Diagnosis.

I am a woman of 53,last year after a lifetime of struggling socially and with life in general I decided on the advice of an ASD specialist who counsels me to undergo the diagnostic pathway (as well as seeking answers I was struggling financially and hoped to be able to make a claim for PIP).I duly went to my GP who agreed to refer me for diagnosis.My first assessment was to garner information about my childhood and adulthood to the present day.I have a real problem with accepting that a self monitoring form is used as evidence when I am being asked to recollect some 45 years ago and the quality of my social interactions.I was struck by the very concrete questions focusing particularly on whether I had friends in childhood and would I choose today to do activities in isolation or with a friend.The room in which the consultation took place had an electricity substation directly outside which emoted a deep humming noise(which I found very difficult to tolerate) it was a hot day and coupled with the buzz there was a large electric fan placed directly between myself and the clinician.I assumed this was a part of the diagnosis to see if I was noise sensitive! When I asked about it I was told the choice was mine,we could switch the fan off and the room would get hot and the fact there was a substation outside the window was because this was what the NHS could find in the way of rooms.

After this first assessment I was told I would return to answer more questions on another occasion to give the clinician further information.I don’t have any particular recollections of this meeting.However I was told by the clinician he was still unsure as to whether I has an ASD so he would like to see me for a third occasion preferably accompanied by someone who knew me well.This appointment duly came and the clinician despite having asked me to bring someone who knew me barely registered the ASD specialist I had bought with me to the appointment.Still unable to make a diagnosis after this appointment I was asked to attend an online meeting/assessment! There were two clinicians present and one person who I thought was there to scribe but was told at the meetings end was also there to monitor.Again their observations were rudimentory,commenting on my ability to make eye contact,maintain conversation and answer questions. I described walking alone around and around the perimeter of the junior school playground for the entirety of break time,everyday and they could offer no explanation.I After a short break we reconvened and I was told I most certainly didn’t have an ASD and this was confirmed by no fewer than four of the authorities clinicians.None of their questions uncovered my helplessness when presented with many facts that soon become meaningless in my mind leaving me confused and disadvantaged in conversations or meetings.Nothing they asked exposed my tendency to fixate on a certain piece of information often irrelevant without my realising.

Luckily for me with the help of the ASD specialist who counsels me we made a case for a successful PIP claim using many examples of my inability to Communicate and Interact.I feel that the NHS diagnostic service I used was fundamentally flawed and totally missed the subtlties and complexities of the Autistic experience.This will affect so many who will not be recognised by this service and continue to struggle unsupported and undiagnosed.