Worried about getting tested for AS

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Hey folks,

I really need to get tested for AS, I'm almost certain that's what I've got. I was supposed to go to my GP a couple of weeks ago but I chickened out. I was supposed to go today too, but I chickened out again at the last minute.

I'm just worried about going, I feel stupid and like I'm complaining about such a trivial thing. What should I expect her to say? What kind of treatment (if any) am I likely to recieve? Could any of you share your experiences with getting diagnosed?

I'm worried she'll not take me seriously. Most of my problem is the inability to understand people. I'm worried she'll just say "well, you're just naive" or "not everyone gets jokes"... Also, my mum has schizophrenia. I know I'm not schizophrenic though, but I worry that they might jump to this conclusion as AS and schizophrenia have been confused with each other.

I hear that they send you to therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. All of which I don't want to go to, due to bad experiences with a previous school councellor and many years of seeing psychiatric nurses/doctors wrongly diagnose/medicate my mother.

What should I expect if I go? I'm 18 so I'd particularly like to hear from those who were diagnosed as adults, but all experiences/stories are appreciated.

Thanks

When I had my diagnosis it seemed to be pretty easy. I just hated trying to answer all the questions.

Why kind of questions did they ask?

I have a physical the 28th and my doctor said we'd discuss the symptoms then and he'd refer me to whoever. I think he said something like "That's a learning disability, right?" He's a good doctor though. When I go to get diagnosed they'd better not diagnose me with some other crazy thing. Give me what I paid for.

In all likelihood, the GP will probably not think you're AS. By and large, that's usually the response from GPs-- mainly because they are general practitioners and it's not their field of expertise. No surprise there.

Annie, are you in the UK and therefore need a referal or are you in the US? If you're in the UK, push for a referal anyways. And make sure they refer you to somewhere that's experienced with ASDs, particularly adult females and their diagnosis. If that's even available. If it isn't, I'd recommend saving up money to pay out of pocket and go private. That way, you're not relegated to your local area which may have no autism experts at all. I'd recommend calling Dr. Baron-Cohen's offices at Cambridge University and asking them to recommend an experienced diagnostician closer to you.

If you're in the US, don't go through a GP. Do your own research on who is the closest (or I should say, a distance you'd be willing to travel to) and the most experienced in adult female ASDs.

We adult auties can sometimes be hard to spot to the untrained eye (and by untrained I mean anyone without YEARS of experience in ASDs), especially females. So going to anyone who isn't experienced could very well be a waste of money, time, energy, and be highly disappointing.

Here's a good article I wrote awhile back to getting started in the diagnostic process. It may help you out a bit:

The Basics for the Adult Seeking an Autistic Spectrum Diagnosis

Yeah, see, that's what I was worried about. It's embarrassing enough for me to go to her and tell her all my problems, it would be made worse if she didn't know what it was and/or looked at me like I was stupid.



Yeah, I am in the UK. There is no way in hell I could ever afford to go private, which is a shame if it means I could get a better doctor that way, but we just can't afford it.

The thing that worries me about asking for a referal, especially if she thinks there's nothing wrong with me, is that I don't like questioning my doctors. I know from experience that if you question some doctors, they can get very nasty with you, even if they were wrong and you were right.

Also, a questoin I left out in my original post is, if I did get a referal, approximately how long would it take to be diagnosed and what could they do to help? I don't want to have to go through months and months of people invading my life and questioning me if it means it might not even get me anywhere.

Thanks for that article, I'm reading it now.

do you have anyone else (friend, parent, relative) who you've told about AS who could go with you? that is the only way i can cope with doctors, by having somebody else there to talk for me. if i ever go by myself, i usually end up with Yet Another Misdiagnosis

I do. My mum has said she'll come with me to support me and back up what I'm saying if the doctor fails to notice/ignores it. It's still a worry though. Once doctors have an idea in their head, it's hard to convince them that they've got it wrong.

I suggest bringing in your mom at that first referal appointment to back up your concerns. Two people concerned is more convincing than one.

I would be afraid the dr. would dx me with something else, because he doesnt know me as well as I know me. I never heard about AS until a friend mentioned it to my mother after my mom suspected a form of mild autism.

dr's have only limited info as they do not live with you.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. She doesn't know me as well as I know me and so she might dismiss it.

I think I have it, and so does my mum, but my mum just told my college tutor about it, and she doesn't think I have it.

See, this is the problem, because these people aren't me, or don't live with me/know me well enough, they don't understand how much of an issue it is.