Aspies For Freedom

I'm self diagnosed, but my mother has asked me to be properly diagnosed, cuz then I could qualify for more support. I've agreed, as long as it's my doctor that does it (I don't trust any other doctors but him; I also have the same dentist that I've had for years, even tho the surgery is about 10 miles away) but I'm nervous, cuz I don't know what a professional diagnosis will entail, also what will this mean for me? I don't want to tell people at work in case they treat me different.

Good luck!
I personally have had good experiences with telling people about the diagnosis.I also get to inform people in long sentences without interuption,witch is fun

You can have a diagnosis & not inform your employer, but it does depend upon who your employer is.

The support thing is good & there is a lot of support out there ( If you know how to find it ),Legally you would be classed as 'Disabled' & that can also benefit you ( it should be private & confidential ). I get quite a lot of help for my younger son 17 years., more educational & financial, but there is other help if I wanted it.

I don't think a GP can diagnose Asperger's, at least not in the US anyway (where I'm at.)  I've been told by some on this board that not even a psychologist (who doesn't also specialize in autism) can make an AS diagnosis, in our country.

I'm English. And maybe he'll just arrange the diagnosis.

I think any psychologist (in the USA) can make the diagnosis, but it won't necessarily be accurate!!   Since autism and Asperger Syndrome are both in the DSM, I think many psychologists can make that diagnosis as well as any other, such as depression, OCD, etc.  But without actual experience diagnosing AS, especially in adults, I think it is likely that a misdiagnosis will occur.  I remember another thread where many people were writing how their inexperienced shrinks were saying that, for example, a married person with a college degree could not possibly have AS, when we know that is just plain wrong.

I hope that there are more experienced people working in the UK!  If you can get to Simon Baron-Cohen's clinic, all the better.

I saw a psychologist who said he would send me a certificate. My doctor had referred me to the psychologist so that I could be referred to someone else (it has to go via a psychologist for funding reasons). I think the psychologist realized after the appointment that he was not qualified to ‘send me a certificate’ because he then asked me to go and see the person my doctor recommended in the first place and I have been waiting ages for an appointment.

As you live here in England, I recommend you read the following leaflets:

http://www.drc-gb.org/library/publicatio..._disa.aspx

EMP7 and EMP13 have some relevant information in. The ICO (Information Commissioners Office) can advise you on the DPA (Data Protection Act) and the DRC (Disability Rights Commission) can advise you on the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act). The DRC will become part of the CEHR soon but the same advisors should still be available to advise on the DDA or so I am told.

In this circumstance, if you do tell your employer, you can ask that the information is only given to anybody on a need to know basis, and most of your colleagues do not need to know. In an employment situation it is possibly better to tell them that you believe you are covered under the DDA so that they know you have the extra rights it provides (even though we usually prefer not to think of AS as a disability).

I personally think it would be better if everybody who had AS told their employer. This is because if people only tell their employer when they have severe problems, it might lead employers and the general population to believe that AS only leads to problems and that could support the negative attitudes that we are trying to conquer.

Interesting, then, that my last shrink (who I had seen for 2 years, on and off) never mentioned Asperger's to me, despite the influx of recognition AS has been getting in the last few years.

I wonder why.  Unless maybe he doesn't deal with enough AS patients to see the full range of it.

OK, I went to see the doctor today and he's going to refer me. It'll probably take about 9 months tho; and my mum will come with me, cuz I dislike and distrust psychiatrists and most other doctors.

With a fair amount of justification I imagine.

Correct. When I was a teenager, this psychiatrist said I had a severe personality disorder. Back then, AS wasn't discovered. The woman was a bitch; she was acting like I was a mental case, which really got on my nerves. I had a better psychiatrist after that, but the damage was done.

Unfortunately, the damage is always done.

Earlier this year, I was considering the prospect of getting tested.  I decided against it because 1) I don't trust the information to remain confidential (insiders, hacks, data brokers, etc.), and 2) I don't need any of the benefits.  Your situation might be different.

Since it's going to be several months before you can get tested, you might want to take that time to weigh the disadvantages against the advantages.  A few people here have shared stories of getting screwed over (in matters of employment, insurance, child custody, etc.) because they've got a diagnosis.