Social worker doesn't believe my diagnosis

Post Reply New Topic

And nothing in between ?

Most people aren't in what you'd call, the 'open to learning' bracket, which is dwarfed the other one.

If he were in the 'open' bracket, he'd have shown a bit more curiosity rather than making crass statements the way he did.

I vote 'ignorant and rigid'.

MemberSix - Obviously, the way he has behaved means that I cannot trust him, or hold much respect for his opinions. The client/professional relationship is now doomed. However, as I said in earlier posts, I have certain priorities that somewhat outstrip my need to "kick him into touch", and I am not the appropriate person to do that anyway (no matter how rational I am from this point on, if he is in the mindset that I am playing into a diagnosis, anything I say or do will only be twisted towards verifying/justifying his preconceived ideas).

Your analogy of the paraplegic really is spot on, but my response needs to be more subtle as getting into a dispute with him could potentially cost me. To answer your question, nothing gives him the right to question an official diagnosis, but he will not take this information from me alone for all the reasons I stated above. My course of action will be to contact NAS and hold a meeting with knowledgeable, independent advocates present to challenge what he said and offer re-education. If he fails to understand at that point then I will insist he steps down from his role working with me for all the reasons you yourself have said. He is lucky to even be given the chance, but it's a difficult situation. If it was as easy as me alone telling him that it is not his place to pass judgement, then that would have been the first thing I said to him after he made his comments to me.

A sincere thank you for your comment though, it both rang true and made me smile.

Kelsi - I will give him the benefit of the doubt and withhold judgement until after a meeting is held. I would be foolish to be too optimistic, though.

hi- bad luck getting this idiot in the first place. a kick is def called for! sounds like he is cofusing autism w Asperger's, anyway.

but DO BE CAREFUL!! ! anyone having an input in your housing needs can really mess things up for you, however valid and right your concerns are about them. do please tread extra carefully; even consider going to the extent of caling up annonymously and asking for advice about changing whom you see.
i am also on the housing list, and though i have anew, and seemingly nice worker, really have kicked myself everytime ive made a joke, as i have on my forms that i have bad depression. i do- but it does not stop me from making jokes. thuough it sounds really calculating and dishonest, you have to be careful to show only the needy side of yourself- anyone in the housing system is pretty much trained to turn down people on the slightest cause due to the pressures on housing. i erally dont want to scare you, but please avoid a 'i suspect this client is exaggerating their problems' statement being written about you!! !!

i have been told that though i have severe claustrophobia, and letters from my dr saying i have poor mental health, claustrophobia and spent most of my time indoors, i will initially be turned down for a one-bed flat,and will have to appeal it several times. not sure where you live, so it may not be such a severe problem for you- but do please tread carefully. i have caused myself a lot of problems with 'speaking out' against abd or just useless people in the past- nothing has changed, only i am worse off. though you should anyway get rid of this man, do go about it in the most delicate way you can.
i have often forgotten to see the bigger picture, and have suffered a lot!

Woh, I didn't even realise this idiot was a housing assessor - I'm a bit of a skimmer .... particularly of posts deficient in the use of the carriage return key.

In the light of this new info, I concur with MissLottie's comments.

The OP should have been EXTRA Aspie, taking EVERYTHING literally, stimming, no jokes, super-blank expression and shown a total lack of social nous - IOW, have REALLY played to the part.

(And when he'd gone, returned to the sauve, debonaire social butterfly he normally is).

Just jesting on that last one.

misslottie - I'm extremely sorry to hear about your awful experiences. I am very aware of your warning regards the "I suspect this client is exaggerating their problems" type statements, as that's appears to be where this man is headed. I am not too worried though, as the social worker's role is not to assess, as far as I'm aware, but simply to help me orchestrate things. I won't even be seeing him again for a long time (except now to arrange a meeting about what he said).

I have finally found some decent recognition of my difficulties, which I'm told time and time again are "unique" and that I'm "a special case" which I know to be untrue - there must be others out there in a similar situation, such as yourself. Have you tried legal aid or similar? I will be receiving daily support and adaptations to the property to compensate for my pretty severe sensory and organizational problems (appropriate lighting, sound proofing if I'm in a flat etc.). I don't think one social worker could unpick all (or any) of that, but as moving out is my biggest priority and challenge, I don't want to cause any unnecessary disruption/distraction.

Good luck with moving out and getting the support you need, try to keep the "bigger picture" in clear view at all times.

MemberSix - Haha, thank you for your concern and humorous comment. He is not a housing assessor, though, and thankfully the assessment period is now over (except that an OT will assess the actual property in relation to my needs, once I have found one). This man was to help me prepare for moving, but instead he dropped this bombshell on me in our last session. I don't want to stir up trouble for myself, especially as I won't be working with him frequently, but equally I cannot comfortably allow his inappropriate comments to pass by without correction. A balanced approach is needed. Thanks again.

That social worker is outrageous! I hope you'll say this to him: "Are you qualified to diagnose under DSM-IV-TR 299.80? No? We don't need to discuss diagnosis, then."

The *nerve* of those people, it makes me dizzy. Yours is not the first story about that sort of interference, and it's the reason that I told the psychiatrist & psychologist who were diagnosing me that "I want something like a diploma, that I can take to therapists, who won't argue with it." Could you ask whoever diagnosed you for something like that? You shouldn't have to have those kinds of conversations with the social worker at all, ever, in the first place.

He's just ignorant. Some people on the spectrum have a better, more sarcastic sense of humor than most NT's...

Yeah, you're probably right. Sometimes I try to be too 'nice' .