Scared about assessment and how the results will affect me

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I have the main part of my autism assessment on Thursday and I am terrified. I’ll also be getting the results of the IQ test I took, which I’m really scared about too. I think I could have done much better on the test and since taking it I have been dwelling a lot on the many stupid answers I gave as I felt so stressed and pressured and couldn’t think clearly.

I don’t know what I want the outcome of this assessment to be. In some ways a diagnosis would help me to make sense of my life and I think I’ll feel incredibly frustrated if they say I’m not on the spectrum. But I was quite freaked out to read in another thread that an autism/asperger’s diagnosis in the UK can be restrictive. Does anyone know what these restrictions are? I really don’t know if I’m doing the right thing going through with this assessment… perhaps the saying “ignorance is bliss” is correct!

Hi,

Don't worry - feeling stressed and pressured so that you can't think clearly is part of the assessment - you aren't alone

I'm a Canuck, and so I have no idea what restrictions might exist - but, I can tell you I was relieved to have my diagnosis. As I have ongoing care, I am learning that I am - not that it makes a difference with the upcoming criteria - more fittingly autistic than Asperger's. I don't know why - I didn't ask the about difference - I'll have to make note of that for next appointment. Anyways ... diagnosis = good. A period of depression followed, but far less so than the depression of trying to live thinking that I was just "broken", "wrong", "defective", "not trying hard enough."

Please do not fear. I understand your perfectionism. I was rather defensive about the appearance of my intelligence, or lack there-of, and I felt under "performance pressure". I think you will feel relieved once you review the results. I think you will find that it is quite interesting, versus scary.

I have no regrets. I hope you have answers that bring you peace. My guess is that your bigger regret would be not to find out when you had the chance. So, how soon will you have results overall?

I've asked our UK members to confirm if there are limitations imposed on indviduals with an AS dx, but never got any confirmation.

It's totally normal to be terrified; I was so stressed out about the assessment that I felt too sick to eat beforehand and took a small dose of klonopin to get through it, ha! So basically, I took the WAIS IV on an empty stomach and a benzodiazepine . It sucked, but that part was much harder than any of the testing that related to autism so I really think the worst is behind you! For the rest of the testing, I felt very comfortable just being myself (which wasn't at all how I'd expected to feel) which meant it was pretty much stress-free once I got into it and I bet you'll fill the same way after settling in. Best of luck!

I had my assessment -- I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Not too sure how I feel about it as this point... I think I'm relieved. Relieved and shocked. I think!

Thanks to everyone who responded to this. I don't know why I was scared about how a diagnosis would affect me. It hasn't had any effect at all, positive or negative. I've been left with ZERO support and feel completely abandoned. I just seem to go from happy that I have an explanation of why I am the way I am, to completely despairing that I am the way I am with no hope of change or getting help!