Hi.

I posted about me doing this a few weeks ago and as you said labels facing forward, grouped together and in consumption order. Unfortunately the rest of my family do not share the love of order which upsets me somewhat. 

Welcome to the community Sheepdog, hope you find the answers that you seek

Thanks for the link for test, I scored 45 Do not know the minimum or maximum score.

Is there any other way to stack tins?

Sheepdog said:

stacking things in correct order same way round

Welcome Sheepdog   I suspect you might approve of the food tin regimen in my kitchen store cupboard.  Grouped by type of foodstuff, all tin label "fronts" facing toward the open cupboard door, in date of consumption order.  Makes perfect sense to me (unless others in my household have "helpfully" moved everything around into harlequin patchwork quilt effect of unidentified jostled items!).

What a strange comment re alcohol. I used to drink a lot as a way of coping with my autism. It allowed me to socialise more freely and relaxed me. My problem is that I can't stop at the relaxation point but continue past it. I don't drink much any more for general health reasons but often wish I could, to calm me down. I don't think you should be put off by an uninterested GP. I know it's hard, but it's often worth pushing back if you don't feel you are being taken seriously. I have my first autism related GP appointment next week, to get referred for a diagnosis and I don't intend to take no for an answer! Hope I can put my money where my mouth is on that!

Personally I'd not be put-off by the usual alcohol-related comment from the GP.   I don't know why they'd ask you that - mine doesn't - but my Dentist ALWAYS does, even though he knows I don't touch it.  Weird.

People are often dismissive of things they know little about.  They grow less so when they've had a chance to consider facts & evidence.  It could be that this is a bolt from the blue for your wife, so she reacted in this way.  Perhaps if you persist, she may take a different line. 

Bunny has provided links below including to an unofficial self-administered test you can take online.  Out of sheer curiosity I have even taken it myself and I found it remarkably accurate, and it could potentially add weight to future discussions with your wife & the GP.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do 

By the way, just to add: I stopped drinking alcohol over 10 months ago - and it (obviously) hasn't changed how autistic I still am. 

Hi and welcome to the community!

Many of us here are "late realised" and/or "late diagnosed", so you're in good company! :)

I was also drinking at the time of my referral for an autism assessment; it's actually quite a common coping mechanism for us. Both the screening process and the professionals involved in assessments consider more relevant and important information.

If you haven't yet seen them, you might like to read through the various resources in the NAS's recently revamped diagnosis hub:

NAS - diagnosis hub

They cover all stages of the process, with each section containing several articles relating to that stage:

• Before diagnosis
• Assessment and diagnosis 
• After diagnosis 

For example, these articles (from "Before diagnosis") would perhaps make for a particularly timely read:

NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

NAS - How to request an autism assessment

If you live in England, you might particularly like to read about requesting an assessment via Right to Choose (which enables access to private providers who might have shorter waiting lists than the NHS, but with your referral and assessment still fully funded by the NHS). Some examples of Right to Choose providers are listed here, for example:

ADHD and ASD assessment – Right To Choose

The NAS articles include links to some screening questionnaires that you might like to complete, to get a better idea of whether your suspicions might be correct. You might prefer to use the website below for this, rather than the versions linked in the NAS article.

The site provides some very useful commentary for each questionnaire, and also enables them to be completed online (with scores calculated for you), saved as PDFs and - if the results support your suspicions and you decide to seek a formal diagnosis - printed off to take with you to the GP. This supporting evidence may then very well merit a referral (regardless of your use of alcohol!).

The AQ-10 or AQ-50 seem to be the most frequently used / required by GPs in support of NHS referrals. (RAADS-R might also be helpful, although some recent research has thrown doubt on its validity as a screening tool):

Embrace Autism - screening tests