Evaluation advice

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I haven't been here in a while, but found out some things of late that have sent me looking for an official diagnosis in the us. I have a childhood diagnosis of Pddnos, and my older sister confirmed it. Furthermore, she told me the reason I have no paper trail is because my mother burned my medical records! So, going to make an appointment, I want some advice on how to prep for the evaluation. I don't want to end up with an insane depression diagnosis or the schizophrenia diagnosis they tried to give me ( they asked me way back if I heard voices and I said yes, I'm not deaf. I realized my mistake too late ).

My advice is find someone who specializes appropriately.

I don't think anyone who thinks "yes I'm not deaf" is the same as "yes" is someone that preparation will make a difference for. But I would try to focus on other things unless they'll have that assessment in front of them. Like what you have trouble with, how far you've come etc.

I will admits. Simply said yes, the I'm not deaf was why I answered yes lol. I tend to give short answers because talking to strangers is stressful. I can't afford a private burg, so I doubly scared of this public clinic.

What exactly should I list? Should I tell them about my early dx and why I have no papers? I mean I can't remember the doctors name and me and my mother are not in speaking terms, she'd lie anyways.

I would do what you did here. "I was diagnosed with PDDNOS and need an updated evaluation to help me with_____. Then let them tell you what to do. It wouldn't hurt to add something positive as people like being part of that, along the lines of how the school psychologist or special Ed teacher or social group helped you with whatever ASD related issue they helped with. If there's anything positive you can say as to how the diagnosis helped you. I would be careful complaining it didn't, that's like asking them to look for something else. Fine if they reach the idea, but you don't want them thinking the diagnosis was unhelpful, unless it was, in which case why would you be looking to confirm, right?

But never been in your position so you might want advice from others.

I don't know how to take this literally.

When you say that you hear voices, are they coming from people, places, or things?

One of the best things I did was to read Tony Attwood's book entitled The Complete Guide To Asperger's Syndrome. I read it twice and the second time I read it I took notes on every single thing that applied to me in it. I copied and pasted the paragraphs that applied to me and wrote exactly how it applied with life experiences from my childhood as well as from the present. I also included childhood photos that were very telling showing the Aspie Stare. I had pages and pages of notes since I found, as I read the book, that most of what Tony wrote applied. This was an invaluable help in my assessment and diagnosis and they told me that even though my ASD was so blatantly obvious that they did not even have to bother testing me at all, the notes were excellent and really provided an in depth and powerful look into my life which only strengthened my diagnosis tremdendously.

Like a normal person hears voices when talked to?

I am pretty sure she means that she hears other people's voices when they are speaking out loud in a regular normal fashion just like everyone else does.

It's like in the Temple Grandin movie when the school officials were interrogating her about the squeeze machine she built and had in her room. They thought it was some kind of sexual thing. So they asked her if she liked touching herself. When they asked her they meant, does she like to masturbate. But just like the OP when asked if she heard voices, Temple had no idea what they were really asking and she just grabbed her arm and said, "Touching myself is okay." She just thought it meant like touching your arm or something in a completely pure, nonsexual and normal every day manner. But of course, the people asking totally misunderstood and took it to mean sexual touching so they took her machine away.

When the OP, as a child, was asked if she heard voices she just said yes because of course she heard voices because she is not deaf, Every time she heard another person speak she heard that person's voice. So that is where the misunderstanding happened just like it did for Temple.

I wouldn't tell the doctor that you ever had any other evaluation----I wouldn't want it to, possibly, influence the present-day evaluation. I WOULD go prepared!! If what skibum described sounds like too much work (it's worth it), I wouldn't go there without a list of my symptoms, at the very least----what skibum did, was the BEST, though.

Thank you Campin Cat

You're very welcome!! I've told you before that I'm a huge fan of yours, and with every post, I like you even more!! !

Aww, that is sweet. Thank you. I really like you too. I always look forward to that purple font!

Thank you all for the advice, I am setting an appointment today and will be working out this stuff while I wait. For evaluation day.

So glad we could help you. It can be a very stressful time. I really so much appreciate everyone who helped me as well. It helps relieve some of the anxiety when you have friends in your corner. Please let us know how it goes.