Adult ASD Assessment

[ProbablyMyMillionthNameChange]

I have name changed for this.

Been on the waiting list for an ASD assessment since early last year and on Friday my appointment letter arrived.

I've filled in the EQ and AQ questionnaires and sent them back but I'm wondering what will happen during the 2hr appointment.

Does anyone have any experience of the diagnosis process for adults?

I thought previous letters had referred to pre and post counselling but they seem to have gone straight to assessment

no-one?

I hope someone has an response of sorts - I don't know myself but would like to know! I would assume that there may be discussion on the answers you gave on the questionnaires.

Haven't been through assessment myself but DSis is on the same road as you. Hoping it progresses well for you...

I'd be interested to know too. Is this NHS?

Thank you Noodles

Yes it is NHS Gareth

I'm getting myself anxious about the appointment. I'm sure it will be fine but it would be reassuring to know what happens

They also want to see a relative who knew me during childhood. the best person for that would be my DM but i didn't really want to tell anyone (other than DH) that I'm going the through the process. DH will come with me but doesn't know what I was like as a child.

I have a bit on an odd relationship with my mother but then I don't want to mess up my chance of a diagnosis because the assessor can't get a picture of my childhood

Noodles I hope it all goes smoothly for your Dsis too

PM'd you

Thanks Gareth , just sent you one back

Sounds exactly like my assessment!

I didn’t take anyone with me because I didn’t want to tell anyone but was able to talk about it a lot anyway as I have a great memory. It won’t affect how they diagnose you, it just makes it easier.

For me, he had read the forms I had filled in and sent back and these formed the basis of the appointment. We went through each form and he explained a little of what he was looking for and also talked to me about stuff I had put in the form that he found interesting/relevant. There were also chances for me to add my own input of stuff I thought of during the coversation.

He also needed to keep pausing to write notes! I found it relaxed and just like having a long, in depth conversation. It was tiring though so taking your DH with you is a good idea. I had to drive quite a long way for mine and was tired driving home.

Thanks User

That's the sort of thing I was hoping it would be.

Unfortunately I have blocked out most of my childhood and don't really remember anything until around mid teens so I'm not going to be able to talk about my childhood myself

That's really helpful user thank you

You might want to phone them (or ask DH too if phones are too hard for you) and explain that you won't be able to give childhood information. Honestly, they'll be expecting it - they may be able to adapt the assessment if they know in advance that you won't be able to provide it.

Otherwise it will just be like a chat, they'll ask you what difficulties you have.

I had one appointment with my Mum and she told the psychiatrist about my childhood, then next appointment was the ados

Spoke to them just now and the woman was absolutely fine. She said bring DH along and if they do need more info there will be an opportunity to then arrange something for my DM. She said it could even be done over the phone with DM if needed (DM lives 3hrs away)

I wouldn't have been comfortable having the appointment with DM there. There's stuff I just don't want to talk about with her there. Much happier to have her do it over the phone or at a seperate appointment so I can feel comfortable at my initial appointment and be open and honest.

I feel a lot better about things now but still anxious about what the result will be, what it means for me etc

Really appreciate everyone's responses

@WeMarchOn what is ados?

Please don’t be scared, it’s not a negative thing to get diagnosed, more helpful! But make sure to be kind to yourself and give yourself time and space to adjust and process what it means for your life.

It will make you reassess lots of things you do and don’t do and as you learn about your autism you may want to make changes to stuff. I think I was in a state of flux for about a year between “I can’t do that, I’m autistic” and “That will trigger me, but I’m going to do it anyway” then being exhausted/meltdown. Eventually it’s settled and I’ve found how life works for me with the support of my partner and am now happier than ever. I pace myself to try and avoid getting tired but with the new found acceptance of myself and no longer feeling awful about things I can’t do(because I understand why now!), I really wouldn’t change it for the world.

My advice would be to take counselling if it’s offered and take plenty of processing time.

Good luck!

Thanks User that really is helpful

I've started accepting the things I can't do after realising that I'm not the only person who has these issues and it isn't just that I'm a "bad person". Unfortunately others aren't as accepting.

Getting the letter has made it dawn on me that maybe I will never ever be able to conform and behave the way society expects and accepts. Although I started to suspect ASD a long time ago, the possibility is starting to feel more real now

I suppose what scares me the most is what if I don't get a diagnosis! Then I'm back to square one and I won't have a clue what is going on with me or where i "fit"

I suppose in that scenario I head back to the GP and see if there are other possibilities

it is helping to just get all my thoughts out on here

Not being diagnosed was also my biggest fear! I had been thinking it for so long, and got comfortable with it, so I was really ready for the “answer”.

Another thing that has helped has been meeting other autistic people. It made me feel so much more comfortable with it to sit and talk to someone else with autism about how we could both see the details in things other people couldn’t or how tiring a networking event is! I happen to work somewhere that employs a lot of autistic people so met people here but if you don’t have this, NAS run loads of support groups.

So i recieved an ASD diagnosis yesterday. Although it's what I've suspected for a while, it's still a bit of a shock actually having it recognised. I'm still trying to process it but it does seem that I might now be able to access further help (referrals made).