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cheziecat
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09 Jul 2022, 7:32 am

I posted the below on 9th June 2019.
On 22nd July 2022 I have an autism assessment :D :D
I've had a 90 minute screening appointment to see if I'm 'autistic' enough to warrant a full assessment, it seems I am :lol:

cheziecat wrote:
I had an appointment with my Dr yesterday to ask about a referral for an autism diagnosis.
I had quite a bit of trouble trying to tell him why I was there so I ended up just giving him the folder I'd brought with me which was full of test scores, lists of traits, diagnostic criteria etc.
He looked at me and said, I've known you 3 or 4 years now and you definitely have autism, well aspergers, and I'll happily give you a diagnosis.
I know he can't diagnose me and that servers isn't given as a diagnosis now but hearing him say that was such a massive relief to me.
We talked about why I want an official diagnosis and after hearing my reasons and me trying not to cry he printed out the referral forms for me. I've got a couple of things to fill in and take back to the surgery next week and then he'll send it :D
I'm still very much in shock and still can't believe he's always thought I have autism but so happy that I've taken the first step :)



Double Retired
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09 Jul 2022, 1:48 pm

Congratulations! And I hope that when the assessment is completed and you get the results you still feel congratulations are in order.


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cheziecat
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09 Jul 2022, 1:59 pm

Double Retired wrote:
Congratulations! And I hope that when the assessment is completed and you get the results you still feel congratulations are in order.


I know I'm definitely autistic, finally things in my life make some sense, I do wish I'd known when I was younger than 47 but I'm genuinely so happy about it :D :D



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09 Jul 2022, 3:05 pm

Before I was 64 I had no idea at all that I might be Autistic. I was diagnosed shortly before my 65th birthday and, now that we know what to look for, neither I nor my bride doubts the diagnosis. I was delighted by the diagnosis because I was old enough that it wasn't a warning of problems ahead of me but rather just a better understanding of the problems I'd already gotten past.

I think I would've preferred to know a decade or two sooner but I don't think I would've wanted to find out before I was in my 40s. Would there have been complications at work, etc? By the time I found out the diagnosis was just personal trivia. I was well-enough established that I don't think the label could hurt me.

If you're well-established and secure in your life then I hope it is just enlightening trivia for you that you can just be amused by.


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kitesandtrainsandcats
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09 Jul 2022, 3:11 pm

Yep, there is a line of thought which goes something like, "It sure would have helped to know 20, 30, 40, years ago that I was autistic and what all that entails; but if I had known then, would life experiences have lead to me being the same me that I am today or would I have become someone I wouldn't now recognize?"


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09 Jul 2022, 4:24 pm

I built myself a life without the "Autism" label. The "disorder" made my life more difficult but having the "disorder" and the label might have made it even more difficult to build that life. What I've got can't be taken away by adding the label this late in my life.

For instance, one of the best things I did was time in the U.S. military. That lead to many good things in my life. I think that now the "Autism" label might be an obstacle to doing that. I believe that could've been disastrous for me.


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PheonixDove
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09 Jul 2022, 4:41 pm

Congrats on the upcoming assessment! Let us know what happens, if you want!

I'm currently on the waiting list for mine - after going 25 years without a diagnosis, I'm not too frustrated about having to wait another few years. But I'm looking into what else may aid me in the meantime - for example local support groups.



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09 Jul 2022, 6:14 pm

cheziecat wrote:
I posted the below on 9th June 2019.
On 22nd July 2022 I have an autism assessment :D :D
I've had a 90 minute screening appointment to see if I'm 'autistic' enough to warrant a full assessment, it seems I am :lol:

cheziecat wrote:
I had an appointment with my Dr yesterday to ask about a referral for an autism diagnosis.
I had quite a bit of trouble trying to tell him why I was there so I ended up just giving him the folder I'd brought with me which was full of test scores, lists of traits, diagnostic criteria etc.
He looked at me and said, I've known you 3 or 4 years now and you definitely have autism, well aspergers, and I'll happily give you a diagnosis.
I know he can't diagnose me and that servers isn't given as a diagnosis now but hearing him say that was such a massive relief to me.
We talked about why I want an official diagnosis and after hearing my reasons and me trying not to cry he printed out the referral forms for me. I've got a couple of things to fill in and take back to the surgery next week and then he'll send it :D
I'm still very much in shock and still can't believe he's always thought I have autism but so happy that I've taken the first step :)


Well done.


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jimmy m
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10 Jul 2022, 4:16 pm

Welcome to the site.


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autisticelders
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15 Jul 2022, 6:03 pm

congratulations. It doesn't seem reasonable that we should have to fight for diagnosis and to wait so long. Diagnosis can be life changing. My you find great new self understanding and new ways of doing things now you know, that change everything for the better. Diagnosis was one of the best things that ever happened to me. :)


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13 Aug 2022, 7:18 pm

Welcome to WP! :mrgreen:


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