To scream from the rooftops that getting an autism diagnosis is not a label

I've chosen to not bother getting an ADHD assessment but I'm OK with that. However, my DH is likely autistic and he really needs an assessment to help him process his entire life and understand how he can communicate with his autistic child. A lot of adults do benefit from the formal assessment.

If you are already an adult, the diagnosis is not really about understanding as they already know you. I'm not sure about this spate of adult diagnosis as they seem to be counterproductive in my personal experience

CMHT have done too. My children have been under both and very ill. If they’d have been refused treatment or not had treatment adjusted they would no longer be with us. Many patients struggling with MH are ND so it’s not as if they aren’t used to it.

This 100%

Who don't help adults

CAMHS in our area

"Tailored to your needs".

Where?

I'd like to know.

Doesn't mean that they can't be put on a pathway where there is strong suspicion that the child is SEN.

If anything you get better treatment with a diagnosis as treatment is better tailored to your needs.

In theory!!!!
Or maybe if you can pay well for it and there's a multi-qualified specialist in your area.

In practice what happens ime - to children at least with autism and MH issues - is that you fall between autism services and CAMHS. There are endless meetings but no actual help available. Autism services say the MH problems are CAMHS remit, CAMHS say they don't have the expertise because of the autism diagnosis. And so on, for year after heartbreaking year. Or they'll offer speech and language or OT because that's what they have available, but not the service the child actually desperately needs.

It is actually disgraceful what is happening.

Children under the age of 6 can’t be diagnosed with adhd in the uk.

You absolutely aren’t made ineligible for treatment for anything with an autism diagnosis. That would be classed as discrimination.

If anything you get better treatment with a diagnosis as treatment is better tailored to your needs.

Also, my godmother works in nurseries. She said that in her preschool room of 12, 6 are on a ADHD or autism pathway so I can see why people feel there has been a huge increase.

To be honest I don't agree. People with autism can be labelled unfairly.
I actually think I am autistic but as a nearly middle aged woman who is single with no kids, I don't want the added stigma.
I personally think it is in my family but none are formally diagnosed. I suspect my grandad, aunt, mum and sister as well as myself are all ND.
I can understand why many don't seek a diagnosis. There are reasons for and against in my opinion.

quoted wrong person

This is not what we are saying at all.

We are discussing the fact that there are very few services for adults with autism. Many services are only accessible for people with learning disability. Many people with autism also have other disorders such as OCD that they would like treatment for but can't access because the autism diagnosis makes them ineligible for that service.

I’m one of those and the answer is that I see the state my son is in, how high his needs are and feel that I can manage. What is the point of detracting from people like him and their high needs?

Here’s my situation. I’m left handed, struggle to write in a clear and tidy way, interrupt people’s conversations and finish off their sentences, was chosen last at school for sports, made silly mistakes etc. I dreaded night clubs and busy pubs and felt that I had to ‘play act’ and go along with it. I have disorder and pull out my hair when things are muddled or disorganised. If I have to do something midday I fret before the appointment about being there on time. I speak to fast and often a tangents etc.

If I was to guess I would say I have the dyspraxia overlap with ASD traits. Highly likely the consultant took one look at my dad and determined some ASD there. My son is diagnosed.

If I were 20 it would have helped to have extra time on exams and a laptop plus a bit of extra tuition. As it was my exam was a series of ink splots and scrawls. I should have had distinctions for my law finals exams and as per usual just passed ( which was great in those days - pass rate 68% but still). It serves no purpose now.

You and the poster you quoted think people get diagnosed for shits and giggles?

Yes, I am heartbroken from it @Areolaborealis.

@Fallonslearning "Being 'labelled' with the ASD diagnosis has a negative effect for treatment by these professionals".

Agree. I wish more people understood this.

I'm not so sure.

The professionals working with my DS were very, very slow to recognise and diagnose his OCD because he aleady had an autism diagnosis.
Whether they called his diagnosis a label or not was pretty much irrelevant - the very fact of it meant they seemed blinded to other problems he had. All repetitive behaviours were attributed to ASD, the motivations behind the behaviours didn't seem to matter. This, even though autistic people are known to have a higher incidence of OCD. They couldn't see it- even when it was suggested by the family time and again.

And it mattered because the treatment or strategies to deal with the conditions differ.

A lot of autistic people feel very let down by CAMHS so I don't think we're alone in this. Being 'labelled' with the ASD diagnosis has a negative effect for treatment by these professionals.

There is, as such, perhaps an argument given the state of the waiting list that you could just institute those strategies on the basis of your self diagnosis and that not much will change by that being confirmed by a professional.
The diagnosis carries legal power. You can’t ask for reasonable adjustments to support a disability you haven’t been diagnosed with. You can’t tick the disabled box on application forms that guarantees you an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You can’t be counted as being “diverse” by companies or groups that are aiming to increase diversity. You can’t apply for things that are targeted at disabled people.

More importantly, if you don’t have a diagnosis you can’t take legal action when you’re discriminated against because of your disability. It still happens A LOT even nowadays.

I'm not suggesting these services are available within the NHS, they should be but there's not even enough for kids right now. There aren't any of these services for adultswhere I am either. But the people I know are pursuing these services privately. The point I'm making is that a diagnosis without follow up isn't likely to do that as much. It does give more self awareness though.

There are no commissioned services for adults with autism in my area unless they also have a learning disability. Definitely no psychologists, OT or anything like that. It does mean that getting a diagnosis as an adult in our area (and I think many others) is mainly for your own understanding. You would certainly have to do your own self management and education. There is, as such, perhaps an argument given the state of the waiting list that you could just institute those strategies on the basis of your self diagnosis and that not much will change by that being confirmed by a professional. I rather wish that diagnosis didn't have quite the power that it seems to have.

I agree.

That's quite an optimistic picture of the level of support available to adults after diagnosis. The reality is that many are just left to get on with it, presumably because its seen as an untreatable problem.