....to ask how you go about getting a diagnosis as an adult with Asperger?

[Ubertasha2]

That’s it, really.

Don’t want to go into it too much as I know this is who I am and I am more than happy about it tbh, but I actually do want a professional confirming this. I would be happy to have this label so I can bring it up if I want, or if something is challenging for me I can remember that I have this diagnosis.

I have obviously googled how to get a diagnosis but am none the wiser, really. Do I go to my GP first (if I can get an appointment this year)? Or should I pay to meet with a psychiatrist? Any idea on how they test me?
And if I tick some boxes (ie like to be alone, overwhelmed by other people, sensory issues etc), but not others (not lacking empathy etc), what happens then?

I am 99.99999% sure I am on the spectrum. I think you know when you are. I’ve known for decades (particularly when at school, uni, etc), and would be relieved with a diagnosis/professional opinion.

Oh, and you did get the diagnosis, did it change anything for you, apart from explaining a lot and giving you relief?

TIa.

I'm not saying at all that it was right to change the classifications but I think it's interesting to look at it from the other side.

Sorry, I’m not understanding what you mean. Not disagreeing or agreeing with anything, only conveying how my child and their friends feel.

It does confuse me though as i have interpreted (probably incorrectly) what you are saying as they changed the terminology so as not to upset people who were diagnosed with Autism as opposed to Aspergers? To avoid people who had Autism being disappointed they didn’t have Asperger’s. I’m not disagreeing at all, I just have no experience of this so I guess I find it odd. I know three adults with kids (now teens or young adults) that were diagnosed with Autism under the previous DSM. None of those ever voiced to me they wished their kid was diagnosed with Aspergers instead as it was blindingly obvious to them they didn’t have Aspergers. Sure every single one has expressed the wish (many times) that their kid didn’t have Autism but none said, ‘I know they have Autism but I wish they called it Aspergers instead’. But that’s three parents so I appreciate not a large sample by any means and maybe not at all representative?

I went for my first appointment yesterday. I was able to self refer to the adult assessment service and got an appointment in about 3/4 months. I'm in leeds.

HoppingPavlova I don't know why the classifications were changed, sorry, I didn't mean to convey that. But I used to work in the field so I was only putting across what my general experience was of people coming through the diagnostic process. There were very intelligent driven people who had successful lives who were very clear that they wanted a diagnosis of Aspergers, not autism. They saw autism as being quite stigmatising whereas having Aspergers was almost like saying you had extra analytical abilities and were better at systematising. It caused some problems when we explained to them that the classifications had changed, to the extent that some decided they didn't want to go through the diagnostic process, because they didn't feel like getting the ASD label would be beneficial to them at that stage in their lives.

It's just different experiences, which may or may not be relevant to the OP. I hope this isn't derailing her thread, but I think the distinction between different diagnoses is interesting.

The pathway in my part of Sussex is GP-primary mental health service-consultant psychiatrist-assessment by team at Sussex Uni Dept of Psychiatry (under Prof Hugo Critchley).

The whole process takes around 2-3 years.

An ex-client of mine has recently been diagnosed after more than 4 years, as his first psychiatrist refused onward referral, stating cagtegorically that the client did NOT have an ASD, but a personality. Following a complaint and input from an advocacy service, he got a second opinion and was referred on.

He then had to wait over a year for the assessment.

He's over the moon. He's felt "different" since he was very young, has been diagnosed with varying personality disorders and other things, and now feels he understands the problems he has more fully, and why various medications and therapies haven't worked.

More generally, getting benefits such as PIP require evidence, and having a formal diagnosis helps massively with that.

My colleague and I feel vindicated too, we were both convinced that he wasn't neurotypical.

Duh! Personality DISORDER, he's always had a personality, ffs.

I find the distinction between diagnoses interesting too. When DS got his ASD diagnosis last month, I asked his CAMHS caseworker about it and she confirmed that pre-2013 he would have given an Aspergers diagnosis. She also mentioned that he may choose to identify that way as he gets older, which is interesting in light of HoppingPavlova’s post about their older son and his friends. There was an interesting thread on here recently about how merging the diagnoses may impact on people with more “classic” ASD, as the general perception of what ASD entails will shift, especially as people with Aspergers (now HFA) tend to be very articulate about their experiences and more able to advocate for themselves.

Anyway, sorry to derail OP. Watching with interest though. DS was also diagnosed with ADHD, and since then I’ve come to strongly suspect I have ADD too. Not sure to what to do about it though.

i went to my GP.

First time, years ago I was fobbed off, told id missed the boat, it was pointless as no support for adults etc.

A few years later, I went back, saw a different doctor, told her i really did want to pursue it, that i felt like I needed to know, and that it would help me maybe get support for studying, and that I was convinced I was. She asked me what made me think it. I explained. She referred me. We had a few hiccups, where I was removed from one waiting list because of one reason or another, but once I was on the right list, I got contacted, had a pre-assessment assessment, and then they agreed to assess me further. I had a few phone calls from people to check up on me while I waited, and I had some forms to fill in (bullshit stuff from simon baron cohen, and irrelevent to me) and then I had my assessment which was pretty intense, but i had to take my mum or close family member and she had to fill a form about my childhood too) and we talked and i got asked all sorts of questions, and then they diagnosed me same day

Mine had to have a ‘recent’ letter confirming diagnosis when they started uni. Like it’s something that just disappears ..... I forget the definition the uni used for recent but it was like something within the last 6 mths.

Mine too but the uni accepted a letter from his GP so not really a problem.

I believe if you go to the GP they will ask you questions from a very short questionnaire AQ10. If you score above a certain threshold they will refer you onwards.

I believe that aspergers in women presents differently to men and think some of the diagnostic methods are geared towards men so see if you can see someone that specialises in women

I'm in Leeds and I went through the 'process' seven years ago. I went through my own doctor and initially had a referral to a general adult psychiatrist, who in turn referred me to the regional specialist service in Sheffield. After a long Q&A session in one afternoon, I was diagnosed as NOT having Asperger's. Fair enough, but I wasn't told what might be wrong either so I came away none the wiser. I'm still not convinced and my doctor has herself suggested I may be on the spectrum, despite the opinion of the people in Sheffield.

Autism can present very differently in women. Look at the work of Daphne Keen and Lorna Wing.

Is this any help in explaining the diagnostic process? It's from the charity Action for Asperger's www.actionforaspergers.org/diagnostic-service/

"Please note that a formal clinical diagnosis MUST be undertaken by an appropriately qualified clinician who has additional qualifications in diagnosing autism/autism spectrum disorders.

The Department of Work and Pensions will not recognise ‘diagnoses’ undertaken by non-clinicians, for these can only be regarded as ‘academic assessments‘. Also, should you require a diagnosis to assist you in a legal case, again the same applies; your diagnosis should be undertaken by a suitably qualified clinical practitioner to best help you.

The National Autistic Society holds a database of suitably qualified diagnosticians from all over the United Kingdom."

www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/criteria-changes.aspx

It's a postcode lottery I'm afraid. For me it was a trip to the gp. With me I took some long letters where I wrote out different spectrum traits and how they applied to me. I also did some online tests which I printed out as well.

My gp used that to refer me. I then got a confirmation letter of my place on a waiting list a few months later. I then heard nothing for over a year.

Finally I got an appointment for an initial assessment where they discussed why I had been referred and if it was a good idea to put me into the system. They also explained who it all worked.

Once this was done I had a very long 3 hour assessment. I've got another one next week and then follow ups after that. It will have been 4-5 appointments and almost 2 years since I first sent my stuff in by the time I got out the other side.

I'm very lucky. I know others who have no system at all.

Thanks, all- have just read all these replies with interest. Hoping to pursue a diagnosis shortly.

For what it is worth, everyone is on the spectrum. That's the nature of it. How far along is another matter.

Good luck with getting what you want.

No. No theyre really not.

Yes they are, it's a spectrum that runs from NT all the way to low-functioning autistic. Everyone is on it somewhere.

No. Not everyone is autistic. It being a "spectrum condition" just means that every autistic person's autism is different. No one is "a little bit autistic" either.

No, it's not.

Many things are a spectrum. One person with EDS will function well, others will be severely disabled. EDS is a spectrum disorder. But people who don't have EDS, don't have EDS.

If you don't have autism, you're not "on the spectrum".

Ps. I like to think of myself as "autism formally known as aspergers".

OP I went to my GP with a written list of reasons why I think I'm autistic. I got about half way through my list and they said they would refer me. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get to finish my list. I think I had quite a quick diagnostic process... about 8 months between GP visit and final appointment with the diagnostic team. It was quite intense though. Lots of questions.

Blonde hair is a spectrum. From mousey to Tilda Swinton. But people with black hair are not on the blonde spectrum.

For what it is worth, everyone is on the spectrum. That's the nature of it. How far along is another matter.

For what it's worth, you are talking complete bollocks.

Only autistic people are on the autistic spectrum. The clue is in the fucking name.

Interesting thread. Like you im 99.9o% sure but i havent gone for official diagnosis because it seems a lot of bother and i personally dont feel like i need any adjustments made in work or exams etc. The knowledge is helping to explain the social side of life and work though. Weird thing is my sister was diagnosed as a kid because she has dyslexia but because i didnt and everyone was busy with her i 'sailed under the radar'. I feel like my traits are deepening over time too so its getting more and more blatant and undeniable lol.

everyone is on the spectrum goodness me, no no no