Completely frustrated trying to find a Dr. To see me

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anandamide
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26 Sep 2006, 7:18 am

I had a similar experience. I first tried calling the autism societies. They gave me a few phone numbers that led nowhere. It was very bizarre, but I felt the autism society actually impeded by ability to try to find a doctor. I was told that that is because the societies (at least the ones in Canada) run on grants and donations, and they get big bucks for dealing with autistic children and promoting so-called cures and other interventions, but there is no funding for adults who have not been miraculously cured by these services or who have never received such services.

A diagnosis can help you to get accommodations in employment, education, and government benefits if your disabilites warrant such services. These services are based on the comorbids that go along with AS, such as learning disabilities and sensory issues.

I spent a couple of months phoning around to find an autism expert in my area. I finally found a psychologist who was affordable. This psychologist is the only one in my entire province who does the diagnosis at an affordable rate. The other one expert was waaay outside of my budget.

You might try calling the psychology department at a local big name university. There might be someone there who can give you the contact information for a doctor who can do the diagnosis.



klassobanieras
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26 Sep 2006, 11:10 am

I'm trying to find a doc to diagnose me at the moment, and this all sounds really familiar.

It's particularly irritating how few mental-health professionals bother to return phone-calls. I know I'm supposed to keep calling back and badgering them, but if someone doesn't return my call then the message I get is that they don't want to talk to me.

I'm sure they're all very busy and overworked and all that. But I'd hope that if my job involved helping people likely to suffer from depression, I would return their phone-calls instead of implicitly telling them "you're not worth talking to, go away".


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itfits
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26 Sep 2006, 3:52 pm

I have been having the same dificulties trying to find a Dr. that will see an adult in reference to Aspergers. They either only see kids or they are not fimiliar enough with adult symptoms to dx. I have not found a solution to this yet but I will.

There are alot of reasons to get a dx as an adult;
1) correct a presious misdiagnosis
2) Help decide if your childern need to be evaluated
3) Knowing your issues can help you focus on overcoming them
4) Explaining to your self why you are the way you are
5) relationships telling a potential mate that you have aspergers is easier for them to accept
if it comes from a Dr.
6) Advising other family members of the risk in having a child(higher %)

I am sure that all the adults that did go ahead and seek a dx also had there own reasons to get evaluated late in life. There may not be very many programs to help those dx currently but if the numbers continue to climb insurance and others will have to face these issues. If no adult got dx then this syndrome will never get the attention that it needs to help people that have never heard of aspergers but have it none the less.
I did not learn of Aspergers till age 37 and I read alot. How many others are out there that would feel better about themselfs to know that they are not nuts or that they could at least talk to others that are experiencing the same difficuties in life.

Sorry I did not mean to get preachy and not everyone that is introverted or has been called a geek has Aspergers but there are likly to be many that have a better life if they knew.


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Hovis
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27 Sep 2006, 9:21 am

I have some good news - I've had a letter this morning from Professor Brugha at Leicester Hospital/University. I found out a while ago that there was no-one qualified to diagnose adult autism in the Lincolnshire NHS, so I called the national autism helpline, and they gave me his name, so I asked my GP if he could write to him and make a referral.

He asked me to sign and return to him a slip consenting to my parents being sent a questionnaire about my childhood development to fill in, then, after he receives that, he will contact me again to make an appointment.

:)