A former teacher of mine suggested to me today that I could try telling my psychiatrist--the one who prescribes my meds--about my idea that I have Asperger's. She thinks that it's possible he could make the diagnosis himself--is this accurate?
For a while, I've been under the impression that you need to see an autism expert to get an official diagnosis, and this is expensive and so forth. But if a psychiatrist can make the diagnosis, I don't see any extra expense.
Perhaps I am confused here. Am I looking at two different things? How is a formal diagnosis different from an informal?
This idea was brought up as a possible way to help me get medical insurance, which I badly need at the moment, and this teacher thinks if I get the DX I could get SS, and get insurance through that route.
Anyone?
Yeah...I do have disability from my AS and from the psych issues I have as a result...so I would like to use it on my SSI application. But for me the Dx would mostly be validation that all the stuff that happened to me wasn't really my fault.
But anyway...at first my psychologist was like "Well you have the thought patterns...but you don't look like Dr. Spock..." to "Well...yeah"
I wanted the "official" eval but he doesn't think that would really be necessary...I guess not since he'd be qualified to write out the officical Dx since it's in the DSM.
It's a very individual thing...I heard how it could be used against me...for health insurance...for jobs...and for future psychs who don't believe it exists...
Batman, yup a think a psychiatrist can. My kid went (once) becasue school wanted him to (anxiety broought on by them being ****h*les) without empathy or compassion) he brought (the Dr.) OCd on his paper and then the school added OCd to ds's long list of Dx's... he was the Dr. ds saw a few days before the official DX of aspergers was "accepted' by the school. I think it may have taken 2 for the school to agree. in his case a developmental pediatrician..
oops, he WROTE OCD and ASP - DSM IV on his paper... Pm me if you want.
The final diagnosis my husband received was from the psychiatrist. He saw the specialist first, who is a licensed social worker, and then saw the psychiatrist to confirm everything. So I think you could get a diagnosis from your psychiatrist.
Well I'm in the UK but it was a psychologist that gave me my DX.
It might vary from country to country, but I'm pretty sure a psychiatrist would be the surest bet towards an official diagnosis. At least that's how I got myself covered. No idea about insurance and similar things though, that one I'm sure would vary much more with national borders.
As a word of advice, do present your case forcefully. Be careful not to present a distorted image, of course, but I've seen a psychiatrist misdiagnose my ADHD just because I got too distracted to tell him he's overlooked the possibility (and then my 15 minutes were up). Next time, after a long series of questionnaires and discussions (with a different psychiatrist
), I'm officially diagnosed (sought ADHD, but got my semi-official AS diagnosis upped to official too).
The best of luck.
I'm a bit confused as to why, at least more recently, I was under the impression one needs to see a specialist to get the DX, and that there's a lot of expense involved in that...
Hmph...
Maybe it's the "referral to a specialist" that's pretty common (but not ubiquitous), and that's where I misconstrued things...?
I think it might be because books and websites advise you to go to a specialist because they "know better what to look for"?
Yeah, especially since many people aren't used to seeing autistic adults, and some wouldn't give the Asperger diagnosis to an adult.
I'm a bit confused as to why, at least more recently, I was under the impression one needs to see a specialist to get the DX, and that there's a lot of expense involved in that...
Hmph...
Maybe it's the "referral to a specialist" that's pretty common (but not ubiquitous), and that's where I misconstrued things...?
I think that it is because we all hear more about young children being diagnosed and a pediatrician refers one to a specialist - and there may or may not be insurance reasons for following that path.
It depends on the age of the person seeking a diagnosis... For school age the schools first try "learning specialists" . These supposed "professionals" might prove to be useless in getting an autie/aspie Dx. They are always focusing on specific learning disabilities and ADHD and anxiety and they don't really care for any follow up, people are just piles of paperwork. They refer you to other doctors (this is all just in my opinion only) and tell you to ask for drugs not answers - because they can't help you and they think it is your fault and only medication will help.
I think psychologsts and social workers are closer to real understanding and know which final doctor may or may not be needed for the final stamp - but they work with people in reality and know alot more real life autistics... particularly when people are older and naturally more complex.
I went to a neuropsychologist and it did cost a bunch. A psychiatrist has better credentials, with the MD and the psych specialization, but is a generalist who may have never seen an autist or an Aspie. But it does seem that if you want a diagnosis, this could work. If the psychiatrist has never diagnosed anyone with this before, do you want to be his first?
Don't know if my psych has worked with Aspies before...I'm guessing not after his Spock comment
But I told him that I can't afford neuropsych...I don't think my insurance even covers it.
I went to a neuropsychologist and it did cost a bunch. A psychiatrist has better credentials, with the MD and the psych specialization, but is a generalist who may have never seen an autist or an Aspie. But it does seem that if you want a diagnosis, this could work. If the psychiatrist has never diagnosed anyone with this before, do you want to be his first?
Why would it matter if I was his first, or not?
Don't know if my psych has worked with Aspies before...I'm guessing not after his Spock comment
But I told him that I can't afford neuropsych...I don't think my insurance even covers it.
Yeah, I can't afford neuropsych or an expensive referral to an autism specialist. And this psychiatrist knows I don't have good insurance.
So then I'm wondering if it would be wrong to essentially "ask for the diagnosis" from him...