To pursue an ASC diagnosis at 49?

[FullMoonInsomniac]

It’s fairly obvious but is it worth getting an actual diagnosis?

I’ve had some work issues (NHS) and wonder if a diagnosis would work for some protection and/or adjustments or would it be another excuse to treat me like I’m unreasonably difficult and should leave.

And by obvious I mean this isn’t a whim or a Facebook questionnaire I’ve done, I’ve worked in this area previously and have an adult daughter who was diagnosed at 13. I know.

could you please share your pros and cons?

Go for it but it you do NHS be ready to wait 18 month plus.
Work wise you'd be better (if you're not going private) to use techniques etc to help the problems. Joining a fb group etc would give you input and advice

If you’re just using it so work can’t discipline you then YABU if I’m honest

I would definitely pursue a diagnosis. If you have a diagnosis you will be entitled to support/ reasonable adjustments immediately under the equality act.
An actual diagnosis will help immeasurably with getting help you are entitled to at work - also with claiming both PIP and access to work fund .

Ask your GP to refer you for assessment.

Oh it’s not a discipline thing. It’s more consideration for flexible working arrangements - like if I had small children I could do condensed hours but because I haven’t it’s tough (it’s not that but similar requests that are entirely ignored)

Yeah NHS psychiatrists hand out diagnosis of Autism/ ADHD/ PTSD/Bipolar etc just to help people swing the lead with work. Is this a joke post ?😩

Yes I would, even for your own piece of mind it’s worth it. You could ask your GP to refer you to psychiatry uk under their right to choose Asd pathway for a quicker assessment then the nhs route.

I’m going for it at 42.

In some ways it will make no material difference to my life, but in others it will make ALL the difference. Basically I just need to know. If all I get out of it is confirmation I think it will be worth it. All those years (decades actually) knowing that I was different but never knowing why, and coming to the conclusion that I just needed to work harder on being less awkward, more likeable, more sociable and less weird. That’s a lot of self-hatred. If I could rid myself of some of that with a diagnosis, it will be worth it.

What might you be looking for if a diagnosis was confirmed?

Are you looking for strategies? Support? Meds? Knowledge?

Anything other than meds you can start to work on without diagnosis - the ADHD foundation and How to ADHD are good sources of information. Is it worth you starting there?

It wouldn’t be so much strategies for me - I’ve been masking/coping/dealing with it for 49 years. It would be a reason why I’m weird for everyone else to think about strategies for coping with it.

ASC? Do you mean ASD?

No I mean ASC

Condition not Disorder.

Sorry. I'm in the US, so maybe the terminology is different, but here it's known as ASD and I've never heard of ASC.

Are you not in the UK?

It's ASD in the U.K. too.

I got an adhd diagnosis at 42. Now what I do and why makes more sense to me. It’s also helped with my relationships.
There are no downsides in my opinion as you can choose who you tell.

What kind of adjustments would you want?

The key word is 'reasonable', it's not a ticket to getting whatever you want and I think you'd need to be prepared that you won't necessarily get the flexible working (or whatever adjustment) you want.

I'm perusing diagnosis at the moment, NHS wait time for adults is 4-5 years in my area but I used right to choose and it's around a year. I'm expecting reasonable adjustments I may ask for to be things like extra time when I need to travel, noise cancelling headphones or understanding from colleagues that I need them to be clear when talking (because I can't follow waffle or roundabout talking).

uk. The terms are interchangeable I suppose but I’m used to DD who uses ‘condition’ as she doesn’t like having to tell people she is disordered.

OP, I'd say go for it.

The waiting lists are miles long and if you have an autistic daughter, you already know that actual support is practially non-existent - despite what all those who think you can get diagnosed easily for shits and giggles, and a magic rainbow will appear and lead you to a pot of gold. Or something.

But it will probably give you peace of mind. I'd want to know 'officially'.

For the OPs above, ASD is now referred to ASC.

A diagnosis won't be a reason to force them to change your working pattern - anyone can ask for a different working pattern, they can refuse if it doesn't suit the organisation.

RagingWoke yes, head-phones to cancel out 12 different Teams meetings noise. It’s too weird apparently

Go for it. I was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago at age 35. It is life changingly positive to know you're autistic, and your whole life up to this point was not your fault.

For the first time in a lifetime I don't feel broken.

And thank you for your responses. Much appreciated. For pros and cons.

Oh gosh no, even without asd it's pretty awful! Have you tried Loop earplugs (or similar)? Very good for reducing noise to a more comfortable level, or completely if you need to, and very discrete.

Loops are on order.