Autism

Has anyone pursued a diagnosis as an adult? What were your experiences? Did you do it privately?

Feel free to PM me if you'd rather have the convo in private.

Thank you

 

I didn't but the doctor who diagnosed my kids suggested I should.

The reason I didn't was because I took the view that at 30+ years old there was probably little point. Now, rattling towards my 50s, I think I might have been able to save myself a lot of mental health issues if I had.

 

I'm 42 and a mental health nurse, but until recently didn't know a great deal about autism. I had a go at the tests the educational psychologists use at work and found that whilst i was on the milder side my masking scores were really high, indicating a "strong probability".

 

I did actually mention it to my GP when the specialist first mentioned it - his response was to ask if I'd held a job for more than two years at a time and given that I had there was no way in his opinion I could be on the spectrum or worth looking into. Very old fashioned opinion.

 

Are there adjustments you need making at work?

 

I believe a lot of people are on the autistic scale and don't realise.
A better understanding of autism for everyone would be go a long way to improving how people communicate and tolerate each other.

 

Maybe Maybe just some understanding from my boss if something in particular is difficult more than anything. My boss is ace though, don't get me wrong.

 

My friend managed it recently. NHS I think, but I'm fairly sure it took him a good few years and a lot of tenacity/pushing!

 

Yeah im not really wanting to wait, thinking about private as it will help my son if he has it too.

 

I don't think there is any need to be diagnosed or labelled. There isn't a cure or tablets to make it better its a way of life and it needs personal understanding and support of others.
Plenty of info available.

 

You don't lack empathy and are a very caring person. You don't get hung up on one particular thing either. I'd be shocked if you were autistic mate.

 

I think its more about understanding myself than anything else.

 

Thanks but just because I might be high functioning doesn't necessarily mean I would lack empathy or care for others.

There are tonnes of things that point to autism and Im more than ok with that if that is what it is.

 

You made a step forward in identifying the possibility and remember all the greats of this world will have had high functioning autism.

 

I think more people are on the spectrum than we realise, didn't understand any of it tbh until the school flagged it up with our little lad ( we had an idea but didn't want to be them parents who go to school saying there little darling is autistic with no proof / diagnosis) we're into year 2 now and just had the education psychologist do there bits, it was frustrating before we knew, but with meetings and understanding how there minds work everything fell into place, I was ( and ashamed of it) one of those adults who say " he's ok, just naughty, I understand some can't help it, I also know not all naughty kids are autistic and there are still naughty kids out there. If Blake as on is mind on doing something he goes on and on until he's done it ( it could be something as just going in the garden and jumping on his trampoline) he may go out, jump on it for 5 seconds then get off, then it's fine, he's forgotten about it and had is release, there appears to be more of it now than years ago, I know it wasn't diagnosed then but there appeared less " Naughty" kids about then, there is no specific reason given as to why kids and adults have autism ( generally) for me I think the modern age we live may have a impact, mobiles, Internet, fast/ processed food, I maybe so far off but it's just my opinion

 

I'm pretty sure my daughter is - she has all the signs but we've never pursued a diagnosis. She has developed her coping strategies which work for her - she must be doing something right as she has just got a first class degree in Buisness management and marketing!

I think we all have the odd traits as well

 

I have an Asperger’s diagnosis that I don’t really agree with. Something I didn’t realise when I was diagnosed was the common misunderstanding between autism and ADHD. A lot of the symptoms are similar (fixations, struggle to listen, etc). So may be worth looking at ADHD too.

The litmus test in my experience is timekeeping and whether you complete or put off tasks you don’t enjoy. Mild Autistic people usually keep time well and generally (begrudgingly) do more day to day things they need to do. ADHD people will often forget to put their bins out, put off simple phone calls ie to doctor, hand work in late etc.

I’m pursuing ADHD diagnosis now to replace the autism on my file

 

It's possible to have both @Gravy Chips .

 

Yep!