What does Asperger testing entail?

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you should call the place that sent you the forms and ask them about it...i'm sure it's a mistake.

anyways, i wish i could get tested.. i don't have any insurance at all and get all my medical at a free clinic. i did see their neurologist once... but he was old school and didn't know what he was talking about. he seemed to think that i was looking for some kind of "feel-good drug" and was making stuff up... which is stupid, because i wouldn't take any kind of medication.. it's not like there's an anti-aspie medication out there somewhere.. and if there was, i still wouldn't take it. also, he said, and i quote, "i'm hesitant to diagnose you, because it doesn't sound like you have a mental retardation, but a social one." i was like, "..." but, inside... i wanted to kick him in the gonads for being a complete ignoramus in regards to something in his own field of study. he also thought i was just depressed because i'm fat. trust me, being skinny would not suddenly make me more sociable.

Yea I'm in the US. I guess I should call them. Of course, its the weekend. I have to wait until tomorrow. I was just starting to feel good about finally being able to see someone. Not just a regular therapist (who doesn't feel comfortable dxing that because its out of her area of expertise) but someone that can actually do neuropsych testing.

Is Academic testing the same as IQ testing? Is that mandatory for AS.. well I guess it would be since they have to make sure your IQ is normal or above.

I would think academic testing would test skills you need to succeed in school. Maybe attention, phonological processing, visual-motor coordination, that kind of thing. Maybe even mathematics ability or reading, although it would seem odd to include those things in an evaluation for AS. I guess it could include IQ testing, since a kid who was receiving neuropsych testing in school would certainly be given an IQ test. Also, IQ tests can help to indicate a learning disability, if there is a striking pattern of strengths and weaknesses (80% of people with AS have NLD).

The problem is that audiologists/speech therapists are not qualified to make an AS diagnosis, and you have to be really careful about mentioning things you're not qualified to diagnose. Like if you work with someone (say for home therapy, not in the hospital) and you think they may have had a stroke recently, you can't just say, "I think you had a stroke," you have to mention specific things you've noticed that concern you and recommend that they see a neurologist. Of course, if someone seems to be actually having a stroke, there is no time to waste, and I would probably offer to call an ambulance or drive them to the ER. But you can't appear to offer a diagnosis in your official capacity as therapist. The most you could say would be "I've noticed X, X, and X, and those are commonly seen in someone who has had a stroke."

We had a kid in our speech and hearing clinic in grad school who was so obviously AS that both I and my supervisor (the other girl who was working with me on the evaluation didn't know much about AS) both independently came to the conclusion of AS within about 2 minutes. The interview with the mom subsequently confirmed a history of AS-like traits. We weren't allowed to mention AS however. The only thing we could do was to write the report so that it would scream "AS!" to any professional reading it, and recommend a neuropsych evaluation and social skills training. Now, if the mom had come in wondering about autism, then we could have pointed out specific characteristics consistent with autism, but we couldn't just suggest a diagnosis like that.

I'm undergoing an evaluation process right now. After a consultation session, I was offered either a bare-bones assessment for autism, or that in addition to an assessment of my educational abilities. I chose the latter, and will have done 14 hours of interviews by the end. Thankfully, these are split into 2 hour chunks over the course of 2 weeks. He (the psychiatrist) talked to my mother for an hour and sometime my roomie-friend will go, too.

I did this meeting last week where I met a random person at Starbuck's (ugh, Starbuck's) and talked for an hour, although I misunderstood for the first half-hour the word "observation" and she had to find me to let me know we were supposed to meet up and chat. Oi... Anyway, it was weird and I felt quite silly the whole time, thinking up random things to pontificate and then ramble about, except this was like a forced, overly clinical conversation at Starbuck's. Anyone would be weirded out.

This is costing me about 4.5k Canadian bird-dollars, 100% out of my own pocket. Hopefully I can claim it on my income tax. I think it's ironic how my hermit-ish ways are what allowed me to save up that much when I live independently and am still below the first tax bracket, all in second-highest-living-cost-in-Canada Calgary.

I've found out that I can either go through the NHS to get diagnosis (meaning I'd have to go to the GP and ask for referral) or I can go private and pay £1000 for diagnosis.
I am trying to get myself ready to go to the GP.

I called the place today. The other testing is optional. So I dont have to pay anything out of pocket. I really wish they should put that in the packet. I was freaking out thinking I'd have to cancel. From what the receptionist said, its completely optional.

Hey. I am in Alberta too. I got tested for free by going through employment Canada. But then.. i wasnt employed.

Was this your idea or theirs? I'm actually unemployed at the moment, too. It's not like finding work is impossible for me, but I sure do tend to wind up at crappy jobs, it seems like.