Time of my evaluation approaches

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The time of my evaluation approaches quickly. It will be administered on Friday. I'm already getting a bit anxious about it; what if the diagnosis will contradict my self-diagnosis?

Whatever the results would be, I'll share them with you (if there's anybody who's interested), and I'll admit if I was wrong all along, I swear. I guess I don't trust professionals that much anyway, for reasons discussed here countless times before. Despite this, I promise I'll do everything I should in order to ensure the most sincere answers and reactions from myself and my parents, who will be there too. I want the truth, not a reflection of an image that's in my fantasy world.

I know no details of the evaluation yet, I'll see what I get from the Autism Foundation (in Hungary). I'll have to pay only a part of the total cost of such an evaluation (200 vs. 660 dollars approx.).

I've already submitted a 45 page questionnaire that my parents had to fill in that dealt with general questions about me and my childhood. I'm planning to give them the RAADS-R quiz I printed out when I took it.

So, what would you say? Feel free to comment and advise...

Good luck

You could try writing down traits then you could just hand over if you have any concerns about getting across verbally

You know your own experiences best, so go ahead and correct the psych, at length and in subatomic detail, if the psych gets anything wrong - wrong facts, wrong interpretations, etc.

I think there is much evidence around of doctors getting it wrong, so I wouldnt put so much faith in them, they are not infallible.

Do you know the cut off criteria and current government policy?

Recently a thread was started about an area in the Uk I think. Where, because of funding constraints, diagnosis were not given, when they should have been. Someone mentioned it was a post code lottery.... where your DX depended on geographical location Basically funding constraints came into the equation

I wouldnt get so hung up on what the quack says, your difficulties are real and authentic to you, and a DX is just a label for reference. I dont know anything about Hungary, but ou may get some financial assistance and medication, if thats what your wanting to gain.

Good luck OJani!

Thank you for your advices. I regard the evaluation process as an additional help in explaining myself, and if, by fortune, someone would question my diagnosis, I can wave the paper in their face, that's a good point in itself, I think.

Yes, yes... I always wondered how much room there is to influence the psychs in the direction I want. The psychs eventually would evaluate how convincing I am, not who I am. Sincerely, I'm afraid I would too much bias the process, knowing my enthusiastic nature. But, if I just talk about everything to the minutest detail until I talk their head off, they'll know what DX to give...

Did someone mention talking heads off. Hmmm I see. Tell me about your mother...

If that's what you want... Let me see... You think I would talk my head off before yours? No way!

* update after session 1 *

So, I'm not having a DX yet, it turned out to be a multi-session evaluation. The psychs (two kind middle-aged lady) told me two more sessions are needed from me (one of it is an IQ test that would focus on the pattern of subscales, not the overall tally) and one from my parents (a 2-3 hour ADI-R, they want to focus on my early years, mostly at pre-school).

I went with my parents, and although they weren't required to come (I must have misunderstood something), one of the psychs interviewed them for half an hour. They mostly asked them general questions, focusing on my childhood and the differences between me and my twin sister.

My first session took an hour. I was asked about my life, especially my childhood and years at the school, and my current problems. I told them about my problem with making relationships with the opposite gender, going in details if they asked for it. They promised they can offer help after the evaluation even for adults, I was glad to hear it. A video recording was made during the session (with my consent). They asked me if I want to give my consent for using my file for educational and research purposes. I've given my consent for this too, of course.

I gave them a two-page affix about my symptoms (mostly depicting my current ones, thanks to abc123) and the filled in RAADS-R quiz.

I think I've done well, in terms I managed to "go in the middle of the road", not showing either more or less symptoms that I usually have. I made eye-contact, but not too much, often looked away, fixating my eyes on something. I kept my hands clasped, it's natural to me. I think I spoke a bit fast but mostly understandable, sometimes tripping over or repeating words. My general impression was that they are really professionals, they know what they're doing. I'm glad that my parents did their best as well, and they finally seem to accept my somewhat odd way of getting known myself better.

I can't emphasize enough how much WP has been a great help for me in getting together the knowledge and raising the courage I have now to being able to manage the evaluation process without much anxiety and risk of letting things derail.

I'm through with the evaluation process, yet have no results... I'm sorry if I disappoint any of you. In addition, it'll be a long time until the final session on December 9, when the results will be imparted to me and my parents for further discussion. (I'm disappointed a little.)

Today I was so scatterbrained I either stayed too long at a question or was so distracted that I had to get back to one again and again... Still there could be important things left unsaid.

Somehow I get the impression that this last interview was the least useful of all. I may be wrong though, as again, I was a little bit off today...