Is there any benefit to getting assessed in your thirty's??

Hello Siva

If you phone the NAS helpline they can give you the names of Psychologists in your area who do adult Assessments/Diagnosis - for my area the helpline had more names on their list than were on the NAS web-site pages. 
You can then check those Clinicians out online and see what you think of them.  

(Be warned - the NAS helpline sometimes gets very busy.)

I have had a look at the Autism Services Directory but they seem to be aimed more at childrens assessment/diagnosis.
Not sure why they are listed seperateley, Assessment/Diagnosis. How can you have a Diagnosis without an Assessment?

I have started to look online for local services, most of the councillors I have looked at provide the service of living with ASD rather than providing a diagnosis.
Not sure if I'm looking in the wrong place and should be looking at Psychologists?

Thank you Stonechat, I will look into it

siva said:

If I were to get a diagnosis, wouldn't it get put on my medical records? Or, is it independant?

Hello Siva

If you go for a private diagnosis, the result will not necessarily be passed onto your GP if you request it not to - you can stress this, with your reasons, before your assessment. Your medical records will likely need to be read by the psychologist though, before the assessment. 
There are many reasons why someone might wish to be assessed and diagnosed for an ASC - and these are not always a desperate need for help and support from your health authority or local services. 
The psychologist should tell you whether they thought you needed help, what sort of help and from where. They should advise after assessment if they think your GP should be told.

That all sounds a bit uncertain and not clear-cut. Frustratingly for Aspie's the whole process is full of uncertainty - though to look at it positively, it is full of self-discovery as well.

Thank you everyone for your comments.

If I were to get a diagnosis, wouldn't it get put on my medical records? Or, is it independant?

I haven't heard much about the support for adults with AS. It's one of the other things that brought me to this forum. What type of support is there?

I have looked into AS but didn't really look into the support aspect.

Recently I attended a works night out, I'm not much for going out but I was invited and I thought it would be good to show my face. I seem to be fine at first but then I start to move away from the group; I make some small talk which doesn't last long, I give up and start withdraw from the group. I ended up leaving early, about 11pm.

I'm not sure what it is, whether its that I start to feel as though I'm unable to maintain their interest. I feel like this when I have to do public speaking - also have a weird reaction of turning bright red as I walk to the front.

I have tried to follow sport, television and music but find it hard to have a genuine interest. I don't see the logic of supporting a football team, caring about some soap character dying in Corrination Street or to follow a particular band, I like some songs but not enough to warrant liking the band or going to music festivals, etc.

I sometimes feel as though I have trouble in joining group discussions - I'm unsure whether this is down to cues or not being aggressive enough or feeling that I would come across as too aggressive. So tend to leave my points to the end.

Sometimes when I speak, I feel like I have a lot to get out so start speaking faster which makes me 

I find social media confusing; I'm on Facebook, Twitter, etc but just don't post. I just don't understand the need to post.

I'm sorry for the really long post, I'm still trying to get to grips with the whole forum thing.

I second that. Just because you have a diagnosis doesn't mean that you have to do anything about it, but it might have value at some point in the future. Other than that, you seem quite capable and if your lifestyle continues to be comfortable for you, then there's nothing you need to do. It might, though, give you some helpful insights.

It seems easier to make a diagnosis whilst there are family members who can feed into the diagnostic process. After all, they're the ones closest and more likely to have seen, and be able to describe, some of your early behaviours. If teachers have seen signs, then you must have some clearly indicative behaviours, so if for nothing more than simple curiosity, and as they and your family seem fine with you as you are (you don't say that they express any concerns for you) then I'd encourage you to get the question answered.

I got my diagnosis at 59. I can't begin to tell you what a difference it has made to my life, but it's very positive. Good luck in deciding!

A diagnosis could act as a buffer in the case of unexpected circumstances in the future that you may otherwise struggle to cope with. If you don't have close family or friends that you know you can rely on in times of a crisis, then I'd say it's definitely worth looking into getting diagnosed. 

Hi, I am going for assessment at a similar age to you, as I still struggle with various aspects of my life... I haven't got a diagnosis yet though.  I think it depends, if you struggle with any part of your life and feel that you need any sort of support then it may be worth going for assessment. If it doesn't affect you much then it depends whether or not you need closure on the possibility either way.  I found it helpful to keep a diary of my struggles and was able to relate most things back to (what I feel to be) being on the autistic spectrum.