I can't decide if I should go for an assessment

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Tufted Titmouse
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07 Sep 2015, 5:01 pm

This year my life crumbed around me. My wife of 15 years left me over emotional abuse. Saying I make her doubt her own perceptions, I am a robot who doesnt experience emotion, and that I punish her by going silent for long periods. I know we have discussed the silent thing, I explained it was not punishment but that when I feel overwhelmed with emotion I can't talk until I can process it. She doesnt believe me about that obviously.

She left suddenly and I didnt see it coming, I came home from work to a note and an empty house. I thought we were happy... I went into a tailspin and have been battling suicidal urges. Two times the police have picked me up and I was involuntarily committed.

The first time I was committed a psychologist did a full psych panel on me, diagnosed me with Major Depression and told me I should have sought help years ago as a child. He quizzed me about what I knew about autism and if I had ever had a diagnosis. I have of course heard of autism but my parents did not believe in mental illness just people not dealing with their own problems. He said we need to discuss it further.

I was discharged before we discussed it further, but I did my research and a lot of what I have always deemed my eccentricities do seem to fit. But of course there are things that do not, like I am good with sarcasm and idioms. I do however really think my oldest son who has been diagnosed with dyspraxia by a pediatrician fits very well including not getting sarcasm, jokes and idioms. Though my now ex does not think there is any reason to get him checked out as he already has a diagnosis.

From my research I do have a fairly reasonable fit to many of the symptoms and think that if I get diagnosed it would lend weight to getting my son diagnosed. It also costs $2500 for an assessment that I am not 100% sure of the results. $2500 is a lot of money.

The assessment is an all day thing with a 2 hour interview followed by testing. Is it worth it? And what is involved?



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Tufted Titmouse
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07 Sep 2015, 6:08 pm

Oh and the self assessing type tests online I tend to score in the asd range. For instance:

Aspie Quiz at rdos dot net gives me
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 141 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 82 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)

But trusting quizzes online is not the best diagnosis idea.



iliketrees
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08 Sep 2015, 2:14 am

A way to think of it is in terms of why you'd want one done, the advantages of it, what it'd bring. Without knowing your personal situation that's hard to say but I think you'd really benefit from hearing of others diagnosed as adults (actual adults, not 18 like me) as to why they saw it as worth it. If I recall correctly a diagnosis can mean accommodations at work as well as an answer for them.



Sethno
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08 Sep 2015, 4:38 am

I'd say see another doctor (or if possible, go back on your own to the one who suggested autism). TALK.

See if the doctor thinks it's worth getting an autism evaluation.

I'd suspected autism for years, since I was in my 20s.

About two years ago my doctor insisted I get a therapist again (I've been treated for depression for a long time).

Went back to my old therapist, and on the 2nd appointment he asked if I've ever been evaluated for autism (based on my responses to questions he'd asked). I froze, and asked why. He said my answers to his questions had been the same answers he gets from his autistic patients. I told him what I'd long suspected. He insisted I get evaluated.

Hearing what the therapist said, my DOCTOR froze, and slowly said "good catch".

It now says in my medical records "probable Asperger's Syndrome".

Still working on getting evaluated by someone in the autism field, but in the meantime I've found out there are a lot more reasons to class myself as on the autism spectrum than I'd thought. (Stuff about autistic "symptoms" I'd known nothing about, and that sound A LOT like me.) The therapist has no doubt, and has told me so several times.

Talk to that doctor again, or to someone equally qualified, and take it from there.


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AQ 31
Your Aspie score: 100 of 200 / Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 101 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

What would these results mean? Been told here I must be a "half pint".


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Tufted Titmouse
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Age: 45
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08 Sep 2015, 2:48 pm

I don't know if I can talk to the original Doctor. I have contacted a private practice who does autism assessments and that is how I got the $2500 figure (they said $1600-$2500) and it starts with a 2 hour interview then all day testing. Then 3 weeks later you get a call back to review the results, and a month after that you will receive a written report.

I called the private practice again to try and get more details but the calls always go through voice mail and I always sound like a fool on the phone and even worse over voice mail.

I just don't know what could be involved in all day testing.



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Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

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08 Sep 2015, 5:19 pm

I have a phone conversation with the person who would be doing the assessment set up for Thursday after that time I will be deciding if I should go ahead. She is the only one in the area that does assessments for adults so it is her or nobody. I live in a small town area where you have to travel for anyone who is a specialist.



artfulldodger
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08 Sep 2015, 5:44 pm

I hope your able to get a diagnosis. I know getting mine thru a therapist that is certified to make an AS dignosis was a godsend for my marriage. My life finaly made since, why I am the way I am. I am able to cope better, and with her help not have the violent meltdowns that were endanging myself and my wife. Dodger


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AQ score 43
RAADS-R 221
Your Aspie score: 153 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 59 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie


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Tufted Titmouse
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13 Sep 2015, 9:26 pm

So I have an assessment booked for September 28th. It is supposed to be from 9 to 5 with a 1 hour break. It starts with a two hour interview followed by an one hour test. Break for lunch and then testing from 1 to 5. Then a few weeks later I will be called back to be given results and a month after that there should be a report to go over.

From my research I presume the interview is ADI-r and the first test is the ADOS I cant figure out what happens in the following 4 hours. I also cant figure out why it takes a few weeks to get results when it isnt like they are sending away blood to a lab they are compiling test results.

They say I should bring someone with me but I have nobody to bring. Luckily I do know a lot of my early childhood since apparently I was a bit of an odd child. For instance I was totally mute, no baby talk nothing, and did not walk until I was nearly 3. My parents had taken me to all sorts of doctors when one finally said, there is nothing physically wrong with him he just doesnt want to walk or talk. So one day my brother asked for a cookie for both of us and my Mum said, if he wants a cookie he can come in here and ask for it. I walked into the room and said "cookie please Mum" my Mum said she was so mad and happy at the same time. I did my first steps, and first words/sentence after absolutely nothing for nearly 3 years. There are a lot of other stories since my brother acted as you would expect and I beat to my own drum.

Now I am using my compulsive researching trait and trying to figure out what is in that other 4 hours of testing. If someone has experience or can point me in a direction I would be greatful



Cyllya1
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15 Sep 2015, 3:20 am

I had an autism assessment that took around four hours, but they also did ADI-R simultaneously with my mom in another room while I was with the main psychologist. They were also supposed to interview my roommate with the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale, but they sort of forgot, and they didn't understand my attempts to remind them. Besides ADI-R and ADOS, there was also a "brief" IQ test (took a lot of time), some things for testing word knowledge, and a "diagnostic interview" that is separate from those. I'm actually not entirely sure which tests were part of ADOS, for the most part. Based on my experience, I think a decent assessment has to be longer than this. Mine was really rushed, even though they left out the VABS. The psychologist just kind of assumed that I have no significant impairment in daily needs, even though he only asked one question about that topic during the whole thing. (The question was whether I'm able to pay my bills. I said I'm currently able to make money, but my executive functioning is so bad that I can't pay bills. If the payee can't take money in automation, they're not getting paid.)

After a few weeks, they gave me a six-page written report that included all the information (and some weird misunderstandings) they found out during the process, and the conclusions they drew from it. I think the reason it takes so long is because they need to interpret the test results and write the report, not just give you a one-sentence verbal answer. Especially since ADOS is fairly subjective. They usually record it, rewatch it, and may discuss it with other psychologists (as long as you sign the consent form).

When I was interested in getting an assessment, many psychologists who are doing a complete psychological evaluation will charge around $2500 while the autism specialist who was only doing autism-related tests was charging $750 (it was some kind of charity research center). The assessment described above was with the autism specialist. It's possible your assessment will include tests for other conditions.


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