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Adult needs advice

Wildflower87

Hi,

I am 28 and have suspected autism for some time. It was originally highlighted by someone else who spotted the signs.

I have always struggled immensely in social situations- I now avoid them altogether. So much so that for the past 6 years I have chosen jobs where I can work in solitude. I have no friends. It was 12-18 months before I first spoke to any other child at secondary school and that was only because they approached me. I was always called "weird" because all I did was read and talk about animals.

I excelled at school and I am very good at art. My special interests are animals, especially dogs, who I draw realistically. 

Other people notice things about me that I do not. For example, I'm often described as cold and unaffectionate and don't make eye contact. 

I took the 'autism test' and scored 39.

I summoned the courage, took the plunge and saw my GP today after reading on this main website that seeing a GP is the first step to diagnosis. I love organisation, planning and lists. I wrote down everything I thought was odd about me or possibly autism related to show him-  it ended up being three pages long.

He told me that the fact I've decided to speak to a GP is not an autistic trait. I told him that to go on holiday I have to plan every detail months in advance. He said that if I was autistic I wouldn't be able to go on holiday at all.

He hasn't referred me and now I'm left feeling lost.

I'm not quite sure what to do now...

Parents

  • There have been government assurances that GPs will refer - but it never seems to materialise. Daft reasons for not referring do appear on here from time to time, and your GP's excuse strikes me as one of the daftest.

    When I sought an adult diagnosis more than ten years ago the GP referred me to a psychiatrist on the grounds that autism is something you grow out of, so I must be delusional. I got round this via the local diagnostic service. When I got my Asperger Diagnosis he merely suggested was that a new kind of vegetable, and wouldn't discuss it further. He also overruled the post diagnoses support, about which I only found out later.

    Some GPs do seem to revel in being insensitive, unprofessional and downright ignorant, but you would think there would be some improvement with the Autism Act and the new Care Act.

    The problem is that GPs are little informed on autism and no initiative seems to make any progress. However you have a right to ask for a referral.

    Your GP surgery should have a Patient Participation Group (PPG)- though not all do, latterly because the funding has been withdrawn - even so they are supposed to provide one. You should be able to find out about the PPG on the surgery website, or ask at reception. You could them ask them to look at why the practice is turning down autism referrals for unsound reasons. You could ask the PPG to seek advice from the local NHS Trust.

    If you are having difficulty you could also find out the location of the diagnosis service in your local authority/local health service area, and tell them that your GP refused a referral.

    You seem to have done all the right things, but have been let down by a pathetically incompetent GP. But the trend is supposedly towards GPs cooperating with autism referrals, so you seem to have encountered a candidate for being struck off rather than a competent GP.

Reply

  • There have been government assurances that GPs will refer - but it never seems to materialise. Daft reasons for not referring do appear on here from time to time, and your GP's excuse strikes me as one of the daftest.

    When I sought an adult diagnosis more than ten years ago the GP referred me to a psychiatrist on the grounds that autism is something you grow out of, so I must be delusional. I got round this via the local diagnostic service. When I got my Asperger Diagnosis he merely suggested was that a new kind of vegetable, and wouldn't discuss it further. He also overruled the post diagnoses support, about which I only found out later.

    Some GPs do seem to revel in being insensitive, unprofessional and downright ignorant, but you would think there would be some improvement with the Autism Act and the new Care Act.

    The problem is that GPs are little informed on autism and no initiative seems to make any progress. However you have a right to ask for a referral.

    Your GP surgery should have a Patient Participation Group (PPG)- though not all do, latterly because the funding has been withdrawn - even so they are supposed to provide one. You should be able to find out about the PPG on the surgery website, or ask at reception. You could them ask them to look at why the practice is turning down autism referrals for unsound reasons. You could ask the PPG to seek advice from the local NHS Trust.

    If you are having difficulty you could also find out the location of the diagnosis service in your local authority/local health service area, and tell them that your GP refused a referral.

    You seem to have done all the right things, but have been let down by a pathetically incompetent GP. But the trend is supposedly towards GPs cooperating with autism referrals, so you seem to have encountered a candidate for being struck off rather than a competent GP.

Children
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