Preparation for first appointment

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I know there are probably dozens of such threads, even on the first page, but anyway. I think I just need to be specifically reassured.

I recently went to book an appointment to be diagnosed. To be precise, I was put on the waiting list and I should have an appointment within six weeks, but to me, that's basically the same thing. And to be even more precise, it's actually some kind of disability clinic at the university, which apparently has the ability to produce a diagnosis (I'll spare you the hours of research I did, just... they can). In any case, the first appointment is supposed to be more about screening than anything else, according to their website. However, it doesn't stop my being rather anxious about it -- not that I wasn't already even before I actually went.

I just wanted to know what kind of preparation I should do or bring to a such appointment. I don't want to influence whomever will assess my problem, I'm not there to "convince" anyone, but I don't either want to go there, sit for an hour, find nice patterns in the tiles, pay $ 30 and get out. (Figure of speech, of course : the floor is actually beige carpet )

A first solution is to try to find and organize as much "facts" as possible about the periods of my life I will have more problem recalling easily (basically childhood, etc.), ideally with a mention of how I know about it (memory? parents? pictures?) and how reliable how find these facts to be, all without discriminating in anyway between what is obviously ASD-related, what might be or not be, and what obviously isn't -- plain, objective fact-finding, as far as possible. It would allow me, on this basis, to also compare and contrast childhood experiences to more recent ones, which are easier to access. This gave rise to the predictable problem of the incredible amount of data I found and had to classify -- and that, presumably, whomever I will be meeting will have to read.

Another option would be to bring a more selective array of anecdotes and stories, but that would be obviously biased.

Also, I decided to collect completely objective data, of which there was very little. I asked people on another forum, a French-speaking board about self injury where I was an influencial member (and thus was I recognized), about how they would describe me. I got surprisingly few answers, only two, and I would say they mostly confirm my own impressions. I never talked about ASD there, so it's entirely uncontaminated data. Also, I have my full answers on the AQ test the first time I took it, with sometimes short explanations, in a .doc file I printed and gave to my psychiatrist when I was being followed for psychosis. There are also my answers to other tests for several disorders. This was all before I knew much about ASD -- I just filled out most tests I found online and put the results if I thought the questions insightful. Actually, I was more suspecting I had something along the lines of schizoid personnality disorder, though I see right now that it never really fitted me at all.

So... what should I do? What did you do? Am I too obsessed with avoiding any kind of confirmation bias to set in the process?

I didn't prepare much of anything beforehand. I just behaved naturally and answered the questions and took the tests and filled out the questionnaires. My mother provided my childhood history, so I didn't have to prepare much for that either. The psychs take into account both the information about yourself from yourself and others and eggsacly how you behave in front of them, so I don't think that it is very easy to bias them towards an ASD diagnosis. I don't think that you need to worry too much about the confirmation bias.

Edit to add: If they say anything incorrect about ASD or yourself during the screening or later appointments, make sure to correct them at length in minute detail, if you feel like doing that and can do that. Don't let them get away with errors during your evaluation. When they make one, let them know as soon as possible.

concur with above. underdo it. Don't invest a whole lot and then be disappointed when person doesn't know much about the spectrum, is rushed, or whatever.

Or, prepare if you're inspired and want to do it anyway. But then take break last week to give self a little distance

Oh, you made me think about something I had forgetten.

I'd rather avoid bringing my parents in the process because... well, I don't want to. They can be quite excessive about these things. When I was admitted at that psychosis clinic, they started lecturing me about how their life had been until then, how they "understood" me better and my life and the past X years, how they blahblahblah, basically unloading vast amounts of complete non-sense on me, and I think once is enough. I'm actually rather secretive with them on the whole and generally avoid giving them unnecessary information. It just encourages them, and it's rather tedious after a while.

Yes, my parents (still!) are kind of overbearing. And my Dad is a huge giver of advice.

What if you let them run one behind the curve so to speak?

For example, maybe first tell them that you think Asperger's is kind of a neat diagnosis with some pluses and minuses, and are even wondering if it might describe you.

Then, on a later occasion, tell them that you went ahead and went in for a consult (even if you are obviously aspie, you may not get the diagnosis because some mental health people just aren't that good. Some are good but it might take a little shopping around)