Anyone get diagnosed through NHS?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been waiting to get a formal diagnosis for a long time, but because of the expense involved haven't been able to. I'm moving to the UK this fall so will be able to use the NHS system, however my fiancé has told me that I shouldn't bother because the system is rubbish and I won't get a diagnosis.

So I was just wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with them, and how easy/hard it is?

I live in the U.K., and was diagnosed via my General Practitioner, who referred me to the local Autism Resource Centre, where I was diagnosed over a few weeks through interviews and questionnaires.

It wasn't 'rubbish', though there was no sense of urgency about it, and the subsequent support isn't really very good, to be honest. I have been trying to organise myself some counselling for what I suspect to be P.T.S.D., but have been dismissed by the Mental Health Care Trust because I have an 'open referral' to the Autism Centre, whatever that means. I asked the Autism Centre to help with this a few weeks ago, and am still awaiting a useful response.

I was diagnosed through the NHS, but it can take years, to see a psychiatrist, you GP can't diagnose you.

I am so glad to live in America. I called the psychologist, made an apointment and was seen the as soon as the doctor could see me which was a 1 month wait. He is one of the best in Western New York therefore hard to get into to see. After I saw him on a Friday he gave me my results on the following Monday. The only problem is after October I will not have insurance so I got to get stuff done before then. After October I am screwed.

I've been in the NHS system for over 1 year, I have seen a Psych nurse who say's I'm either ASD or RAD, and was referred for a full assessment, I've heard nothing for 3 months.

When your in the UK contact the National Autistic society, I had a meeting with a NAS councillor who pinpointed my AS very easily and gave me allot of useful information and future support.

I was diagnosed on the NHS, but I was only able to because I was already seeing a psychologist for depression and anxiety. Otherwise I would have needed to go private with for a diagnosis.

I got diagnosed via the NHS in Northern Ireland in April this year. That was after a failed attempt a few years previously

Todesking,
You may want to consider contacting Dept of Human Services, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. The goal of Voc Rehab is to get disabled individuals into the workforce. Voc Rehab considers Asperger's as a disability so because of your diagnosis, you are entitled to their services.

A little over 2 years ago I attended one of their open enrollment sessions and got on a waiting list. It took me 3.5 months to see a Voc Rehab counselor. I spent my own money to see a counselor that was recommended by my local Adults with AS group. For $250 that counselor wrote a letter stating that she felt I had HFA and possibly AS but I would need to get a full assessment to be sure. On the basis of the letter, the Voc Rehab counselor immediately approved funding for me to get an assessment. I had medical insurance but my insurance would not pay for an assessment. I chose a board certified neuro psychologist and my assessment cost $4,000. Voc Rehab paid for it! I was officially diagnosed with AS and HFA. I haven't seen a counselor since my diagnosis because even with insurance it would cost me (out of pocket) $70 - 100 for each visit and without a job I simply can't afford that.

After I became a client of Voc Rehab I was eligible for a free monthly public transportation pass, job placement services, and lots of other services that I'm not going to list here. Voc Rehab paid for medical services that were not covered by my insurance, such as a specialized vision exam that identified my problem with depth perception and peripheral vision. For a year I attended weekly Voc Rehab support group meetings and clients without medical insurance spoke about how Voc Rehab paid for their medical, dental, vision, and some even received computers, specialized software and other devices that would make them more employable.

Voc Rehab offered to retrain me because I am no longer employable in the field where I worked for many years, but because of my visual processing impairment, learning disabilities, and other issues, attending college is not something I feel capable of doing. As a young person school was hell for me and quite frankly, the thought of going to college as an older woman terrifies me. Voc Rehab paid for me to take a couple of Internet-based classes but that is not enough for me to start a new career.

Voc Rehab provides me job placement services but they haven't found me a job, yet. My job placement worker doesn't fully understand my limitations and has tried to force me to take positions that would have been hell for me. When I do accept a position, my job placement worker will have regular meetings with my employer to assure that accommodations have been made for me.

I have a good relationship with my Voc Rehab counselor. I don't like to talk on the phone so I send him a monthly status report via email. I fill out a simplified report form and mail it monthly. If I need something I do research, send it to him in an email and after he responds we schedule an appt to talk about my request. Sometimes I get what I want, sometimes I don't. I've been turned down a lot because the funds weren't available. Services can be limited because of funding. I learned to ask when funding will become available and make a note on my calendar, then make my requests when the money is there to pay for it. My counselor has many, many clients. He is overworked and often overwhelmed. I don't pressure him but I try to keep my name in his mind so that when he hears of a special program or service, he will contact me. Voc Rehab has been good to me.

Having lived on both sides of the 'pond' I can honestly say that I much prefer the NHS to the insurance system in the states. I had to wait a total of 3 months to see a psychiatrist, but had fantastic support from my local GP in the meantime. I'd rather have socialist health care with the option to go private than a primarily private system where the onus is on making money rather than making people better.

If you find yoursel in a job that does not offer health insurance - an increasingly common problem for professionals in America - you might reconsider your fortunes.

Trust me after October I will be without insurance but at I got my diagnosis for Aspergers done so if I have to I could get help with insurance since I am out of work and disabled......I hope.