introducing myself

Hi miles, im new here too. I never know what to write on these things im quite set in my ways and dont do well with Change. But anyway just wanted to say hi

Thanks for your reply. 

Thanks for your reply. I am sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. 

Thanks this was helpful and prompted me to go back to the doctor and choose a different assessment centre through right to choose. I hope that this will be quicker.

Hello Miles, 

I hope you enjoy your time here.

I thought my assessment would explain the past, people's attitudes, my anxiety and depression, a lifetime of regular 2-3 year meltdowns, walking out of jobs, etc., etc. And yes, of course it did. Then I realised that it didn't really matter that much, as it was more to do with other people's attitudes, issues and problems. By the way, I have had wonderful bosses, too.  

For me (I appreciate it may be different to extremely different, for others) learning about myself has been far more meaningful and life affirming than explaining the past attitudes of others. Ultimately and honestly, I am not really that interested in other people and particularly their attitudes,  It is my wiring.  

So, I had read about people with autism and none of it really fitted me. What really was wonderful, worthwhile about my assessment and is still making me buzz, is the solving of so many of the questions I had about myself.  Very simply, I function primarily through my senses & pattern recognition  and they are acutely sensitive and very important.  So, I am not always very logical but intuitive.  

For me, the past is very much a stranger. Unbeknownst to me, so was I, but we are working on that!  

Welcome, Miles!

HiMiles and welcome  

I could really relate to a lot of what you’ve written. Waiting for an assessment can be frustrating.

I was diagnosed later in life too, and it did make a difference for me. It wasn’t about becoming a different person, but about understanding the person I’d always been. Looking back over my life through a different lens brought a mixture of relief, sadness and compassion for my younger self.

What you said about limited energy and becoming depleted by social situations really resonated with me. I used to suffer with headaches and fatigue after meeting with people socially (usually work colleagues)

Now I try to limit these things because I am masking heavily and it’s costing me.

Whatever the outcome of your assessment, I hope you find this forum a supportive place. There are lots of people here who understand that feeling of trying to make sense of yourself later in life.

Wishing you well

Thanks for your comment archae

Thanks for your comment Oscar. I might try the right to choose option. 

Thanks for your comment.

Welcome to the community! I also don't have my final answer, but I get the deep feeling, suspicion of being autistic. I'm waiting for my assessment, it's scheduled for october/November this year. I chose private one, otherwise I would wait years or not get tested at all, as in my area they require a family input (not friend who knows me long, only family) and I can't provide it despite having some evidence of me having certain problems since ever. My assessor knows that I have no informant other than my husband and is fine with it.

I wish you luck and I hope that you find here support.

Hi Miles, 

So much of what you wrote resonated with me. I am in my mid 70s and have recently had my assessment. My NHS assessor extended my waiting time so I opted for a private one. I am so glad I did it. I feel a much greater sense of personal peace than I have ever done before. I am constantly evaluating my former life with my autism ruler. So many mysteries and confusion been have been accepted, understood, resolved or dismissed. I am being a lot kinder about my past life than I used to be, which is better for my mental health and anxiety issues. I too, do not like change, have unusual hobbies and do not understand how get the friends thing works.  

You're welcome! 

Miles said:

I figured that as I have been waiting for such a long time it must be coming up fairly soon

Miles said:

But maybe I should reconsider. 

Of course, it's very much up to you. My mental health was deteriorating during my waiting period. As much as it might have been nice to go through the NHS process, I knew that I couldn't wait for it.

Although they couldn't / wouldn't give me an official NHS timing estimate at that point, I was warned to expect at least another year of waiting if I stayed on that list, and perhaps a lot longer.

After switching to RTC, I was diagnosed within a few months. 18 months after my diagnosis, I discovered that I'd accidentally been left on the NHS list. I didn't find that out because I'd got the front of the queue - I'd just happened to contact that team for a different reason. So my wait would definitely have still been ongoing at that point.

Perhaps the merits of each option are something you could discuss with your doctor, if you feel that would be helpful.

Hi Miles 

Welcome to the community.

i hope you get your assessment appointment  soon.

I was diagnosed in my 60s, over a year and half ago. 

Thanks bunny for your response. I am aware of the right to choose. I figured that as I have been waiting for such a long time it must be coming up fairly soon. Also I understand that the local nhs diagnosis is in person and more detailed, which I think I would prefer. But maybe I should reconsider. 

Hi and welcome to the community!

In respect of preparing for your assessment, you might find it helpful to compare the traits that you've noticed with those detailed in these NAS resources, which explain the main signs / symptoms / characteristics of autism. They might also help you to identity and note down any additional things that you recognise in yourself:

NAS - What is autism?

NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

There's also some further advice here, from the NAS's diagnosis hub, which has lots of other useful articles:

NAS - What can I do while waiting for an autism assessment?

Miles said:

I have been on a waiting list to get one for more than two years

I spent over two years on an NHS waiting list - and still likely had a lot longer to wait - before I was told, by my NHS psychiatrist, about a quicker way to get assessed.

If, like me, you live in England, then you might like to consider asking your GP to re-refer you using the Right to Choose pathway (RTC). In England (only), this enables access to certain, approved, private autism assessment providers who typically have much shorter waiting lists than the NHS, but with the referral and assessment still fully funded by the NHS. 

For example, Psychiatry UK's process is explained here. It involves preparing the required materials - an AQ-10 form and accompanying letter - ready for the GP when requesting re-referral:

Psychiatry UK - Right to Choose Autism Assessments > How to apply

The waiting times for RTC assessments can be affected by local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) budgets. As a general guideline, this particular provider is currently stating an expected waiting time of 5-6 months from GP referral:

Psychiatry UK - Initial Assessment & Titration Waiting Times

More information is available here:

NAS - How to request an autism assessment

There's a list of other RTC providers for autism at the bottom of this page, for example:

NHS Sussex - NHS Right to Choose: for Autism and ADHD Assessment