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Uncooperative parent

Crumble

Advice please...

My mum was offended when asked to fill in the CAST form that my psychologist had asked me to get her to fill in.

She said she didnt want me to have a label, there was nothing wrong with me and she would know if there was. 

She doesn't know me, for as long as I remember I've "cherry-picked" what I've told her about me and my feelings to meet her exacting standards. 

Now, just when I thought I may get somewhere in understanding myself and why I am the way I am she puts this wall up. I've looked at what she's put on the form and it's just not true, but it's my fault for never being honest with her. But that's only because I can't be.

Can I still persue a diagnosis without this? Im 29 by the way.

  • I was diagnosed without parents being involved. Mine are elderly and both probably on the spectrum, my dad remembers very little and my mother got similarly indignant at some of the questions, and played down all my issues. 

    I did have school reports however, and spent a lot of time going through all the pre-assessment forms providing clear examples. 

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    There is also an issue where parents may be undiagnosed aspies. (in this case perhaps?) An undiagnosed aspie may have odd views about what is normal and would make a very unreliable witness. Given the strong genetic link in ASD they should consider this factor when looking at parental statements.

    My parents and only brother had all passed away before I was diagnosed. My other remaining relatives (on father's side) are strongly aspie. It didn't bother the psych though - he had enough evidence from my behaviour and from my own memories of childhood that he had no hesitation in making a diagnosis.

  • As I understand it they just need someone who knew you as a cild and can confirm certain patterns - the big difficulty with securing a diagnosis is evicence from the past.

    Good that Pandoren didn't have to do this, maybe they are recognising the difficulty.

    Both my parents had died well before a diagnosis. A sibling gave the evidence. I had no uncles or aunts that had been close enough at the time.

    But they must have a strategy for parents refusing. After all the reaction Crumble describes is hardly uncommon. Lots of people worry about the stigma of anything tinged with association with mental illness, rightly or wrongly.

    I'm sure quite as few parents would steadfastly refuse on the grounds they'd rather an adult son or daughter bottled it up to save face. Its a sad fact of human behaviour that autism is still perceived most unfavourably. The spectrum concept doesn't help as it is perceived that if you tried harder you could somehow slide down the spectrum into normality.

  • I am 26 in the UK. I was diagnosed 2 years ago without any other adult testimony. My parents still don't know I've been diagnosed. It is possible to get a diagnosis without parental input- after all, what would they do if the person didn't have any parents?