Aspergers Syndrome - Presenting your case?

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I'd be careful with "specialists". I posted that in another thread when I joined the forum a couple of months ago: I went to see a "specialist", an "expert" psychiatrist who "specializes" in AS and Autism. He told me after one visit (!) I don't have AS because I have empathy and I'm emotional and imaginative. I think you, MrXxx were actually one of the posters who called this guy an idiot Sorry, I don't want to search for that thread now, perhaps I'm wrong. Psychiatrists just want to give you drugs and see how you react to them, whether you need them or not. I'd look for a psychologist, a PhD preferably. They seem to be more interested in understanding how you feel and what you feel and in making you feel better. I talked to one and it was like day and night compared to my conversations with my psychiatrist. I would have stopped seeing him, but I do need some anti-anxiety medications right now and psychologists can't prescribe meds. I realized recently that he has little interest in actually understanding what causes my anxiety, just throw pills at it. He also doesn't believe that I have AS so I found a Center for Autism and I'll get tested. Who knows maybe he's right after all and I have something else, but I don't like the way he is treating me. It has been over 5 years and I made no improvement and I actually got a lot worse recently.

Hi,

I have actually just been to my GP today to ask to be referred for an assessment.

Like you, I was worried about what it would be like, whether I should prepare something in writing. I've been reading up on Asperger's and certainly recognized many of the traits in myself. However, I was worried whether I would be taken seriously, or even whether I was just finding an "excuse" for the things that have led to the crisis I am currently going through in my personal life.

I also thought it could be a good idea to write things down and evaluate the evidence first of all for myself etc., but (typical for me ...) I ended up just obsessing about it and putting off actually doing it. Crucially, however I had gotten off my backside and made an appointment to see my GP for today, and despite the urge of calling it off I went ahead.

The short story is that my GP was extremely understanding and thought that there was probably a good chance that I would fall within the AS spectrum, and also agreed that it would be very useful to get a diagnosis one way or another.

Apparently there is someone around here who does specialize in adults with Asperger's, but apparently the waiting list is horrendously long (about 12 months), so as well as adding me to the waiting list she promised to look into other options. I suspect that anything on the NHS will take a long time though; perhaps I should go private - but it is a relief first of all to know that some kind of process has been started. I probably ended up forgetting many of the things that I thought might come up and be talked about, but it did not matter.

I think a lot will depend on your GP. I don't think that making a list of things can hurt, but there could be a danger of appearing to "self-diagnose" yourself, rather than just saying that this is something you have heard about, you recognize much of that in yourself, and that it would just be good to know.

One thing I did was to go back and talk about how I was as a child. (I was actually called a "little professor" by some of my teachers). I made the point that I am 95% sure that, if I was a child now living in this country, I would be considered for a possible AS diagnosis. Perhaps if you feel similarly, this could be useful?

I am not sure if this helps. The National Autistic Society Website has some excellent resources on Asperger's, on the diagnosis process etc., but I imagine you would have found this already. (Perhaps this is where you got "presenting your case" from?) They also have a help line that you can call: 0808 800 4104 , if the idea of calling someone on the phone and telling them about the situation isn't too much to face.

From my point of view, the most important thing I did was actually booking the appointment, because once I had done that, it wasn't as easy for me to put it off. If you are similar, I would say, whatever else you do, book an appointment, perhaps some time in the future, so that you know that that is when you will go.

I certainly wish you all the best of luck.

Having been through an assessment that went wrong, in which my concern that I might have Asperger's was dismissed out of hand by a psychologist with a head apparently full of stereotypes and prejudice, I now have my own answer to this question. Make a bullet list of things you think are Asperger's related. Revise it as you think of more things. Take that list in to anyone you see about the matter. If the assessment is going to be done right anyway, the list won't hurt anything. The person evaluating you will have good enough judgment to sort things out. If the person you see considers it a foregone conclusion that you're full of it and has no intention of evaluating you properly, the list won't help. But if you see someone who isn't sure about you and needs to know more about why you're concerned in order to decide whether or not to take you seriously, the list will be very helpful.

I'm making my list. I already have over twenty things on it, and I think I have at least something in enough categories that it satisfies the requirements for the range and number of types of traits a person with Asperger's has. If you're not sure what to put on the list, check out the discussions here and see what you have in common with people. If you're not sure if something applies to Asperger's, note that when you mention it on your list.

I'll be seeing my GP next week, as a post-assessment follow-up, and I'm taking my list!

Brachiosaurus - Thanks for your reply!

I'm glad that you've been able to go to your GP and that your GP feels that it will be worth looking into. What area of the UK are you living in if you dont mind me asking?

I did check the National Austistic Society site, I am considering giving the helpline a call - I've put it all off though to be honest as I've been anxious about making an appt or anything, but I feel I really should.

Your post has been really helpful though, I hope you get the answer (one way or the other).



Mindwithoutwalls - Thanks for your reply, I'm sorry to hear that your assessment didn't go well. This is a concern of mine thta I wont get taken seriously. I hope your GP will be helpful when you have your appointment next week.

That's interesting. I think it's a literal interpretation question. Maybe some extreme auties/aspies would answer "Neither. I cook on my oven"

This is probably (?) the reason they asked. . . I don't see the relevance otherwise. For instance, I very much prefer to cook with gas and my house is equipped to do so. However, if there had been an electric stove in the house when I looked at it, I still would have bought the house. And I wouldn't have been thrilled about it. . . but I would not have replaced it immediately. I'd be cooking with electric, although I'd rather use gas.

Most of the places I've lived have electric stoves, but I don't like how they respond (slowly). About ten years ago I owned a house that had an electric stove. When I got the kitchen remodeled, I replaced it with a gas range even though the electric stove was still more or less functioning. But generally I would just live with the electric until it broke. (I tend to be more rough on my possessions than the average person is, so things do inevitably, eventually break.)

IIRC, I just said to a few professionals:

'I think I have AS/HFA. What do you think?'

From there, I answered their questions, listened to their reasoning of things, and interjected with explanations here and there. It turned out that I was right in regards to an ASD. Some were quicker to come to a conclusion than others: From several minutes for some experts to several months of seeing my general psychiatrist for OCD.

Not that this thread had anything to do with stoves.

Sorry about the digression.

Just to make sure I don't get denied a proper assessment for not appearing to have adequate reason to get diagnosed, I've now constructed a list about that. I'll also take that list when I see my doctor this week. I've been following this whole process with my blog, so I'll also blog about how this appointment goes.

Perhaps not, but I think your answer would come down on the Aspie side.