Help needed desperately

Hi I had an ASD assessment a month ago. I was previously worried about my assessment as I did not have any real "proof" from childhood as I have no family members or friends to ask. In the assessment I made it clear that I was worried as any neurodivergence has never even been brought up by doctors or schools etc due to having childhood trauma on my files. I was worried as any concern I try to raise is ignored and this is what is focused on. It seems the assessor took that idea and ran with it too. 

I have two psychology degrees (one is a msc), my husband has worked with ASD clients for the past 10 years and I have a nephew diagnosed with ASD and a son that has ADHD and is almost through his own ASD assessment so feel I am fairly right in my feelings that I have asd as does my husband feel so too. I have the lives experience and the horrible impact it has had on my life (I'm 37). However I have obviously masked a lot which has caused be a lot of mental pain. 

I received the assessment report today which said I did not meet the threshold. I was completely shocked. It has triggered major panic attacks and what I would consider to meltdowns all day. I am completely distraught and (as I often get) suicidal now.

The worst part is that whilst reading through it my husband and I found at least 10 things that were misquoted or not true at all (neither of us said them) and a lot of relevant (dsm5 criteria) information/proof missing. It also states that whilst I have a lot of traits that do meet all the criteria's, she has said they are down to childhood trauma. Even though it was barely touched on and she does not even have the facts of what it actually was (her words in the report). She also said in one part of I have a diagnosed personality disorder, which I don't have so I don't understand why she would put that. I am absolutely shattered by it and want to gie up. 

I just want to know is there anything I can do to contest it? Surely they can't just write false reports about someone and then discharge you (which is what she has done)? She has said I can set up a feedback meeting which me and my husband intend to do, but will there be any point?

I feel like reporting them for unprofessionalism due to the innacurate reporting etc. I am just lucky that I have a very supportive husband who has been helping me calm down all day. I hate to think if this happened to someone else without that support, what would happen. 

I am very desperate for advice from anyone who had similar and if they were able to get a diagnosis after this?

I also had the assessment that sees to be aimed at kids rather than adults with the reading a book, tell a story etc stuff which just didn't seem like a valid way to assess an adult who has learnt to mask.

Parents
  • I do not have any advice on your next steps but I am currently fixating on my own probable 'non-diagnosis' when I get my assessment results on Friday. 

    I had the same type of assessment as you and I think my assessor is a specialist in child and adolescents which seems odd given I am 33. She already said to my mum that she believed it just to be social anxiety, so I did follow up with a long email about the misinformation that my mum had given. However, I just feel like she had already made her mind up. 

    This diagnosis really means a lot to me, as it would really help to explain my difficulties and I do not know what to do if (when) I get that 'no'. 

    What did you do next? Were you able to contest it? I hope you managed to get some answers.

Reply
  • I do not have any advice on your next steps but I am currently fixating on my own probable 'non-diagnosis' when I get my assessment results on Friday. 

    I had the same type of assessment as you and I think my assessor is a specialist in child and adolescents which seems odd given I am 33. She already said to my mum that she believed it just to be social anxiety, so I did follow up with a long email about the misinformation that my mum had given. However, I just feel like she had already made her mind up. 

    This diagnosis really means a lot to me, as it would really help to explain my difficulties and I do not know what to do if (when) I get that 'no'. 

    What did you do next? Were you able to contest it? I hope you managed to get some answers.

Children
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