what to do without having to finish the rest of my shopping, go sit in my car to figure out the solution and then go back in to complete my shop. I laughed all the way home about how ridiculously simple it all was.

    On the flip side there's waves of grief as I process the fact that for 30 years I was wrongly diagnosed and how different my life could have been.

    I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Reply

  • I am a few months on from where you are. Just waiting for completed report now.

    I went into the assessment with no agenda for a diagnosis, I just needed answers. I'm not going to lie and say the process has been easy, but I've gained insight into how my brain processes information differently to those around me and that's quite a revelation.

    The forms were mostly straightforward. I had to get help from friends but got through them in a week. The bits I really struggled with I just circled and took back like that. I think the pattern of the bits I couldn't answer and why actually ended up telling us a lot in itself!

    I was worried they would have to drag my family into it. I'm 46 and pracrically estranged from them. They managed to get enough information without opening that can of worms!

    I don't know about timings as I was seen privately by clinical psychologist who works with my psychiatrist. Very long story. The assessment was done over 4 weeks and 4 more for waiting for the full report.

    To give you an idea of the benefit of this process, I've been to the supermarket on my own today and for the first time in as long as I can remember I felt grounded. One of the things that became obvious from the assessment process was that I had sound sensory difficulties that I've been masking. As an experiment, today I tried out a type of ear plug. I could actually think and problem solve whilst in the store! When they didn't have the thing I was expecting I was able to think through what to do without having to finish the rest of my shopping, go sit in my car to figure out the solution and then go back in to complete my shop. I laughed all the way home about how ridiculously simple it all was.

    On the flip side there's waves of grief as I process the fact that for 30 years I was wrongly diagnosed and how different my life could have been.

    I hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Children
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