Final

Hi all, I have had some progress r.e. getting a diagnosis. Previously, i had attended a screening session with an occupational therapist, who referred me to the local Aspergers and ADHD team. The "update" is that i received something from them in the post, that i was not expecting and had not heard of before. It was a questionnaire, with questions similar to those on the A.Q. test, albeit far fewer. Also, rather than answering on an agree - disagree scale, it requested examples to support my yes / no answers. I found this pretty difficult, and ended up writing in pretty much all the blank space because i couldn't think of precise enough examples for each question that would suffice on their own. Has anyone else had the same thing? If so, what happens next? how do they handle it?

My intent was to demonstrate the other extreme; so that perspective can be neutralised in some sense. What i mean is that people who suffer from insecurity and anxiety regarding their weight are not just overweight people.

Maybe a contrasting attitude will grant some perspective here... I am underweight, and always have been. It has been a consistent source of mockery and teasing for me since i was very young. When i was in middle-school (9-12 years old) my ribs and spine were very visible. It has been a source of anxiety, depression and self-loathing for a long time. The worst thing is that i get plenty of exercise, and if money and time permitted i would eat pretty much constantly; i'm always hungry, and have a ridiculously fast metabolism. Whilst some people who are worried about being overweight think that i am lucky, i feel completely the opposite. I consider overweight people the lucky ones - being able to gain and lose weight at whim seems ideal to me. When it comes to feeling disgusted by eating, perhaps the following viewpoint may be useful. Food is awesome. There is a ridiculous variety of delicious foods to sample and enjoy. This is possible for anyone, regardless of plans for weight loss or gain. Having such extensive tastebuds is one of the finest joys of being human. I'm not sure how to communicate this point properly, but to try and summarize i'm saying that there are people such as myself in the opposite boat, and also that food is to be enjoyed, not despised.

Please share the excess you're losing; for years i've been trying to gain weight, but i'm stuck at 9 stone, leaving me a good 5 points or so below a healthy BMI. I eat all day (good and bad food, but mostly good) and never gain a dot. Can see my ribs and spine, not pleasant. Very well done for your achievement though!

The worst thing to do would be to turn up expecting to fail. I find with new situations and new / unfamiliar areas of learning that a sense of arrogance really helps. Think of something that was really difficult for you to learn to do, and then look at this situation in comparison to that; it will seem like a "cake-walk".

Hi there folks, I'm brand new to the forum (this is my first post) so i'm sorry if this post is in the wrong subforum / category. I'm a 22 year-old guy, currently studying philosophy and cognitive science at university, and working at a residential care-home for severely autistic children. What brought me to the forum: Since starting work at the home, I have encountered aspergers in various ways. After learning a small amount about it, i realised that there were correlations between it and my behaviours since childhood. After realising this, i decided to research more deeply, reading various books from my employer's extensive autism library, as well as internet research and conversing with individuals diagnosed with AS. This has been over the course of the past year; this week, i went to my G.P. to ask for a referral for diagnosis myself. I had my first assessment on thursday; I saw an occupational therapist. The session i attended was considered a 'screening' session. I'm not wholly certain about the motive behind that, but i assume it is to make sure that there aren't any other glaring underlying issues i might be having that need addressing first. I was worried once she had told me she was an occupational therapist; i have read various stories where O.T.s have turned people away due to their lack of knowledge about ASDs. Fortunately, the lady who dealt with me was very understanding, and also honest enough to admit that she had little understanding of aspergers. But she said that she could see how important the diagnosis was to me, and has now referred me to the specialist team that she works with. The problem now: 7 month waiting list to see the specialists. What was the harder part for you - getting the diagnosis itself, or getting the referral in the first place?