Hi from England

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Hi everyone.

I'm a 46 yr old from Derby in the UK. A lot has happened recently that's made me question things, but it was only after watching a documentary on Gary Numan of all things, that I considered I may have AS.
I've taken the AQ test a few times (on different websites) each time getting 32-34, and I've taken a few other tests, each pointing in the same direction.

This is all very new and scary for me - so is it worth getting diagnosed? For those of you in the UK, is this an easy process? I want to get enough "data" behind me - test results etc - to prove to my GP that this is worthwhile.

If I am diagnosed it would explain a lot of things, especially my personal relationships.

Thanks

Getting a diagnosis would give anyone: 1) educational, governmental and professional benefits and supports if needed, or 2) the satisfaction that comes from knowing certainly that the diagnosis is accurate and correct. As an adult, you might care only about the professional benefits (if your workplace offers them) and the satisfaction of knowing.

But, don't dismiss the satisfaction of knowing. For many adults, it means a lot and helps mitigate years of believing that they were always to blame for their behaviors.

Welcome

My diagnosis was as easy as I could have expected it to be. Easier, in fact, I suppose, with the NHS as it currently is.

Thoughts about my future led me to go for diagnosis. I wasn't bothered about the present, because I felt that I was doing very well for myself. But, I worried about a time when I might not have my husband around for support, or if I ever felt like I did not want to be self-employed any more and wanted to go back to the world of work. As it turned out, I discovered after my diagnosis just how much autism does affect my every day life and I've found the diagnosis to be helpful every day since.

In my case, I booked a GP appointment and spent every spare minute creating a folder full of evidence - old school reports, long pages of text about my past, autism test results, bullet point lists of all of the symptoms that I thought fit me well. I took my husband along to the GP appointment, because I felt that I needed an advocate.

As it turns out, the GP took far less convincing than I had expected. She asked me why I thought I had autism, and I couldn't tell her and froze up. I replied with "I just think I fit many of the traits...". She turned to my husband and asked his opinion, and with the focus away from me for a second I was able to pull out my evidence folder. I handed it to her after she finished speaking to my husband, she leafed through it, was particularly pleased with the bullet point list that answered her earlier question, and asked if she could take that to support my request for a diagnosis because it explained it better than she could.

To note, I had also researched the local diagnosis process and found someone with right accreditations and experience, that took on NHS cases and was very highly recommended within the autism community. I'd written her details down, within the folder, and my GP appreciated this and referred my case directly to her - it saved her the work of finding out how she needed to go about applying, and I'd even included the funding request form! I think this helped to ensure that my request was processed as quickly as possible, because my GP didn't need to spend time sourcing information and could just get on with things, but I don't imagine it's necessary and I have heard that some other parts of the country simply don't have these resources available.

After that, it took just months to get to the point of being diagnosed. I had been preparing for years of waiting.

'Explains a lot of things'...me too. I'm not diagnosed either but it would explain a ton of things from the past. That feeling...it spooks me often.

i would say that a diagnosis is definitely worth seeking out if you want answers. i know that for a lot of people here, a dx has definitely given them that sense of closure...never bad to have.

welcome.

Wow. Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, and all the useful information!

Welcome to WP! If you feel that a formal diagnosis can help, definitely go for it.

As for me, I took the test several times, getting a score of 28, meaning I have strong indicators of Asperger's, but not the full diagnosis. I am in a place in-between NT and AS. At my age, I don't think a formal diagnosis could help me.

Growing up teachers thought I was stupid, my family thought I was lazy, selfish and/or childish. The diagnosis was important for me.

Hi darkinhere
I'm from Chesterfield and travelling the same journey as you. It was suggested that i "may be on the spectrum" by my councillor who i was seeing late Autumn. I went away, took tests, time after time consistent results describing traits I've had since childhood.

I've discovered so much about myself and understand maybe why I am like I am now. That enlightenment has taken 47 years. I would also like to go for a diagnosis and have drawn up a document to take to the doctors next year. Results of numerous tests, my personality, examples of my behaviour and struggles i've had with communication and relationships all my life. I've spoken to my parents who thought "I was just unsociable". I've found that when I was an Infant around 12 months old I stopped talking and just grunted and pointed for some time. My family thought this was due to my sister being born.

Welcome! It's nice to meet you.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!