Who diagnosed you?

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This is what happened with my son. He was rather normally developing, talking in full sentences by 3 and could program a DVD player/video game etc... By 4.

My father called CAS and accused me of being a neglectful mother and saying he was still in diapers and couldn't talk and a bunch of other wild crap.

They came and did their investigation and he was talking up a storm, not in diapers, and hooking up his vsmile (leaning video game system - only way I could get him school ready... He wouldn't do flash cards or any other way).

They closed the case and wrote it off as a drunk call basically. As that as what it was.

When he started school the behaviours started. He was a very helpful kid and attached himself to a boy with spinal bifida to help him, but was having compliance issues and aggression. I took him to my dr and he sloughed it off as typical 5 year old behaviour, told me to come back in a couple years and we will reads.

As years went on the behaviours got worse, he was being very aggressive and throwing things and was in trouble (office sent) daily. This was grade 1. So I took him back and my dr said it's likely ADHD, and we started him on Concerta. Took a while to get a good dose but he's been at the highest for Concerta for 4 years almost.

Behaviours never really subsided, his attention is better but socially and behaviourally he was very difficult right up until we switched his school. Now it's better because his teacher is very visual with her day plan on the chalk board and he's happy as long as nothing changes. As soon as it changes he notices immediately and starts building anxiety.

He has been at this school since this past sept, and only this week had his first aggressive episode where a chair was thrown because he was asked to stop a task that he was liking and interested in and hyper focused on.

Next day I got a call saying that after 3 years waiting, we finally have a paediatrician appt in April for his behaviours.

I am likely going to bring up my concerns regarding myself as well if she will listen (after fully discussing my son). I was curious of how and who diagnosed everyone because I want to know how close were getting, but looks like we have a while to go still. My dr is kinda useless and has no clue about ADHD or autism. He's very behind in his knowledge. Had my son been non verbal we would probably have a diagnosis.... But he wasn't exhibiting noticable signs till school.

This is what happened with my son. He was rather normally developing, talking in full sentences by 3 and could program a DVD player/video game etc... By 4.

My father called CAS and accused me of being a neglectful mother and saying he was still in diapers and couldn't talk and a bunch of other wild crap.

They came and did their investigation and he was talking up a storm, not in diapers, and hooking up his vsmile (leaning video game system - only way I could get him school ready... He wouldn't do flash cards or any other way).

They closed the case and wrote it off as a drunk call basically. As that as what it was.

When he started school the behaviours started. He was a very helpful kid and attached himself to a boy with spinal bifida to help him, but was having compliance issues and aggression. I took him to my dr and he sloughed it off as typical 5 year old behaviour, told me to come back in a couple years and we will reassess.

As years went on the behaviours got worse, he was being very aggressive and throwing things and was in trouble (office sent) daily. This was grade 1. So I took him back and my dr said it's likely ADHD, and we started him on Concerta. Took a while to get a good dose but he's been at the highest for Concerta for 4 years almost.

Behaviours never really subsided, his attention is better but socially and behaviourally he was very difficult right up until we switched his school. Now it's better because his teacher is very visual with her day plan on the chalk board and he's happy as long as nothing changes. As soon as it changes he notices immediately and starts building anxiety. It's also a smaller rural school with more supports and he has a great IEP set up. His social impairments, hoarding/object attachment, and non compliance is still an issue but not as bad. His teacher isn't as in his face and formal so that seems to benefit him. He seems to trust her.

He has been at this school since this past sept, and only this week had his first aggressive episode where a chair was thrown because he was asked to stop a task that he was liking and interested in and hyper focused on.

Next day I got a call saying that after 3 years waiting, we finally have a paediatrician appt in April for his behaviours.

I am likely going to bring up my concerns regarding myself as well if she will listen (after fully discussing my son). I was curious of how and who diagnosed everyone because I want to know how close were getting, but looks like we have a while to go still. My dr is kinda useless and has no clue about ADHD or autism. He's very behind in his knowledge. Had my son been non verbal we would probably have a diagnosis.... But he wasn't exhibiting noticable signs till school.

Last edited by SSWaspie on 07 Mar 2014, 8:27 am, edited 2 times in total.

He will be 10 by that appt date.

I was officially diagnosed at 43 by a developmental neuropsychologist with 20+ years of experience working with children and adults with autism spectrum and learning disabilities.

I was self-diagnosed for 7 years before finding someone in my geographical area having expertise with adults, particularly women, with autism.

I tried only one other time, about a year after I realized I was on the spectrum, to obtain a diagnosis. I carefully searched for and found a clinical psychologist who represented himself as being familiar with autism, and drove an hour to meet with him. He spent 30 minutes asking me generic pre-assessment questions before announcing that his realm of expertise with autism was "aggressive adolescent males" and that he could not do much, if anything, for me.

Basically, this clown billed me $150 to ask questions like "how is your sex life?" and "do you exercise?" and not a single question related to autism. That appointment discouraged me for a very long time from seeking a diagnosis again.

I knew without a doubt after that experience I had to find someone who specifically had expertise in diagnosing high-functioning adults. No way would I waste any more time or money on anyone who "might"or "might not" be able to help me.

The main reason I wanted an "official" diagnosis: it seemed to be the only way anyone would take me seriously that I indeed had autism.

I've since discovered, sadly, that a formal diagnosis, while it does give me the credibility I needed, does not AT ALL mean people will want to or try to understand me--or autism in general--any better.

Awareness, understanding, and acceptance are a very steep uphill battle...either way.

Last edited by capri0112 on 07 Mar 2014, 11:14 am, edited 2 times in total.

All of the above



Started when I was a baby.

I was diagnosed by the Adult Autism Team in my area when I was 25.

I was dx last year after years of traditional therapy for PTSD and severe trauma.
The doctor who did the DX is a world-wide autism expert and brain expert. (He teaches the other doctors). I was 43. Finally my entire life made sense.