Aspies For Freedom

How long does it all take, those of you who have had a diagnosis?

I went to the doctor a week last tuesday imagining i'd just get a yes or no from the receptionist or something naively convenient like that. I hadn't anticipated that it may take months, or even months and months. It wasn't till last tuesday i got to see the gp and now i'm still waiting for a letter of an appointment with a psychologist. Any ideas how long i should expect to wait for an appointment and then what that procedure entails? I remember when I saw counsellors years ago it always involved going away and making notes of things to bring back. Is this similar and over a number of meetings over a number of weeks or is it a bit more immediate than that.

I'm also interested, I should be starting my diagnosis next week and I'm also in the UK.

As a 13 year old back then I think it was three visits at the shrink. In which I got numeroud tests like IQ, math, talking about how life has been and other some theory of mind tests.

I referred myself so I can't help you there... but it can take a good while depending on who he referred you to. My GP once asked the consultant psychiatrist in our district about adult AS and ADD and it took about a month to get back to me. Btw the consultant shrink doesn't even believe in ADD and AS in adulthood...

Anyway, if this doesn't actually work out (i.e. if they just go "Adults don't get AS!" etc.) you can always Email the NAS helpline and ask for a list of diagnosticians in your area. autismhelpline@nas.org.uk

Some points about diagnosis that might help (print out) at the appointment: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1045

it all sounds like too much trouble to go through, does an official diagnosis even serve any practical purpose?

for me knowing whether i have this or not would just be an interesting fact, but not much more.

It depends where you live and what problems you face in daily life.

I live in UK. The clinic I have been referred to says the waiting time for an appointment is 'upto four months'. I had to fill in three questionaires and my mother had to fill in one. I sent them of last week. The assessment at the clinic can last 'upto three hours' and they will tell me the outcome on the assessment day 'if appropriate'.

I'm also in the UK, if you are diagnosed with AS you can claim disability benefits I think.

DLA is more about the level of support you actually require (regardless of a specific diagnosis) and the amount you spend more because of it. For example if you need someone to go with you on public transport and that means they spend money on tickets, or if you need equipment etc.

One of my teachers works with an AS child and she wants me to bring in more information for her to look over with me to see how we can work better with me at college. She mentioned that equipment like laptops helps, It would be a god send for me to have a laptop I write like a 6 year old.

Yes that's exactly the kind of thing they do support. If you can get the teacher to support the DLA application (a short note or something) that might help.

I would probably get back into doing college work again.

This is correct. You get disability rights at work if it is know you suffer mental health problems. You can also claim if you can prove you are unable to live by yourself due to mental illness. I don't know if people with AS consider themselves as mentally ill or not. I certainly consider the OCD and anxiety I suffer  ( and possible AS ) as a mental illness. It has had the effect of making my employers see me more as exceptional rather than lazy. They now understand how hard and what an achievment it is for me to get through the average day.