Is it easy to get a diagnosis without family?

Post Reply New Topic

You've lost me Kraftie , I don't get it

You said you are a "show without a score."

You should be proud of that.

I just wish you wouldn't lament about yourself so much.

Now I get it , they are not my words in my sig , I just liked them.

I cannot hear or read the word lament with thinking about Conan the Barbaraian being asked "What is best in life?" Conan replied To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women.

You're a very associative thinker, like me.

I go off on tangents, too.

It's the literary thing to do

Is that a good thing or a bad thing , not that I care as I'm not able to change my thinking

It's a great thing....as long as you remain coherent.

Cool , I can be coherent most of the time

If you can be diagnosed without the input from family depends on the psychologist and where you go. Mine did not talk to family members, although I did quite a bit of research before I went in for the diagnosis by looking through old report cards, school records, diaries/journals, pictures/videos and talking with parents/sister etc. about what I was like as a small kid. So I had quite a bit that I could tell the psychologist, and as I was pretty thorough, I'm not sure what my family members could have added that I didn't know except for outside observation of my behavior, etc. that I might not have picked up on, and/or perceived differently (but then, my psychologist and therapist can also use their observation for that, so I don't feel that anything is invalid). If you are planning on going for an assessment without family input, I would try to collect as much information as you can about your early development and behavior before going. You can even do this without telling anyone the reason why you are asking (that's what I did....although I have now told my family about my diagnosis and their reaction was that they were not surprised).

I got my diagnosis as an adult. This is what I did. I put together all the school report cards that I could find. I made a list of traits or things that I used to do or still do from childhood to adulthood (e.g. as a teenager I used to obsessively keep and make lists of all kinds of things and have notebooks full of lists). My mother passed away so she would have been a wealth of information but I tried to write down comments she had made in the past to me that stuck (e.g. that when I hugged people I gave them an awkward bent at the hip sort of hug). My dad I sent an email to and asked him to send me any memories he had of me as a kid that he thought was odd or different. He said no and that he thought I was a beautiful and wonderful child, etc. My brother who is also my best friend (who is a doctor too) totally discounted my theory on seeking a diagnosis. He said he absolutely does NOT think so. I still made a list of stuff that he has said to me over the years (e.g. I had a habit of revealing secrets he told to me in confidence forgetting I had made such a promise in the first place and also not understanding what the big deal was anyway). My doctor then gave me a questionnaire that I filled out and then I also had my HUSBAND fill out to get his perceptions of my behaviours. We had at that point been married 5 years and were friends much longer than that. So he would be a good source.

So all of that was given to the psychologist who did the testing and everything to get the diagnosis.

Well I found my school report from when I was 7. Pretty good report. The main thing I got from it was that I had trouble listening and would often miss crucial methods/facts the teacher was explaining and as a result get some stuff wrong. I do remember sort of trailing off in my mind into my thoughts during class, is that an autistic trait? I'l try and find my grade 2-4 reports; if there's anything there it will be in those.

Yes, I think it can be an autistic trait and I think I do have the same issue. Difficulty focusing on topics that are not within your "special interest" zone is quite common.

I was diagnosed as an adult, but my parents mentioned, when I was a child, they had wondered whether I had ADD. My Asperger's diagnosis explicitly says I had no attention problems and was able to remain focused for long period of time (ie. no ADD), but I definitely do find that I miss crucial facts because my mind wanders.