It's official - UK nhs does not do adult ASD...

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More than 10 years ago, I told my then GP that I thought I showed symptoms of AD(H)D and Aspergers. He referred me to the local hospital's mental health wing, but they ridiculed me.

Yesterday, I was speaking to my current GP about something completely different, and for the first time in more than 10 years, I broached the subject of ASD. In a very friendly way, we agreed that the only way to get onto the NHS radar for autism is to be diagnosed at school.

When I was at school, autism was unknown - my symptoms were dealt with by fast-tracking me into more challenging levels of education.

But I quit school at the first opportunity, and my GCE in Latin has contributed nothing to my life of manual labour.

Many people on this forum are urgently seeking an adult diagnosis of ASD, but in the UK at least, it is unlikely that such a diagnosis will be available on the NHS. It is equally unlikely that a privately-funded diagnosis will lead to any kind of treatment or cure.

I was referred to a adult mental health team for depression/anxiety in 2006. As part of that referral, I saw a NHS psychiatrist. He mentioned that I had lots of symptoms of Aspergers, but nothing more was said. I was refered to a psychologist for CBT who constantly got angry at me for being unable to name my emotions, and for stimming.
In 2011 I started seeing a psychiatrist privately. He diagnosed me as Aspergers during his assessment appointment! This information has been passed onto my GP, who acts like it doesn't exist.
I was referred to social services by the police after an argument with my family where I was found outside in tears (the police didn't believe I wasn't a minor and insisted on taking me home and then had to write a report about me). I was contacted by social services but they said they couldn't help me and didn't take into account my Aspergers and the fact I can't use phones.
I use my DLA to pay for my psychiatrist, without him, I'd get no help at all. He's teaching about emotions and I'm able to talk about the reasons that caused depression/anxiety with him so I can go forward. There was no option for just talking about things on the NHS and CBT was insulting.

There's no help on NHS for people who have withdrawal problems from antidepressants either. My GP is in denial it exists.

Well I was suppoed to be going for a formal diagnosis with the NHS but they have managed to lose half my paper work.

Thats the NHS for ya...next to bloody useless and more often than not, incapable of telling their arse from their elbow.

I saw my GP and asked about being assessed for ASD. I was referred to a psychiatrist with special interest in ASD in adults. I had a series of meetings with that psychiatrist totalling about 4.5 hours and completed a tree's worth of questionnaires outside our meetings. Six months after approaching my GP, I was diagnosed with ASD on the NHS.

I was referred to the local autism society, where I met with their diagnostician who confirmed the diagnosis and recommended I receive support from the society. Neither the NHS nor the Council Social Work department were able to fund this support, so I use my DLA to pay for it - I receive two 2 hour sessions with an outreach worker from the local autism society per month..

I do receive group psychotherapy on the NHS as a result of my borderline personality diagnosis (which came after the ASD diagnosis and which I'm still not convinced of). I also receive occupational therapy on the NHS.

Everything I receive I am extremely thankful for and I praise my NHS psychiatrist for referring me to appropriate services, and feel I am finally starting to make positive progress with my difficulties and can see a way forward and back to work in the future. I am extremely sad that my psychiatrist is leaving soon and don't know how I'll get on with her replacement.

hes talking a load of hefty cat crap.
email the national autistic society helpline and ask for a list of NHS specialists who assess ASD in whatever area are in,choose a specialist off it preferably in the local borough because PCTs dont like to refer out of area as its giving them the funding-unless there is no one else on the sheet in area.
next go to gp,show them the specialist on the form and ask to be refered to them.

if the GP still says the same thing then see a different gp at the surgery or go to an NHS walk in centre and ask to be refered,explain to them why the gp wont-he is as ancient thinking as the dinosaurs.
put a complaint into the original surgery about the doctors crappy attitude towards adult HF autism or speak to PALS.

adults with HFA do get assessed on the NHS,it relies on having an open minded gp.

YellowBanana - you are clearly more disabled than me (in a practical sense), and you are having to pay for your treatment out of your DLA.

KingdomOfRats - is there a list of open-minded GPs?

MrGrumpy, I obviously don't live in the U.K., but I wanted to make a comment, anyway....

I don't believe HALF of what doctors say----we have to care for OURSELVES, nowadays, and it SUCKS!! ! If your doctor doesn't "believe" in ASD in adults, or whatever, go to another one. Sometimes, it's a pain in the butt, going to different doctors until you find one you can work with----but, in the LONG RUN, it's worth it. There's no need to add anxiety / add TO anxiety, working with a doctor who's so bullheaded!!

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To YellowBanana: Regarding your being sad that your psychiatrist is leaving soon.....

I can totally relate. My psychiatrist left, and I LOVED her. She gave me my Asperger's Dx. My NEW doctor won't fill-out this paper I need because he said Asperger's doesn't exist under the DSM 5. I told him to put "Autism". He said he doesn't know that I have Autism, as I haven't been evaluated for Autism (I was, obviously, evaluated for Aspie). UGGGH!! ! It totally SUCKS when you have to get a new doc!!

google: [name of area] doctors surgery/medical centre and it shoud come up with alternatives to have a look through.
this is how had found mine,plus was able to see reviews of the current one of the time;which not surprisingly showed were very poor.

woud still recommend trying the local nhs walk in centre, had had a lot of medical issues in recent months and had to go to the walk in as the current gp of the time was a prik and the surgery wasnt very accessible.
saw a different doctor every time at the walk in centre but they were all very good and non judgemental.
am now registered there as a permenent gp service.

KoR/CampinCat - the doctors are supposed to be the ones who provide the definitive answers - the idea of shopping around for a diagnosis which suits our purposes is a bit weird.

I believe they attempting to stamp down a bit with diagnoses in US and other regions due to $$ concerns.

its not shopping around for a diagnosis,its making sure are getting the least biased medical judgement whether it agrees with a persons own thoughts or not,though am in agreement that the doctors shoud be providing the answers-its wrong that they use their own personal opinion to decide someone cannot be on the spectrum,theres still a lot of the oldskool doctors in medicine and they need weeding out.

I was diasgnosed with AS at 29 by a NHS service (and without having to pay a penny) in february/march 2014.

I already wrote the full story in my previous posts, but briefly, I talked to my counsellor, who told me to talk to my GP, who referred me to the local NHS mental health assessment team, where I met a skilled clinical psychologist (a PhD) who assessed me.

I'm rather sure I was lucky. What you get probably depends on your GP and your local NHS services.

Haven't seen you in a while, sir.

How's it going, Ouroboros?

It's interesting that the initial push came from a 'counsellor' (what is the history behind your access to a 'counsellor'?). It's also interesting that because a 'skilled clinical psychologist with a PhD' gave you the diagnosis of your choice, you feel no need to raise any objections. You say that you were 'lucky' - in what way has your life improved since the diagnosis?

As an update to my original post, I have now received a phone call from a counsellor who is attached to my GP practice, and who was obviously contacted by my GP after yesterday's conversation. We have an appointment for next week.

I am aware that I come over as totally negative about the possibility of benefiting from a professional diagnosis of adult ASD, but that's the way it is - if you get through school without being diagnosed, then it doesn't really matter what label is applied to your adult difficulties. If you are a danger to yourself or to the rest of society, then action will be taken. Otherwise, you're on your own.

Well....there are really no services for HFA/Aspie adults in the US.

My husband could use PT/OT and therapy for pragmatic speech. Those services are only given to children. Our insurance won't cover it, and there are no providers willing to work with adults, even if we would pay out of pocket.

The only help he gets is medications for depression and ADHD. He is setting some therapy for the ADHD.

We were told by BC/BS that there are no effective treatments for adults at the high end of the spectrum. They will pay for mental heath stuff but not the other.

The only reason my husband was diagnosed, is we paid $2K for the testing. BC/BS refused.

Tawaki: If your husband is a veteran, maybe I can give you some information----otherwise.....

Maybe you could look in your BC/BS providers' book, and find a Psychiatrist who also does ASD----THAT way, BC/BS would pay for it, no 1; and no 2, they wouldn't have to know that was what you were seeing him/her for. Also, I'm sure you already know the answer to this, but..... Can't whomever did your husband's testing, refer you to a Psychiatrist, who also does ASD, that would be covered by BC/BS?