Diagnostic process in UK (Berkshire)

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Hello;


does anyone have experience of the NHS diagnostic process in Berkshire, UK?

I'm 49, with no diagnosis beyond "anxiety/depression".

I have various traits that make me suspect (85% confident, I'd say) that I'm on the spectrum. My score on the AQ is 44 of a possible 50 (I know thisw isn't a strictly diagnostic test).

I'm really trying to establish what is actually the case (its important to me to take a scientific approach). At this stage I'm trying to make a case to my GP to get me some approriate assessment.

I like my GP, but I guess that if he was very clued up on ASDs, we would have discussed this before (maybe that's naive...);

I'd be grateful for any thoughts;

regards,

T

hi T. im in northern ireland and have recived a diagnosis for myself and my son by paying privately.
to answer your question specifically..there seems to be limited NHS support and assistance, especially in people with AS over 18 years old......in children they will at least pretend to care and offer a diagnosis but it takes about 4 years to get.
unacceptable?
yes...but the NHS is dysfunctional and has been for a long time.

I have been referred on to a Clinical Psychologist but I am considering just telling my GP I want to forget about it. The waiting time up here is between 2 and 18 months and the more I find out, the more I weigh up the pros and cons of whether being officially 'outed' would actually be detrimental to my life as I know it.

Amongst other things I would have to notify the DVLA and from what I have gathered there is not a great deal of support really available in adulthood in this country.

If you just want a diagnosis for the sake of closure it may be worth pursuing but I am now worried I am going to cause myself more trouble by getting diagnosed. As I have come to realise from speaking to one of my friends who is an Occupational Therapist, everyone could be considered to be on the Autistic Spectrum to some extent and as far as people with AS/Social Phobias go I really have nothing to complain about compared to those who find it so debilitating they are pretty much housebound.

I now intend to just stick to the plan and get a new job which I can handle easily just keeping my head down and trying to get on with it.

Timpani,
ask the NAS [ http://www.nas.org.uk] for list of ASD specialists in area,give the list to GP and ask them to refer to one of them,that will avoid them referring onto a mental health pysch who knows next to nothing about any ASD.
tell them why want to be assessed,have everything wrote down if it helps,am have seen some WPers say the NAS offers assessment sheets where they are filled in and brought to the doctor.,that may be easier to do.

there is a lot of support if have a social worker,most things need the funding so they have to go through them-the NAS,social services [learning disability team if are autie or lower functioning aspie,mental health team if are aspie with a MH problem] ,autism initiatives,Mencap...and there's other disability services out there that will accept all ASDers as well,such as PHAB clubs,Bendrigg,Chrysalis,creative support etc.

Heya

I live in Berkshire and I ended up going private to a clinic on the edge of surry that specialises to some extent in as

http://www.bakerduncan.org.uk/ if its any help is where i got my diagnosis done.

I guess like you I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety and went through all the psyc treatments first.

Well hope that helps

Hi folks;

very many thanks for the replies; gives me much to think about.

Donkey - yes, 'fraid that's consistent with my impression. I hope the NHS can be helpful to you and your son.

Rusty - good point about the DVLA, I didn't know this.

KOR- thanks, I'll study the NAS material (quite a lot there). (Pity my circumstances don't allow me to keep a cat...)

Moriath - thanks, the clinic is quite close to where I live and work - I'll look into them;

BWS all;

T

I got the address and website and put up from the NAS as the closest place to get diagnosed

It was that or London I think

Good luck