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Diagnostic Assessment without childhood caregivers

forget_me_not48

Hello,

I just wanted to know a range of experiences from those of you who are late to discover they may have autism or late diagnosed who didn’t have childhood caregivers during the assessment.

Both my parents passed away (I’m almost 50 now) and there are no other family who can validate my childhood behavior.

wondered if the lack of childhood information affected a positive diagnosis for people? I have lots of examples to tell them and some school reports but that’s it. It’s not a great thought really that no parents around = more difficult diagnosis. 

thank you Pray tone2 

Parents

  • I feel lucky that I was diagnosed before all this nonsense about parents and caregivers came in. My Dad wouldn't have engaged with it and therefore nor would my Mum, I'm not sure they have things like school reports anymore, why on earth would you keep them through two house moves? 

    I think the system needs changing for older people, I was 50 when diagnosed, there's a lot of people who won't have anyone who remembers them from childhood. It seems a very antiquated system where they expect all families to be close and supportive of each other, for us to still have contact with our schools, mine was knocked down years ago and still have our childhood friends.

    How realistic is that really?

    Even for many younger people a hostile family could scupper thier chances of diagnosis and the help that could come after. I think the people who decide these diagnostic criteria should wake up and smell the coffee and actually think about how fragmented the lives of so many people are. It feels infantalising to have to have all this stuff from childhood brought up 40 odd years later as "proof", why can't we just be believed and a diagnosis made on how we are now and not how we were then, when autism was barely recognised at all? 

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I agree my parents wouldn’t have done it either. Maybe as a child but not as adult. Plus they didn’t understand their own emotions let alone mine. I mean my dad was born during WW2 and had a particular mindset. 

    Agreed the system needs changing it’s a bit discriminating and makes it difficult for those struggling as it is. 

    Yes, I’ve read about young people who wouldn’t be comfortable doing it with their parents involved. What an awful situation to be in. 

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  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I agree my parents wouldn’t have done it either. Maybe as a child but not as adult. Plus they didn’t understand their own emotions let alone mine. I mean my dad was born during WW2 and had a particular mindset. 

    Agreed the system needs changing it’s a bit discriminating and makes it difficult for those struggling as it is. 

    Yes, I’ve read about young people who wouldn’t be comfortable doing it with their parents involved. What an awful situation to be in. 

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