Diagnostic Advice

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Hi everyone, thanks for looking at my post!

I have been teetering on the edge of getting an ASD diagnosis for a while. I am currently diagnosed and being treated for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression, however the treatment does not feel as if it is alleviating any of my suffering. After trying multiple classes and dosages of psychiatric medication, and going to weekly therapy sessions, I began to wonder if there was another cause of my anxiety. Most of my anxiety and depression stems from being unable to connect with others in social situations because of my possible ASD diagnosis. Researching ASD made me feel as if I can relate to some of the things people with the condition experience. I am supposed to start another round of therapy in the near future, however, I do not want to waste time if the therapy is not treating the correct condition (Autism).

My questions for anyone out there are:

1) How long did you have to wait for your diagnosis?

2) Do you know anyway to fast track an adult diagnosis? (I am 20 years old)

3) Do you know anywhere in or around Pennsylvania that has a short wait time for a diagnostic assessment? (I am willing to drive up to 8 hours away from Western PA to get an assessment)

4) What compelled you to get an evaluation?


Thank you all for all of your help! I really appreciate it, I can not wait much longer to get evaluated!

I remember when I was about 12 watching a documentary about Autism and thinking "I'm different, but I'm not that different." Fast-forward almost 12 years and I am well on my way to getting my official diagnosis of ASD. Unfortuantilly I don't know how to fast-track an Autism diagnosis, but I can tell you that I've been waiting for almost 3 months. traveling from deep east Texas to Dallas for appointments. This seems to be the sad truth about an ASD diagnosis in the western world. It will take quite a while... Think of your reasons for seeking it. Is is worth it? Everyone has to ask this question for themselves.

Unfortunately I don't know anywhere around your area(within 8 hours drive) to get a diagnosis. I wish I did, I would help you.

What compelled me to seek my diagnosis? I was forced to take a look at how different I was from NT's. My local therapist(who was not qualified to diagnose me with ASD, and therefore sent me to Dallas to a psychologist), said that she was 99.999% sure I was Autistic, and told me that I should seek an official diagnosis to be sure. After looking through my past and present I knew I needed to be sure because so many signs pointed towards Aspergers and the absolute point of my psychiatry skill does not qualify me to make my own diagnosis.

I've been waiting for almost 3 months(almost there), and it's worth it. Be patient and hang in there. Best of luck,
zachwashere

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

In answer to your questions.

1) Length of wait for diagnosis.
Depends when you want to count from...
- Autism is an innate condition, so 44 years from my birth.
- From the first time a counsellor was lost for an explanation, about 25 years.
- From autism first being suggested by a different counsellor, about 2 years.
- From actually getting referred for an evaluation, about 6 months.

2) Getting diagnosed as quickly as possible.
Regardless of what kind of healthcare system you have, a very effective way to get seen sooner is to pay lots of money.

Having the backup of any other healthcare workers that you're in regular contact with will certainly help, but that depends very much on how clued up they are about autism. It seems to be a pretty common experience that not very many have the slightest clue at all, but there are some out there who will listen and understand if you can describe your traits accurately to them, and can then assist with getting a formal diagnostic referral. That's how it happened for me - I went for CBT counselling, and happened to see someone who'd worked with autistic people before, and she then convinced my GP that an assessment was needed (so I recommend you do take the offer of counselling - it may be no better than before, but don't pass up the opportunity for a potential ally.)

Click here for a forum post containing various on-line tests. None of them are conclusive in themselves, but these ones are more than just clickbait for hyperchondriacs, and several of them are used in official healthcare systems as clinical screening tests. If your honest answers show that autism is a possibility, you can use that to bolster your case for being assessed formally.

3) Can't help you there; it's a very different healthcare system where I live!

4) Why did I get a diagnosis?
Similar to yourself. I had persistent problems with anxiety and depression ever since my teens, and got little or no benefit from the medication and talking therapies that I received. Social anxiety, GAD and bipolar were all suggested at various times, but were never diagnosed formally. I had never considered autism as an explanation, but after my CBT counsellor suggested it as a possibility, I started poking around on forums like this one, and saw that it fitted far better than any other suggestion ever had.

A couple of additional bits of advice:
Don't give up on the idea of counselling. How effective it is varies an awful lot in general, but particularly for autistic people. I have worked with several therapists who just didn't seem to know what to do with me, as my autistic traits weren't seen for what they really are, and were mistaken for symptoms of other mental health problems. However, I have also worked with a therapist who had a very good understanding of autism (the one who got me my referral.) Therapy with her was a wonderful experience which helped me immensely, and I'm glad that I didn't write off therapy due to the previous bad experiences. Knowing your proper diagnosis, whatever it may be, will help both you and the therapist to get the most out of your sessions.

Most importantly, carry on hanging out in places like WrongPlanet. A diagnostic assessment will only scratch the surface of what autism really is, and how it is experienced in daily life. A good psychologist or therapist can work wonders sometimes, but you can't beat the explanations and advice that you'll find in places like this.

Try paautism online. (Google it) there is a really awesome place in mass. But I can't for the life of me remember the name of the place, but their focus is adults on the spectrum and diagnosing adults. I'm in south Dakota but Google helped me find the pa site. I've been to pa twice. My exwife is from hummelstown outside of Hershey but lives with my oldest 2 daughters in Lancaster now.

I've waited 5 months for my first evaluation, (in the UK) the next one is in 3 weeks. I want an evaluation because I want to know what I'm dealing with. I'm not at all depressed, I'm absorbed in my own themes.