Hi I've been referred for an assessment. Thanks for the support, don't think I would have got to this point now if it hadn't been from reading these threads the past week.

SouthWestmom · 12/06/2015 21:29

Of course crohn - will be a couple of weeks for the report (I asked).
Sort of wired, so am trying to process it all but will join in again soon.

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EauRouge · 12/06/2015 21:41

Wow, glad it went well, Noeuf. How are you feeling about it?

Athena, glad you got referred. Will it take long to get an appointment?

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Allofaflumble · 12/06/2015 21:42

Hope you get to relax and a good nights sleep Noeuf.

PolterGoose · 12/06/2015 21:51

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SouthWestmom · 12/06/2015 22:21

Thanks we just watched a crap film. Need to catch up on it a bit. After all this time it's strange. A bit sad for the life I could have had if we'd known. Still, will process how i feel and join you again after the weekend. Otherwise ill just ramble on!

SargeantAngua · 12/06/2015 22:39

That's great Noeuf, glad it went well.

I wrote 5 1/2 pages this morning on why I think I have Aspergers and why I feel a diagnosis would be beneficial for me. It all sorts of spilled out once I'd started - I used the NAS website to give me a basic format then just sat and wrote. Part of me thinks I should have spent more time planning it out, but that's the ocd talking i think - I can do things one of two ways at the moment - in 10 min chunks over a few days using my energy carefully, or I can just sit down and use every bit if energy I have and get through something to get it done. I think the latter was the best way to tackle this, it was too stressful to think about it fit any longer. Just have to get it to the doctor's by Tuesday so it can go with the referral my doctor is sending on Wednesday...

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EauRouge · 13/06/2015 07:52

Bertie, this article just popped up on my Pinterest and I thought you might be interested. It's about ADHD and motivation.

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EauRouge · 13/06/2015 08:52

And this article popped up on my FB. Very thought-provoking and has caused a massive bunfight on their FB page. I tend to agree, I wouldn't want a cure if there was one available (if it was even possible, which it isn't). I don't feel that there's anything 'wrong' with me. In fact, I think the world needs autistic people because we think differently. Making society more accessible to autistic people would be simpler than finding a cure.

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LeChien · 13/06/2015 09:47

That's really interesting Eau, thank you for posting it.
I think too often the onus is on disabled people (ASD or others) to either blend into society without being different, or to stay away.

PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 11:03

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BertieBotts · 13/06/2015 11:46

Thanks Eau! :)

I agree, I think a "cure" for autism is a very strange idea. I don't think there's anything inherently bad about it, it's the difficulties of fitting into society and meeting social norms which make it hard to live with. It's not like an illness which causes pain or anything like that, it's just a difference.

BertieBotts · 13/06/2015 11:55

That article is really good actually - several things I know work for me (a good reminder :) ), and a few new ideas I haven't tried. The only one I don't like is the rewarding yourself one. I can't get my head around that, I don't force or believe myself. Doing "15 minutes left until my programme starts" works fine (except for the whole thing of watching on demand now ) but anything I can move and change myself is a no go. I'm not going to sit down and reward myself for 20 minutes' work because I know I could just have the reward at any time. This was a problem I had with an ADHD workbook for adults which a friend lent me. They were all "Do X and now reward yourself!" I felt it might work if I used it with a partner or a mentor. But then I didn't really want to do it with DH and I couldn't think of anyone else to do it with.

Athenaviolet · 13/06/2015 16:03

Re: the 'curing autism' link, were people actually defending an autism charity spending its money on a 'cure' (ie in utero blood test/eugenics) rather than support for autistic people and their families?!

For all the problems my traits are causing me atm I wouldn't change it overall. I know I was capable of 'high functioning' and contributing to society in the past. I want to get back to that, not to eradicate the 'good' traits along with the problematic ones.

CrohnicallyInflexible · 13/06/2015 16:15

Same here Athena for the most part I like who I am, but could do with some support to help with specific traits/symptoms- perseverations/ruminating being one!

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EauRouge · 13/06/2015 17:49

There were quite a few (NT) people comment that obviously us high functioning people were perfectly happy but we didn't speak for the autistic people that need 24/7 care. I read this blog post the other day by a so-called 'low functioning' autistic person about this sort of argument. Then some autistic people were pointing out the problem with functioning labels. Generally there were a few NT people just not listening to what autistic people were telling them.

The idea of a pre-natal autism test is fucking terrifying. The message is pretty loud and clear from some charities 'hey, we support autism but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't exist' :(

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PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 17:55

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PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 17:57

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Athenaviolet · 13/06/2015 18:06

Yes, I mean what is 'high functioning' and 'low functioning' anyway? And who gets to decide? NTs or us? Hmm

My 'functioning' has varied so widely during my life.

Are our lives only worthy if we are in employment? Because that's what a lot of this rhetoric sounds like.

I have friends/family with other visible and invisible disabilities (which are more widely known and understood than autism) and if society made the concessions for autistic people that are made for some other disabilities I think a lot of us would have much easier lives and be deemed 'higher functioning'.

BatFoxHippo · 13/06/2015 18:34

I don't know about a cure. I know what I should feel but honestly I'm not sure. I have been depressed pretty much my whole life and now my son is showing signs. I know this is taboo and don't want to offend anyone but honestly if I knew how hard this was going to be I can't say for certain I would have had dc.

PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 18:36

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PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 18:37

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PolterGoose · 13/06/2015 18:40

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EauRouge · 13/06/2015 18:48

I don't really get the functioning labels. I think it's to do with how much support someone needs, but that can vary massively even in one person. I am low functioning in some areas and high in others. So what does that make me? I think maybe some people divide autistic people into two categories; Einsteins and Rainmans. But it's so much more complex than that.

Someone on the FB argument drew some really interesting parallels between left-handedness and autism. Like left-handedness used to be considered a sign of witchcraft way back in the day; then it became less dangerous, just an undesirable fault and children were taught to do everything in a right-handed way. Then eventually it became accepted and left-handed versions of things like scissors became available. Autism is still at the 'pretending to be right-handed' stage.

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