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Is it worth pursuing a diagnosis as an adult?

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Should I pursue an official, medical diagnosis?
yes 89%  89%  [ 34 ]
no 11%  11%  [ 4 ]
Total votes : 38

muff
Toucan
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05 Oct 2012, 1:07 pm

JRR wrote:
I didn't see much value in it, but did it as part of Asperger's related sessions, since, for me, it was more about what I could do about it, than the categorization itself. All the diagnosis really did was give me more comfort in looking at other people's experiences so I could learn more neurotypical behaviors better and faster than I would, otherwise.

And, I'm in my mid-30s.


you know, this is a very functional way to look at it. i suppose this is the response i agree with the most. on my own i am reading about life coping skills and techniques used by those on the sepctrum and have started to use some even though i have not been disgnosed. two strategies have worked quite well and my thinking is, even if i dont pursue diagnosis if the strategies work, then what do i care if i am disgnosed AS or not?

come to think of it, if the strategies work and i am not on the spectrum, then i guess i still dont care because they are working. at least, thats how i feel right now. but ive been doing pretty poorly so maybe i wont always feel this way.



jlym
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05 Oct 2012, 10:07 pm

So this may seem dumb, but I have no idea how to get diagnosed. Do I talk to my primary care doctor? Or do I seek out a specialist? Are there different doctors who diagnosis adults versuses children?

If someone has a link of where I could look to get some of these answers, that'd be great! Or if you've been through it yourself, tell me how to started!


_________________
Autistic/BAP: 112 aloof, 123 rigid, 89 pragmatic
Aspie: 158 of 200; NT: 58 of 200
AQ Test: 37
Emotional Intelligence: 60/100

Most likely an Aspie or on the spectrum...


MrStewart
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05 Oct 2012, 10:48 pm

jlym wrote:
So this may seem dumb, but I have no idea how to get diagnosed. Do I talk to my primary care doctor? Or do I seek out a specialist? Are there different doctors who diagnosis adults versuses children?

If someone has a link of where I could look to get some of these answers, that'd be great! Or if you've been through it yourself, tell me how to started!


Primary care doctor is the best place to start, yes. Depending on which country you live in, a referral from a general practitioner is needed to even get access to a psychiatrist. In Canada and USA psychiatrists usually do not take appointments without a referral. I live in western Canada, and in my case the process went like this: 1. Spoke to GP at walk-in clinic. 2. Referred to psychiatric assessment office of local hospital, did preliminary assessment with psychiatrist there. 3. referred for neuropsychological testing with clinical psychologist for "diagnostic clarification". Did the whole gamut of tests for a variety of suspected things which took seven hours across two separate appointments.

You may also want to check if there is a local autism clinic or center or organization. Give them a call and see what the local procedure is. But in general, go to GP, get referral to specialist. Keep in mind this can be a slow process. There may be a waiting list or two involved, have to wait a few weeks/months to get an appointment.