What kinds of things to they ask at adult diagnosis?

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I just wondered what kinds of things they ask about when you're undergoing the diagnostic process.

I hate not knowing what to expect, it is stressing me out no end. I like to know what I'm in for.

Somedays I just want to cancel the whole process and forget about it all but I know that I need answers.

I never expected to dread a negative answer quite as much as I do this. Its not like I want a label, I just want an explanation.

what can I expect?

For me there was a four-hour session of filling out various multiple-choice question forms and telling stories based on pictures and sequencing pictures and doing Rorscharch or however it's spelled inkblot interpretations and mentally rotating images of blocks and giving definitions for vocabulary words and all manner of things. My parents came in too and answered questions and me too. Then a week or so later, or maybe longer, I can't remember, they sat down and she said she was so excited because she loves it when all the pieces fit together to form one big diagnosis that answers everything and that in this case it was Asperger's that would explain all my stuff.

Same... I had to do loads of intelligence testing and memory testing, and they asked me lots of questions about my past and stuff. I was supposed to bring my Mum but I was too scared so it took me a long time to do that. But tbh, they can tell a lot about the way you think from the intelligence testing. I found the assessment REALLY stressful. But after it was over, tbh things have got a bit better for me, I have a lot of extra help especially with uni and looking for jobs and stuff like that and in the end I think it was worth it. But it is seriously stressful!

same for me.
Stressful but interesting.
My parents are longer available. But my sister and my girlfriend got interviewed on the phone.


You learn about your strengths and your weakeness's. Your aptitudes and nonaptitudes.

Nothing to be afraid of.

At some points it was a bit of ego booster.
On one of the many tests he asked me "how much time does it take for light to travel from the sun to the earth". I blurted out the right answer without hesitation.
He later told me that I "was the first person" in the years hes been doing this to answer that question right.
If you're set up to take the test by all means go through with it.

I was never given any actual "tests" for Asperger's. I was simply kicked out of a home because my meltdowns had gotten really bad and left at a hospital to practically die, then suddenly after spending around a couple of weeks in a psychiatric ward I was told by a shrink I had Asperger's Disorder. Her heavy accent made it difficult for me to understand what she had just said. After she repeated it to me several times my mother and I spoke very briefly with two women from the Autistic Society, and then I was put in a horrible place where I was sick and miserable and got no help at all for a week. With some help from my mother I mostly learned about my disorder (especially females with ASD) with references from the internet that the women from the society, whom I never saw again, may gave given us.
Anyway, I sure whatever tests they give you can't be anywhere near as stressful as that.

thank you all.

I hate IQ tests as I'm dyscalculic and cant do the numbers based questions too well.

I just hate not knowing what to expect or what kinds of things they're going to ask me about

I also have a rubbish memory and they cant work out why as it used to be fantastic.

At this rate, I wouldnt be surprised if they diagnosed me as being a corpse

Do they talk to your parents separately or together with you?

I am going for a diagnosis on the 25th and am freaking out a little bit.

I have no idea. They cancelled my assessment the day before it was due to happen. Was all worked up and ready for it and then nothing.

Mine's on Monday so this will probably be a very anxious weekend.

Mine did not consist of a series of tests to fill out, but before I ever went to see the psych I dealt with two therapists (one a psychologist) who both deal with people with autism spectrum disorders and they both were pretty sure that is what I had going on and they sent me off to the the local psychiatrist who fancies himself an autism specialist. I think he was just the third opinion. He and I sat and talked for a few hours and the whole thing really stressed me out because it was a new place, new room, new person. I ripped two holes in the legs of my pants while sitting there I was so bent out of shape.

I do not remember the whole of what we discussed, but I do recall he was very interested in what I did as a child, my interests, the way I interacted with peers, my family history... he was patient and listened to me rattle on about Russian Blues for about five minutes when he asked what I liked when I was five. I know he asked questions that I thought at the time were completely random and irrelevant, but for the life of me I cannot recall what they were. I am sorry to not be more helpful. It is just a blur to me now.

I hope it goes well for you and is as low stress as it can possibly be.

i may be the only person in history to have done this, but
I went to an appointment with a new Psychiatrist and explained to him why I was convinced that apergers explained me better than any other diagnosis. I have a degree in psych so I am familiar with the diagnostic criteria, I basically to make my argument by describing (in detail) various events throughout my life that were clear examples of traits that were consistent with the diagnosis, that to me it provided an explanation as to why I score 47 on the AQ, I really didn't notice that I had been telling all of this to the wall (not even looking towards him), though it does really stand out in my mind how much he looked like Col. Curts from Apocolypse now. In the end he pretty much said, yeah I agree with you, but what do you want from me? He was expecting to be prescribing meds.
I think as an adult it is both easier and harder to get diagnosed, both because we do not fit the sterotype (i work with adults who have LFA) how could I possibly have the same dx as one of my clients, but in our favor the reality that you probably won't be looking to get state funded services, they test the s**t out of kids b/c they don't want to have to pay, lets be honest, as adults we are most often looking for answers, to understand ourselves,

So .... did you get the diagnosis?

What you did is what I've been tempted to do. I just don't know if I can take being invalidated by yet one more person because they don't have a knowledge of what autism looks like in adult women.

Sometimes, too, it would be nice to just have counseling with someone who gets it.

After my daughter was diagnosed with Classic Autism we studied Autism a lot. It was my husband who decided that I had to have Asperger's. I went to see my sons Psychiatrist who typically had younger patients but did have some adults. He specialized in Autism, ADD/ADHD and Bi Polar. My son saw him for years for his bi polar so I felt comfortable going there. My husband helped me write things down because I would have completely blanked otherwise. We talked the first time and he had me get some childhood history from my parents and I also did an IQ test where I basically aced the spatial section which is the only reason my score was high. Im terrible at math and read numbers backwards. He diagnosed me with Asperger's then due to all my symptoms (sensory, not reading body language and facial expression), the history of my childhood, my severe lack of eye contact, my anxiety, my high IQ, my odd emotions and my constant self stims. He said I was his only adult that he had diagnosed and he thought I could teach him a lot about his younger patients....so I told him that maybe he should pay me .....HA, Aspie with a quick wit!