Can u reverse a diagnosis

You can challenge it but it sounds to me like he is autistic but very good at masking. Maybe it is a misdiagnosis, that can and does happen but mostly doctors know what they are doing. 

Over the years I've got good at masking and am socially very good now, my social skills at school were awful. Now they are really good. Unfortunately my masking leads to massive burnout and exhaustion but I try not to let it get that far.

Could you write to or call where he was diagnosed and chat to them about it? See what they can offer or advise.

It can happen with anything. They can also miss it when it's there. A whole MH team missed mine when all the clues were right in front of them.

Key is to look at the profile report and see whether they thoroughly investigated and justified all the criteria and whether the whole feel of it reflects you.

If they did that, they got it right generally.

tbh diagnosis when young is prone to be wrong as there are many others things that share the same traits and a 9 year old or younger is just too young to see everything about the person or judge. plus im pretty sure that it would be quite common for every kid to not get social ques and fit in socially then as thats when they learn those things and develope and they very well could go on to fit in well and not remain that way.

I don’t know that’s what we are trying to find . 

Try through the HR office. 

Thanks, Deepthought, Amiral Hine; that's the chap I'm thinking of.

Well, if they not only didn't kick out Admiral Hine, but promoted him to Second Sea Lord, there has to be a way round this. And yes, I'd write to the MP and the Defence Minister.

Medical professionals misdiagnose sometimes.  Does it happen with ASD?

The army recruitment is the same for any Navy, Air Force or military.. I know the guy you talking about his name is Nick hine. I would love to contact him directly but I can’t find anything . I want to write to him . 

Sudista said:

I phoned the national recruitment centre and they told me the guidelines say no autistic so no autistic can get in unless their diagnosis is inaccurate or incorrect

You see that's where the preduice kicks in. He's autistic, yeah and. ??? That brings gifts too, some of which might be actively useful to the army. Has he considered the Navy? There's a chap there, big cheese guy on the Spectrum in charge of personnel, coming out loud and proud and advocating for other neurodivergent people...worth a thought.

Sudista said:

I’m looking if there’s any influential people with seniority that are advocating for autistic people and who can help me with my case :( 

There is a certain Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Hine who started promoting the 'neurodiversity network' initiative back in March 2021 according to The Times as being paywalled, and the The Mail as not being, so perhaps consider those articles or one of them as starting points.

Basically though, Admiral Hine is of the opinion that "That autism made him a better naval officer" and that "It doesn’t mean that I am disabled, it doesn’t mean that I am odd, it doesn’t mean that I am in any way shape or form less capable. It means that I am different." And as such, "The only way we are going to win and compete [militarily] is by thinking differently, and therefore having people who think differently has got to be part of the solution."

The only way that I know of that has occurred in terms of being diagnosed and getting into the military is going for 'a no longer of clinical significance' decision, which I am pretty sure (but may be mistaken) has been addressed by the Australian Professor Tony Attwood in one of his books, possibly The Complete Guide To Asperger Syndrome, so maybe read that, and or email him via his website and he or one of his fellows or understudies could inform or direct you accordingly, perhaps?

Another option might be contacting Simon Baron-Cohen who is a Psychological and Psychiatry Professor of Autism at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, with him being the director of the Autism Research Centre there ~ and if is not available to respond; one of his fellows or understudies could better inform or direct you, potentially.

I did check, they said they don’t interfere as they are only a youth organisation. I also contacted another training military college, and unfortunately they said the same thing. They told me “ at least with us he will get with a Btec but we can’t guarantee his deployment with the army. I phoned the national recruitment centre and they told me the guidelines say no autistic so no autistic can get in unless their diagnosis is inaccurate or incorrect! I don’t know who else I can contact. I tried all the options. I’m looking if there’s any influential people with seniority that are advocating for autistic people and who can help me with my case :( 

Thank you so much, I  do see every word you said and totally agree. But masking it improving like you said will come to a cost. 

Hmmmm.... not sure how I feel about kids loosing their diagnosis.  If you are autistic, you're autistic.

Do we "improve"?  Kinda suggests there was something wrong with us in the first place.  There wasn't.  We were perfectly normal autistic children, not defective NTs. So, what's to "improve"?

That said, we learn to adapt to the NT world.  The higher the IQ, often the more we are aware of how to adapt, but also the higher the IQ the more anxiety generated for us by adapting. Some of these kids who have "improved" will have major anxiety problems later, or crash into prolonged, debilitating burnout under the strain of "improving".  (Tell me about that one - I've hit it! With full force!).

Some of the social stuff would have been very, very marked for me at 5, at 15 you wouldn't much notice except in subtle ways you'd have to search hard for.  Did I become less autistic?  Hell no!  By 55 the sensory stuff was causing me massive problems - for the first time ever throwing me out of shutdown or little teary meltdowns into big explosive punch the walls type meltdown under a sensory shock I could not understand. 

Learning to adapt - or mask - doesn't mean we're OK with the NT world, it means we understand it and hide it from them better. Moreover some aspects of autism can cause bigger issues as we get older and the issues for us, through menopause and into old age are presently poorly researched or understood.

I'd contend we don't "improve", we adapt - sometimes not in ways that are good for us.  The presentation of our autism may change over the years, some aspects at different times being more or less obvious.  I'd argue firmly that the only circumstances under which a diagnosis ought to be revoked was if it was incorrectly made in the first place. For that you'd have to prove there was a better explanation for the behaviours observed then or that it was poorly done and not all the criteria were made out then. We NEVER out grow autism, nor should we try.

However, should the army be ruling people out on the basis of an autism diagnosis?  No, they should assess the individual in light of their personal talents, like everyone else.

Hi Sudista, I have been inhaling the Parents guide to high functioning ASD and in there is says that virtually all children with ASD improve with time and age. Recent studies show that between 3 and 25% of children lost their diagnosis and entered the normal range of cognitive, adaptive and social skills as they got older.

So there is an evidence base that children can lose their diagnosis. I guess you'd be seeking a new assessment or second opinion to find out.

Maybe his CO can check if the ban is absolute or if there is any "wriggle room" - I hope so. He sounds like a good kid! 

I had a colleague who was autistic and volunteered as a paramedic with St John Ambulance. He said that in major incidents his autism helped him to screen out the chaos and focus on his patient and the assessment checklist. I guess the same might apply in the military.  He was also the armourer for a local re-enactment group and a licenced pyrotechnics technician, which required similar attention to detail.

He is already in the cadets, he loves it. He is always punctual and very keen to contribute and take part in any event they do.. he is going to the annual camp in the 24th for 2 weeks and he already made his bag! He check it nearly every day and rearrange it every time. I will ask thank you for the advice 

I totally agree with you, I don’t want to take the diagnosis away, I want him to get re evaluated because it might be he is now capable to have developed his own regulations strategies… I know that autistic peoples are so different. My son tbh I can see his autism only in his willingness to do something when others say he can’t . Some people call it “rigidity” I don’t like that word, I always tried to empower him, so I will say he is a strong willed child. I feel he knows he is autistic but like you said for the sake of the army, he is willing to sacrifice himself which I deep down find it very risky for him in the long run. 

Has your son tried Army Cadets?  I believe they accept young people up to 18 and have a more open recruitment policy than the actual services. Maybe phone your local cadet training centre for advice? Ask if a young autistic gets a good record in the ACF, could this be taken into consideration should they apply to join as an adult?  I am just guessing, but it is worth a phone call ...  If nothing else he will gain skills that will be useful in a civilian job, maybe do the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and NVQ in public service.

Thank you for indulging me. I have to say, your son sounds Autistic to me from the small amount of information you have included in your reply. I’m not sure why he feels he isn’t Autistic? What view of Autism does he have? Something seen on TV? The usual stereotype? Because we are all, different.

Like your son, I was happy with my own company. An NT child wouldn’t be. I had a best friend all the way through school, and a circle of girlfriends throughout high school. I didn’t know I was autistic back then, and it didn’t stop me doing anything I wanted, even if I found it awkward or difficult. it seems he is controlling. This is also quite telling, as he needs things to be done his way. Not a ideal trait where signing up is concerned.

Maybe you can help him choose something else? he’s still young isn’t he? Maybe he can chat with a careers advisor for possible similar avenues?

The only way to remove a diagnosis is if it was inaccurately made in the first place. You say he did have social problems and fine motor problems. There could have been other explanations for that, but they must have thought the other criteria of autism were also met.

You say his social skills are "mastered"...yes, some of us learn good compensatory strategies, but it doesn't make our autistic differences go away, it means we can mask and make it seem like they aren't there. And he feels the assessment's picture of him does not represent him "any more"...well, my autism certainly presents differently now to when I was a child, and to how it will be as I get older. Some of my social difference are way less noticeable, but the sensory difficulties get ever harder for me to handle. You just can't grow out of your autism.

If the diagnosis was correctly made, it ultimately would not do him any favours to remove the diagnosis, he'll still be autistic as long as he lives and it will always be affecting him on some level.

Nevertheless, if he genuinely thinks that the diagnosis wrong in the first place, and in fact he had some other issue as opposed to autism as a kid, he could be reassessed, although I doubt you would get that on the NHS. I should think they would have to be able to explain the difficulties he had as a child in some other way as well as proving the absence of autistic traits now.

All that said, I do very much feel for him that his career path is denied him. That does seem very unfair. Not every autistic person would be suitable for the army, but some could make good soldiers. It would be better for them to assess his capabilities before excluding him.

Sounds like your son is autistic. they don't often give out a diagnosis if you don't have autism. just because he can mask it now doesn't mean he doesn't have autism. he's still autistic and always will be.

he should speak to his GP if he genuinely believes that he's not autistic but i would advise him not to try and get rid of a diagnosis just to get a job in the military because there are hundreds of jobs and one day autistic people will be able to work for the military.