first appointment today

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i'll be going to my first appoint to see about getting a diagnosis for aspergers this afternoon. i'm not certain that the person i'm seeing today is qualified to give a definitive diagnosis, as he's a mental health certified practitioner, but he can give me a referral to someone who can at his recommendation.

i'm feeling apprehension. i don't like not knowing anything about what to expect. will he lead the conversation and ask guiding questions? is it up to me to state what i'm there for and what i expect from him? is there anything i should avoid doing/saying? is there anything i should remember to say or do?

perhaps i'm overthinking, but i tend to do just that when uncertain about circumstances.

i'd be glad to get any advice, anecdotes about your own personal experience, or even a distracting joke!

Hi, I just had my first appointment with a psychologist who specializes in ASD/ADD. I had actually written a full 6 pages account of why I believe I am on the spectrum and how this is impairing me... I used this as a guideline, since the psychologist left it up to me how to proceed, but she asked many question to get to the bottom of things. I found this a highly constructive approach, as I tend to get side tracked otherwise and wanted to convey as much as possible.

At the end of the appointment, she stated that there is no doubt I am on the spectrum, apart from being very gifted. She also specializes in HSP, and said I 'lack' certain skills to be simply highly sensitive... I am supposed to take a battery of tests now, but am unsure of whether I should... they're expensive and include a number of questionnaires I have already filled out online and scored high on. She also works with a neuropsychiatrist who uses QEEG to detect abnormalities in brain waves, with the interest of establishing whether some areas of the brain work more closely together than others. This does not seem to be conclusive, however, and more appropriate for diagnosing ADD. Which does not seem to be my primary diagnosis.

I am not sure yet how I feel about all of this yet, but I do sense the first signs of peacefulness, a confirmation that I'm not crazy or disturbed, and have actually done really well, all things considered. I hope you will have a positive outcome, as in that you will sense a similar relief with whatever turns up. I also hope you will be referred to the right people to get a proper diagnosis.

All this wasn't that hard for me. I went in to be checked for ANYTHING. My mom did it as an insult to me trying to embarass me. She was going to kick me out of the house and wanted to add insult to injury by "figuring out what the f**k was wrong with me."

Then after a long bit of testing and talking the guy told me he's still refining down his opinions but he said that I could have 1 or more of these 5 pervasive developmental disorders that he listed. Then after meeting him again he was certain that I had Aspergers, social anxiety, and ODD (Opositional defiance disorder) I never had to ask him about Asperger's syndrome, I didn't even know what it was.

i'm just back from the appointment. it took the therapist about 15 minutes before he told me he'd certainly "put a stamp" on a diagnosis of aspergers if he had the credentials to do so, and wrote a referral to see a psychologist who is qualified for a formal evaluation and diagnosis.
i thought my affectations were obvious, but didn't realize how very obvious they would seem to a professional!

so, now i'll be anxious and anticipate and obsess over the next appointment, wondering if the psychologist's evaluation will be concurrent with the therapist's opinion or not.

Sounds like you want to have Aspergers... lol, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Your comment sounds really mean. Most of us don't want a label, we just want solutions for a better existence. If a label is part of that process, then maybe it's OK.

you're young. i am not, and for more years than you have been alive, i've been wondering about the differences between most of the human population and myself. at times, i've had drastic difficulties with those differences. eventually, i learned about aspergers syndrome, and noticed distinct similarities between the clinical descriptions and my personal affectations of what i suspected for nearly half the time you've been alive was because i might have aspergers. finding out today was a relief for me. i compare it to (rhetorically), believing your whole life you were different and from another planet which would explain why this world seems so difficult for you to exist on, and everyone you knew told you it was your imagination or encouraged you to attempt to fit in with the rest of the human race, only to discover after ages and ages that you were correct all along.

so, yes. knowing that it is truly aspergers does float my boat. thank you.

Well-spoken! That's how I feel about my diagnosis, too.

I agree as well that having a diagnosis, after having lived with Asperger's for my entire life is a relief, not an extra burden, trust me when I say that not knowing is a huge pain in the ass, at least now I can start learning how to cope with my differences and not be at the mercy of my personality quirks. I doubt anyone wants to have Asperger's, its something you get stuck with by simply being born with it, the only alternative is simply not existing, hopefully knowing that I have AS will lead to me living a happier and more fulfilling life.

I feel the same way. Now I know what I have and I can finally get help and strategies to help me with the things I've always struggled with in my life. I find making lists helping me with everyday things now and I'm a lot more happy in my everyday life.

Hey Makin,

I'm another late-in-life-to-be-diagnosed Aspie - I am glad for you! LM

If you think you have it and recognise the signs ,the you most probably do have it. I was diagnosed this year aged 44, I read about it, and ask ed the GP for a referral,she immediately referred me.The night before the assessment I read about the sypmtoms and knew I had it afterall, the psychiatrist assessed me for 3 hours, and week later I received the diagnosis....High Functioning Autism..Aspergers.

I was relieved to know what I had, now I feel part of a family of Aspies..it all makes sense!