Adult Diagnosis - Embarressed

May be they will diagnose you with Autism as social skills is very important for a diagnoses.

David

There were some problems with me because I had temper tantrums.  Later as I grew up I didn't have any discipline issues at school, but I was very withdrawn and not very communicative.  I didn't make friends easlily and felt very lonely and didn't join in social activities. The teachers just thought I was shy and underconfident.

It makes it harder without parents some older people do not have parents.

I do not have a father any more.

Do you remember when you were a child if you had problems at school and at home?

I remember as I was expelled and went to the Maudsley for an assessment and was very unhappy at school as explained in previous E Mails.

David

I'm in a similar position to Jon and Goatworshiper.  I'm due for an assessment in just over a week's time.  I'm getting increasingly worried about it as I've had no instructions or information from the assessment centre as to what I should take with me if anything, whether a family member should accompany me or whether I need school reports.  If they need this information surely they should tell me?  I think I'll take printouts of online tests I've taken, and the reasons I think I have a ASD.  I've been told that it will last about 1 1/2 hours but I don't know what the assessment will consist of, and whether a diagnosis will follow directly after the one session or whether I'll need further testing.  Perhaps I should  email the psychiatrist who will conduct the assessment directly.

I went to the appointment today. It went fantastically well. I got introducted the Autism team and they told me about assesment and told me I would have a report completed in 6 months.

They said the assesment will happen in three stages:

1. A medical with a nurse.

2. Developmental history interview with parents (they are willing to listen to girlfriend, look at school reports because I dont want to involve parents).

3. Cognitive assesment.

Then they will write a report and I should know either way. 

Just done the AQ test again, coming out at 45. I usually score 43. EQ at the weekend.

Thanks for that Jon. Yeah I love analogue synths, I'll give that a watch on friday. (Im at work, then straight to Leeds to watch Om tomorrow). I've been completely focussed on sewing the last few patches on waistcoat (full of band patches) that I've been chipping away at for the last 6 years, so I havnt been on the net much lately.

Hi Goatworshiper,

This is a bit 'nothing to do with the post' but are you at all interested at all in vintage synths?

This is a bit of a distraction from all the diagnosis stress:

http://youtu.be/l-pLObY7BK0

My new CPN/co-ordinator rang me up today to offer me support. I felt quite comfortable and didn't feel like a burden when speaking to her (I tend to find sometimes NHS staff, use the "people are worse than you line"). I didn't book into see her as I'm really busy, but she said it was ok to do so after going for the diagnostic assesment.

Hopefully things are moving in the right direction.

Jon said:

Possibly like you, I just want to understand why I am like I am. I need to have confidence in the diagnosis or non-diagnosis. I need the practitioner to also have confidence in the diagnosis or non-diagnosis.

One thing to remember is that a diagnosis is sometimes partly dependent on:

• how well you are coping (employment, supportive partner)
• funding and available care
• what the practitioner deems to be the clinical threshold.

At the end of the day though it is you who is left to cope (or not).

This is the kind of thing that wories me. Mainly as people assume that because I have a long term relationship and have a job that I'm ok. What they don't realise is I would struggle to have relationships with the vast majority of females. I struggle to explain my feelings and I also struggle with my job. I have to be somewhat apathetic towards work otherwise I care too much and lose my temper. I can't manage more than about 18hrs a week, otherwise I'm constantly on the job hunt, needing to escape. This leads to poverty, poor health etc.

I can articulate myself to a ok level, but when I need to explain complex concepts I understand perfectly well I really struggle and tend to under acheive. 

My local MHS said to my girlfriend for years that she was coping fine, but I after some complaining we found out she was a manic depressive taking the wrong drugs. So I'm always skeptical towards my local services. I think my local services of "if we don't acknowledge, we're not accountable" I understand they havn't got an unlimited budget, but I think sometimes having a correct diagnosis lets you understand yourself better, that in turn improves your health.

Good luck with you appointment Jon, I hope it goes well.

Hi Goatworshiper,

I have now got got a date for my Asperger (re)assesment in November.

For me I am definately not going to rely on my verbal communicsation skills this time. Proir to the appointment i am going to forward them:

• a completed AS and EQ form
• detailed letter I gave to the doctor (13 pages of quite small text)
• detailed annotated copy of previous assesment report (On reading it I realised that most of my answers left out the relevant facts - I have maybe become too good at camouflaging?)
• notes from recent CBT sessions.
• notes of a 'meeting' between my girlfriend and my parents. Previously my parents had filled in a developmental questionnaire that describes me as a 'perfect and normal child'. This quite contradicts my own experience and makes me question what their perception of 'normal' is. I am not in contact with my parents myself.
• Notes/diary/thoughts from the last few months.

Possibly like you, I just want to understand why I am like I am. I need to have confidence in the diagnosis or non-diagnosis. I need the practitioner to also have confidence in the diagnosis or non-diagnosis.

One thing to remember is that a diagnosis is sometimes partly dependent on:

• how well you are coping (employment, supportive partner)
• funding and available care
• what the practitioner deems to be the clinical threshold.

At the end of the day though it is you who is left to cope (or not).

I wish that it was possible to just download the contents of your head and they could look at that

.....anyway, good luck

David said:

Are you going to bring any one with you?

It might be useful to bring someone who knew you  as a child.

They might want to know your developmental history.

In my case it must be some where on my Medical records a Psychiatrist when I was nine  suggesting an Autistic School that was back in 1966 although my Doctor told me in 2009 that he does not have that.

Only a remark by a Psychiatrist in 1976 suggesting that I am mildly Autistic which is the equivalent today of Asperger Syndrome.

They might not have anything from your childhood to suggest that you have Autism.

Half an hour seems a short time unless your case is obvious like mine.

Good Luck.

David

My Mum get's petty and a bit hysterical when the topic of Autism arises and she didnt respond well to me seeking a dyslexia diagnosis. So I couldnt take her or Dad, I have however found some school reports which may help. 

I'm taking my long term girlfriend (of nearly 13 years). I know she can't comment on my developmental history, but she can explain my frustrations, emotions and my behavior better than I. 

I think half an hour is too short too.

Are you going to bring any one with you?

It might be useful to bring someone who knew you  as a child.

They might want to know your developmental history.

In my case it must be some where on my Medical records a Psychiatrist when I was nine  suggesting an Autistic School that was back in 1966 although my Doctor told me in 2009 that he does not have that.

Only a remark by a Psychiatrist in 1976 suggesting that I am mildly Autistic which is the equivalent today of Asperger Syndrome.

They might not have anything from your childhood to suggest that you have Autism.

Half an hour seems a short time unless your case is obvious like mine.

Good Luck.

David

Scorpion0x17 said:

I would take a print-out of your answers to the AQ test, and the score you get.

You may also want to take a written list of reasons why you think you might have Asperger's - either to give yourself something to refer to, or if you find yourself unable to say what you want to say, you can just hand the list over.

Cheers. I still have the list I took to the GP, so I'll take that with the AQ test.

I would take a print-out of your answers to the AQ test, and the score you get.

You may also want to take a written list of reasons why you think you might have Asperger's - either to give yourself something to refer to, or if you find yourself unable to say what you want to say, you can just hand the list over.

UPDATE: I have an appointment with Adult Autism Assesment Team on 4th October. The appointment is for appox 30 mins. I need to check work will let me have the day off.

Can anyone advise what test are useful to complete and print off prior to this appointment. I know about AQ obviously. What else should I prepare if anything? Thanks in advance.

Hi David. I'm dreading the appointment because it's new people and new thing's in a different town. I'm looking forward to finding out if I have Aspergers, even I get told I don't have Aspergers and it's explained to me properly I'm willing to move on. 

Are you looking forward to having your appointmeant and do you want to have a diagnoses of Autism?

David

Edited by philippab - mod to remove personal details

Spoke to my care co-ordinator/CPN. She has chased up my appointment and says I should recieve a letter soon.

She has also transferred me to another co-ordinator. I feel odd having a care co-ordinator. I don't no why tho.

I did not say that Diagnoses is purely subjective.

In my case it is obvious so a Psychiatrist was able to tell that I was mildly Autistic in 1976 aged nineteen after seeing me for a few minutes in our home and he might have read the Autistic School recommendation when I was nine ten years earlier.

Normally professionals are trained to look out for certain things and go by the persons past developmental history.

The brain scan will take a long time to replace traidtional methods of diagnoses so we need not worry about people being denyed services as a result of a scan in the near future.

I do believe we are partly what we are because of life situation and up bringing.

The latest wisdom is that Autsim has nothing to do with life situation and up bringing.

Autism is supposed to be genetic.

In theory Autism is not supposed to change but I am sure that Autistic symptoms can change through up bringing and life experience.

I should think the brain scan when fully developed will be able to tell if the person has an Autistic brain irrespective if symptoms changers through life experience.

David

David

I agree that diagnoses contain a large amount of subjectivity, but they are not purely subjective. Good clinicians will try and assess as objectively as possible, using tried asnd tested assessment procedure. I am sceptical as to how objective brain scans will really be. The brain is a living organ which constantly changes, it is plastic, and can respond to environmental influences. Will people with symptoms of autism whose brains do not 'look autistic' on the scan, not get access to autism services? I think there are many unanswered questions