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marysson
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13 Jan 2009, 4:19 pm

I'm going to go see someone shortly - within a month, probably.

What is the experience like? Do they do tests, etc?



ike
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13 Jan 2009, 4:51 pm

Depends on the doctor. I've had two diagnoses now, one from a psychologist which was all interview and another from a neurologist (which was mostly testing). I got the neurologist diagnosis for legal reasons.


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13 Jan 2009, 5:13 pm

Did they leave you alone in the room with a one way mirror with some stuff?


That's what I can remember and the fact both my parents talk with the psychiatrist but it was mostly me and my mother.
From what I read in my record, I was asked for three wishes and it was listed what they were from me.



KingdomOfRats
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13 Jan 2009, 5:14 pm

mostly a repeat of what ike said,but it does depend on the doctor/their experience and speciality and the type of doctor.

am have been diagnosed several times in relation to autism-first time was assessed for it by paeds at a neurology specialist hospital [hope hospital in salford] as a toddler but didnt get diagnosed with it because brain scans were clear of damage-got other very wrong labels instead,was diagnosed with wrong form of autism by a mental illness pysch [one who had only ever worked with mental illness though gp said he was the most expert in autism in manchester] and finally by two autism specialists in the learning disability team,all very different types of assessing.

what goes on in assessment,and how long it takes can depend on whether there are other things going on,how severe they are,specialists access to developmental history etc.
am have seen WPers say some refuse to diagnose if they cannot speak to parents/family which has been a problem for old autists whos parents or family may be dead,ill or gone somewhere.

make sure the doctor is an ASD specialist,not a MH one whos experience is mental illness not ASD,if do not have a 'severe' or 'classic' case of an ASD,it will matter a lot that the specialist has experience with adults with ASD.


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neshamaruach
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13 Jan 2009, 5:36 pm

My diagnosis consisted of an interview with my husband and myself. I was fortunate in that the person doing the assessment was not only an AS specialist, but also has Aspies in his family. So he knew what he was looking at.

I'll echo what others have said, because it is so incredibly important: Make sure that the doctor doing the assessment is a specialist in the field of AS/ASDs. Don't go to anyone who isn't. It's a waste of time. If you know enough about ASDs to be posting on WP and going for a diagnosis, you already know more than your average therapist or GP.


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millie
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14 Jan 2009, 1:25 am

yeah. go to a specialist. i have had one dx - talking through. and i am booked in for a more detailed one next month which will give me a more in depth assessment with a report.



jawbrodt
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14 Jan 2009, 1:37 am

When I went in for my dx, I said something like "I have AS. I've done more than enough research to know, and there's no question about it." He asked me several questions to verify, and then updated my diagnosis. The psych was not qualified, in my opinion, and that is why I went about it in the way that I did. I would like to see a specialist someday, but I don't really think it'll make any real difference. Maybe create some different paperwork, that's all.


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