I think I have aspergers - what if the doctor says I don't?

I've just self-diagnosed (score of 42 on the AS test). I'm a 55 year old female. Preferred sitting in a corner reading as a child to interacting with others. Underachieved at school and was bullied. Thought at one point that I was the only human being and all the other kids were robots. Since leaving school have achieved some vocational & professional qualifications, where a course lasted no longer than 1 year.  I get exhausted by social situations, or if I have too many demands at work. I pursue special interests to the point of obsession and can talk about them endlessly  often forgetting to ask others about themselves or their ideas. I avoid conflict, tend to try to please others and feel hurt by real or imagined criticism. I've always been told that I look younger than I am and have also been told that I sound young on the phone. Due to not coping well recently, I saw a GP at my surgery who specialises in mental health, who has referred me for counselling. I asked him about assessment for aspergers and he said that as it takes some time to see a specialist, he will get a more detailed questionnaire than the standard AS test for me to complete and then go through the results with me.  My concern is - what if he says I don't have AS? 

Parents
  • Hi PixieFox,

    At this stage, you should only need to concentrate on showing that autism is a logically consistent explanation for how you are.  The Baron-Cohen self-report tests are a fairly widely accepted indication that there's something worth looking into further - in fact, the very same test was a critical part of my formal diagnosis when I finally had my evaluation.

    I think that one thing that your doctor said certainly needs challenging.  Having CBT with a therapist who understands autism does make a big difference, in my experience.

    I have had three different courses of CBT over the years.  Two were long before my diagnosis, and I felt had some benefit, but at times were also very frustrating when it was implied that my innate autistic traits might be caused by trauma or just "negative thinking".

    I am now working with a counsellor who is very knowledgeable about autism and its particular challenges.  It feels much more effective, comfortable and satisfying than previously, and I can see marked progress in my mood that never happened before.

    It may be that this cannot happen until after diagnosis.  Sometimes, such counsellors are only available through autism specific services - but this is not always the case.  Be honest with the counsellor you end up seeing about your suspicions, and about the traits that make life tricky.  In my case, doing this reminded my original counsellor of a colleague who was more autism aware, and she helped me to transfer my case to the counsellor I have now.  Also, feedback from my CBT counselling helped my GP to see my traits more clearly, resulting in my referral to the autism unit.

    Best wishes.

Reply
  • Hi PixieFox,

    At this stage, you should only need to concentrate on showing that autism is a logically consistent explanation for how you are.  The Baron-Cohen self-report tests are a fairly widely accepted indication that there's something worth looking into further - in fact, the very same test was a critical part of my formal diagnosis when I finally had my evaluation.

    I think that one thing that your doctor said certainly needs challenging.  Having CBT with a therapist who understands autism does make a big difference, in my experience.

    I have had three different courses of CBT over the years.  Two were long before my diagnosis, and I felt had some benefit, but at times were also very frustrating when it was implied that my innate autistic traits might be caused by trauma or just "negative thinking".

    I am now working with a counsellor who is very knowledgeable about autism and its particular challenges.  It feels much more effective, comfortable and satisfying than previously, and I can see marked progress in my mood that never happened before.

    It may be that this cannot happen until after diagnosis.  Sometimes, such counsellors are only available through autism specific services - but this is not always the case.  Be honest with the counsellor you end up seeing about your suspicions, and about the traits that make life tricky.  In my case, doing this reminded my original counsellor of a colleague who was more autism aware, and she helped me to transfer my case to the counsellor I have now.  Also, feedback from my CBT counselling helped my GP to see my traits more clearly, resulting in my referral to the autism unit.

    Best wishes.

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