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Assessment without someone who knew you in childhood

limetree84

Hi,

I finally referred myself to the adult autism diagnostic team in my area six months ago, and my assessment is next week. I am pretty convinced I'm autistic and will be disappointed if I'm not diagnosed, partly because it explains my life *so* well, and partly because I've been repeatedly let down and misunderstood by the local mental health services, employers, education system, etc - I've slowly learned to be assertive about my needs even if I have to say they are a consequence of mental health problems rather than related to being non-neurotypical, but it's such hard work, and I feel like having an autism diagnosis would help me explain better what it is I struggle with. Mostly people look at me and see an articulate, intelligent adult, and insist that I can't possibly have all the cognitive and social problems I experience on a day to day basis. It's really frustrating.

So I am anxious because I have quite a bit invested in getting an answer to whether I meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis, but my main worry is that I don't have anyone to take with me or answer questions about what I was like when I was little. The letter suggested I bring a parent or sibling, but my family are not supportive of me getting assessed (they didn't seem surprised that I thought I might have autism, but didn't want to help either), and I don't have anyone else I could ask. Have other people been to assessments without someone to answer questions about developmental milestones? Do you think this is likely to be an issue? Of all the frustrating outcomes I can imagine, them saying I clearly have a high level of autistic traits but can't be diagnosed because I don't have anyone to say whether I started talking or walking on time is the worst!

  • Just to update this, I had my assessment today. It took 2.5 hours but I now have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder. The two assessors said it was obvious I fit the criteria from my answers and their observations of the way I communicate, and so luckily I didn't need to try and get my mum to cooperate! I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet (relieved? Angry it wasn't picked up sooner? Weirdly happy to have a label that fits at last? Along those lines!), but I'm really glad it's over and thanks for the support, I was so nervous leading up to this!

  • Thanks for your reply Tom. I don't quite understand my mum's resistance to this to be honest - when I emailed her about it she said she didn't want to think there was anything wrong with any of her children. That's just odd to me, as I've had problems with OCD, panic attacks, depression, eating disorders, self harm, all sorts - with the OCD starting when I was only 3 or 4, and the rest betwee age 11-13. There's always been something 'wrong' with me, this would just explain it. I don't even see autism as a bad thing, I like the way my brain works in some respects, I just have different strengths and weaknesses to other people and get misunderstood a lot. I wish she was a bit more open minded about it, because I'm fairly sure I can see similar traits in her, and at least two of my siblings. I'm glad your mum is supportive at least, but it's unfair that the assessment had to be like that. I am taking my partner with me anyway, as she can give a very good idea of how difficult communicating can be with me on a day to day basis even though I seem superficially articulate! So I will have her to back me up at least.