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Hello! My ASD Diagnosis Journey

baileyblonde

Hi, my name is Sarah, I am 44 and I am at the very start of my ASD diagnosis journey.

I visited my Dr earlier this week as I believe I have ASD and wanted further advice. I made the appointment a month ago and spent the whole time feeling extremely nervous about seeing my Dr as I didn't know what to expect and was worried I wouldn't be taken seriously.

I needn't have worried though as she was very understanding and sympathetic. I explained that after watching 'Unmasking My Autism' by Christine McGuinness and doing further research into ASD I could very much relate to a lot of the traits. This has both been reassuring (I feel validated in my lifelong feelings, experiences and behaviours etc) but also frightening (how will I cope as I get older etc).

After completing the AQ-10 Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) screening questionnaire and scoring 10, my Dr has referred me to The Owl Centre for a formal ASD diagnosis. I'm now on the waiting list (average wait is around 7 months) and hopefully should receive correspondence from them soon.

Parents

  • Hiya :-)

    Feeling validated makes sense - as does the fears.  Some of this comes from the "deficit based" diagnostic criteria maybe which all gets linked up with a sense of there being "something wrong" and frankly that being autistic in a neurotypical word can be hard?

    Hmmm... does it get easier post diagnosis? well...

    Every person diagnosed (including self-diagnosed) has their own individual reaction and responses says the research.  It is also said that there is are characteristic journeys that might be overlaid on the experience.

    As the song goes "accentuate the positive" may be worthwhile advice :-)

    Takes a while to make sense of life from a different perspective and maybe through a different lens.  And then to make choices from that appreciation.

    Hehe, I think I remember Brian Cox saying that time travel is possible - just that it only goes in one direction!

    All the best for the future!

Reply

  • Hiya :-)

    Feeling validated makes sense - as does the fears.  Some of this comes from the "deficit based" diagnostic criteria maybe which all gets linked up with a sense of there being "something wrong" and frankly that being autistic in a neurotypical word can be hard?

    Hmmm... does it get easier post diagnosis? well...

    Every person diagnosed (including self-diagnosed) has their own individual reaction and responses says the research.  It is also said that there is are characteristic journeys that might be overlaid on the experience.

    As the song goes "accentuate the positive" may be worthwhile advice :-)

    Takes a while to make sense of life from a different perspective and maybe through a different lens.  And then to make choices from that appreciation.

    Hehe, I think I remember Brian Cox saying that time travel is possible - just that it only goes in one direction!

    All the best for the future!

Children
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