Paying Privately for Adult Aspergers Assessment?

REPLY TO "HOPE":

I have a private diagnosis, and I *didn't* have to pay for it, because luckily the clinician needed an adult subject.  So there is no question that I 'bought' a diagnosis or that it was not objective.

He did an extremely thorough assessment, including testing me for psychological conditions that might have similar traits, and ruling them out.  My diagnosis was later confirmed by one of the top AS experts in the country (a colleague of Simon Baron-Cohen at the ARC Cambridge) who went over my whole case.  This expert also trains UK clinicians in assessment and diagnosis of ASCs and has a huge amount of experience and is very senior.

Also, the private clinician who diagnosed me, used to work for the NHS at consultant level, has 35 years of experience has published many papers.  My assessment with him consisted of several interviews with myself, interviews with people who know me, access to medical information, school reports and past performance appraisals.

Conversely, when I went for NHS assessment, they managed to label me with a box-set of individual labels that all added up to Asperger's, admitted to 'overlap with autism spectrum behaviours' but refused to diagnose me.  And both my children are autistic - hello - autism is genetic!  I also have a wealth of medical and other genetic evidence, which they have ignored.  And their assessment consisted of a one hour interview, not interviewing anyone else, no clinical testing tools - nothing.  Very dismissive and cursory job overall.  I asked for a 2nd opinion, which repeated the same experience!

NHS diagnoses are *not* objective.  They are trying to avoid diagnosing people as they don't want a drain on services.  They also will not be accountable for their errors and failed diagnoses.  They cover-up errors and collude.  They even lied about who was present at my 2nd assessment so I have proof of this.  The PALS complaints process is also a joke.

On what do you base your 'quackery' and 'over-diagnosis' claim?  I would like to see links to relevant research proving these claims.

Any clinician, who wants to maintain credibility and not have his reputation ruined would not contemplate giving false diagnoses.  I would imagine therefore that any such incidences of such behaviour are very rare.

So basically you are talking rot.  I have evidence to the utter contrary of everything you say.  Be as skeptical as you like, that doesn't make what you say true.  And misleading people over the true situation is not right.

REPLY TO "HOPE":

I have a private diagnosis, and I *didn't* have to pay for it, because luckily the clinician needed an adult subject.  So there is no question that I 'bought' a diagnosis or that it was not objective.

He did an extremely thorough assessment, including testing me for psychological conditions that might have similar traits, and ruling them out.  My diagnosis was later confirmed by one of the top AS experts in the country (a colleague of Simon Baron-Cohen at the ARC Cambridge) who went over my whole case.  This expert also trains UK clinicians in assessment and diagnosis of ASCs and has a huge amount of experience and is very senior.

Also, the private clinician who diagnosed me, used to work for the NHS at consultant level, has 35 years of experience has published many papers.  My assessment with him consisted of several interviews with myself, interviews with people who know me, access to medical information, school reports and past performance appraisals.

Conversely, when I went for NHS assessment, they managed to label me with a box-set of individual labels that all added up to Asperger's, admitted to 'overlap with autism spectrum behaviours' but refused to diagnose me.  And both my children are autistic - hello - autism is genetic!  I also have a wealth of medical and other genetic evidence, which they have ignored.  And their assessment consisted of a one hour interview, not interviewing anyone else, no clinical testing tools - nothing.  Very dismissive and cursory job overall.  I asked for a 2nd opinion, which repeated the same experience!

NHS diagnoses are *not* objective.  They are trying to avoid diagnosing people as they don't want a drain on services.  They also will not be accountable for their errors and failed diagnoses.  They cover-up errors and collude.  They even lied about who was present at my 2nd assessment so I have proof of this.  The PALS complaints process is also a joke.

On what do you base your 'quackery' and 'over-diagnosis' claim?  I would like to see links to relevant research proving these claims.

Any clinician, who wants to maintain credibility and not have his reputation ruined would not contemplate giving false diagnoses.  I would imagine therefore that any such incidences of such behaviour are very rare.

So basically you are talking rot.  I have evidence to the utter contrary of everything you say.  Be as skeptical as you like, that doesn't make what you say true.  And misleading people over the true situation is not right.