Meeting with my uni psychologist

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Hello,

I contacted one of the psychologist working at my uni yesterday and have been welcomed to come see him this Monday (11th). He replied rather quickly to my initial e-mail, offering to have a conversation with me about autism spectrum disorders to see if he feels there is any need for me to contact my GP for a referral. He also said it would be good to have the assessment done at the local hospital. This is where I hesitate a bit - will he potentially say it's not necessary for me to get a referral because I function or because I don't seem to be autistic? Being both female and an adult works against me here. I've drafted an e-mail to send back where I basically say it'd be nice to have his opinion and that I've researched AS over the last couple of months and feel that it describes my life very well. In the mail I've also mentioned how I'm wary of getting an assessment done because I don't want my mom to take any part in it + the adult/woman issue.

His latest e-mail today was as follows:


Hello,

Thanks for getting back to me.

I completely understand your view on assessment. It's correct that such a diagnosis is mostly given during childhood and adolescence. It's still not late to get a diagnosis as it will make it easier for you to understand your situation. As an adult you may have learned to adapt to the situation, but it can be hard at times when it's hard to understand things. It may be good to voice these things and get a general understanding.

You're welcome to a conversation with me Monday Feb. 11 at 10.30am. I hope this the date is good for you. Please let me know if you can't make it.

Have a nice day!

Any word of encouragement, support or advice is greatly appreciated at this point.

I agree with the uni psychologist...it may be worth getting a diagnosis if it will help you understand your situation more easily. Maybe write down a list of what you are having trouble with to show the psychologist...this will make it easier for him/her to get an idea of your situation and not put so much pressure on you to "think on the spot".
I'm sure that you don't have to have your mother involved in anything...I mean, you are an adult and have these rights now. You can have who you want involved, or no one at all...it's your choice.
Good Luck with the assessment.

Thank you. I have a huge list of things I've remembered and see in myself. I'm thinking of printing that and bringing it with me.

You're 22. That’s super-young! Especially since your still in school - that is the time to get it done as it will actually be useful to you at this stage in your life! I wish I'd done something like that at that time - it would have saved me a lot of grief at university regarding not being able to meet social expectations. I didn't know AS even existed back then.

Good luck!! Yes - write down a list of everything you want to discuss. I always do that if I'm going to have a conversation with someone in authority, if I'm nervous about the subject. Then you can refer to the list and they will appreciate that you are prepared.

I've never been to a psychologist but remember that like all names and titles, they may seem to bestow a human with a certain archetype, essence or authority, but he is just human. That means don't expect him to be perfect in his understanding of you or the situation and be critical of his approach as well.

He may be too eager. Make sure you are not squeezed un-naturally into his research needs or expectations.

And Godspeed!