I have started the process of getting an AS assessment. Am F in my late 40s.
Contacted a private psychologist in the first instance for a pre-assessment, as I am too nervous to approach my GP without some kind of verifcation. They gave me an AQ and EQ to complete, and a relatives questionaire which I asked my mother to fill in. She is the only person who has any idea what I was like as a child.
My memories of my childhood are pretty much textbook Aspie - extreme fussiness about food and the environment, unusual interests and obsessions, frequent tantrums often about minor issues, and poor social skills. I was bullied badly and constantly in trouble with parents/teachers for reasons I (mostly) did not understand.
All my life my mother has complained about what an absolute nightmare I was as a child, however when it came down to the questionaire she balked at it, making light of my behaviour and backtracking completely. She couldn't answer specifics so I tried prompting her a bit, and one conversation went something like this:-
Me - you remember I was very fussy about clothes not fitting right, and scratchy labels? Tantrums?
Mum - yes but that's perfectly normal. I'm the same.
Me - I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But not everybody gets bothered by scratchy clothes.
Mum - I know, your stepdad doesn't notice. *And* he tucks the ends of his shoelaces into his shoes. I couldn't bear that.
Me - Then how about writing that on the questionnaire?
Mum - [voice rising] But there is absolutely nothing wrong with cutting labels out of clothes. I have a *whole drawer* full of labels that I have collected over the years.
Me - Perhaps you could write that bit on the questionnaire?
Mum - Umm.. maybe not.
Then she even dismissed my food issues, saying "Oh, I was fussy too" and "all kids are fussy arent they", when in fact mealtimes were a battleground that I feel scarred me for life.
Has anyone else had problems with parents doing this? And what chance have I of getting a diagnosis without her cooperation?
I don't want to push her as she is elderly and not in the best of health. I would not bring her to an assessment as I know she would get very upset.
