Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
I was diagnosed with ASD Level 1 by Psychiatry UK before Christmas last year. Although this has been very positive and a lot of things that didn't make sense to me now do, the report I received was only really a summary of the documents submitted and the appointment and was quite general with the issues I experience as a result of being autistic. I have still had to figure things out by trial and error to understand what does and doesn't work for me and I have gaps that I don't know how to address or even articulate to others e.g. navigating friendships and romantic relationships. Similarly for work purposes, although they know I have the diagnosis and have my report on file, they haven't been able to provide recommended/required support because of the lack of specifics.
I've tried looking around for adult support services in my area but can't find anything so I'm a bit stuck. My priority mainly is for work, I'd like them (and future employers) to have something that outlines my specific needs. Is this something I can seek out? And if so, how would I go about securing it?
Thanks in advance!
It's wild how different the levels of detail are depending on where you go. I was diagnosed through the NHS and I felt it was very thorough and comprehensive, using specific examples of how I struggled in the past and currently. In the final interview before diagnosing me, the clinician talked me through everything she had put in her report, checking that I was happy that everything was accurate and asking if I had anything else that I wanted recorded. She even had a section on my autistic strengths and made sure that I knew I had places to look for support if needed. This is what it should be like for everyone. Not dependent on location or privilege.
This is what I had expected from the report that was produced for me but it felt like I was reading back everything I had said to them. It did leave me wondering if I had been properly assessed but this seems to be the standard with Psychiatry UK.
That is quite different! Mine had the stuff I had said but also observations from the assessor about my speech, demeanor and behaviour. It was a little unnerving to be under scrutiny like that, but on an intellectual level I found it interesting.
I think the 'picking apart' stuff is what happens in therapy, of whatever type. This could be provided by your local NHS or it might be (unfortunately) a private service. The way I looked at it, was, the assessment was literally just to go, yes you are autistic. And you then go on and get separate help for whatever challenges you have. In the same way that your GP might say 'You have high blood pressure. Here's some info.'. They might refer you on to other services, but they wouldn't do the stuff themselves, if that makes sense.
I think there were a few comments like that but they were embedded or not highlighted in a way that made it obvious what my strengths and weaknesses are. I agree on finding it interesting, I was almost hoping to get picked apart a lot more as part of the process to help me going forward. Instead, still having to do trial and error on a lot of things and circumstances.