Interesting find on my new assessment

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My new Autism assessment is taking forever because the psychologist and I have become such good friends that we end up talking for hours every time we meet so we only get one test done with each appointment. It's so wonderful to have her as a friend with which we can talk and analyze everything under the sun for hours at a time. My poor neurologist is going to be waiting forever to receive the report!

We managed to do a couple of tests the last time we met two weeks ago and then one more test today. The problem with us is that I enjoy these tests so much and she enjoys giving them to me so much and she and I have so much fun analyzing everything about them and how I do on them and digging into the deep intricate depths of how my brain works, that she keeps digging up more and more tests that she doesn't give to other clients. It's so fun to be able to take them and it's so fun for her to get to administer them.

But the results from the vocabulary and analytical abilities tests that we did last time were really fascinating. I scored 91st percentile on the vocabulary but 99th percentile on analytical ability. The reason that is fascinating is that it's always the other way around. People always score higher on the vocabulary part than on the analytical part. So it is so interesting to try to figure out why my scores are opposite of the norm. We are having so much fun figuring my brain out. She told me that she can't wait for our appointments and they are the highlight of her week. I feel the same way. I never knew I was such a nerd!

With so many bad therapists this is pretty rare.

That is so unfortunately true. This woman is actually Autistic, as are the two members of her staff at that office. She has two locations. I don't think her staff at her second location is Autistic. This office is one of the most wonderful, relaxed, loving, and caring doctor's offices I have ever seen. They lack the whole politically correct atmosphere and formality that all of the other therapists and doctors I have ever met have. They will give you big hugs, allow you to help yourself from their kitchen refrigerator, and just basically make you feel like you are just hanging out with them like a friend at their house. They are also very open with me about their own struggles and challenges and their personal lives which makes us able to be real friends. I don't know how open they are with patients because they might not be allowed to be that open with actual patients but I imagine that the atmosphere is the same so patients can really relax and feel very safe and cared for. My actual therapists are kind of like that as well even though they are nts but those kinds of therapists are few and far between and it took me going through a lot and firing a lot of therapists until I found the ones that I stuck with to be their patient. This one who is doing my assessment is just doing an assessment for me but the other two, I am actually their client. But anyone would be really lucky to have this woman and her staff as their therapist.

if only this experience could be common! I loved taking all the tests and found the results fascinating and so useful when I wanted to begin making self accommodations. Learning more about my sensory processing strengths and weaknesses really has helped me make the most of my strengths and helped me find "work arounds" for the many ways my neurology fails me. How uplifting to learn of such a positive experience "out there". May this be increased thousands of times until it becomes "the norm".

I totally agree with you. I think that no matter what your neurotype is, ND or NT, this kind of therapist would be wonderful for anyone. I am going to do a video for my channel on therapists and what I find helpful as an Autistic client. I also share all of these things with my own NT therapists and they are actually changing the way that they see and treat their other patients. I know that one of them actually shares what I teach her with the other therapists in her office so I hope that the more we openly speak about our experiences and what works, and the more we share with our own doctors and therapists, the good ones will actually respond and change and hopefully there will be a ripple effect that eventually changes everyone.

It sounds great but the skeptic in me wonders how extra sessions affects your bill.

Sounds like you found a good friend.

Yes! And I am so grateful. Friends like that are very rare indeed.

I wondered if your evaluator were Autistic.

I score high analytical and visual and lower verbal --- I thought that was more of us than not, except for MountainGoat. ---- I have an extensive vocabulary but I can't access it easily. It took me 5 minutes to spit out "paradox" a few days ago. Also trauma and panic blocks my verbal responses.

My evaluator was arrogant; it was doable but not fun in that way.

I'm glad you are having joy in your life. We need more of that!