morimori wrote:
So I was diagnosed by an agency that pretty much denied I was experiencing the symptoms and difficulties that lead me to seeking a diagnosis in the first place. They did in fact diagnose me with autism, but in the evaluation they said that I DID NOT experience any of the things I reported and that my difficulties were solely social.
I've parted with the agency because my therapist pretty much told I only suffered from low self esteem and anxiety, and that I couldn't possibly be in as much distress as I am because I work two jobs and that I wasn't really experiencing autism burnout or meltdowns. Which is ironic, because I had a meltdown after pretty much every appointment in my car the parking lot ("hey kids, don't mind me, I'm just an adult screaming and punching myself in the head, not much to see here, move along").
I wanted to be evaluated because I NEED accommodations at my job. My current employers have given them to me without asking for a doctors note (or any explanation, really), but now I feel at a loss what to do if they decide to turn around and ask for one (or if I have a job in the future that asks for one), considering these people are adamant that I don't have executive disfunction or sensory sensitivities.
Am I overreacting? Is just having a diagnosis enough to get accommodations? Is this piece of paper enough?
Advice?
If you were, in fact, diagnosed with autism, you should be (have been) given a written assessment describing your diagnosis. Armed with that assessment, you could quietly appear at any other (better) clinic, and seek counseling or other diagnoses of comorbid disorders (anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsions) by its staff. They would very likely confirm your autism diagnosis, too, but this time, with more care and accuracy. Good luck!
01 Mar 2017, 9:20 pm
