my husband wants help with his A.S

[jonathan]

Hi

My son was diagnosed with A.S nearly 3 years ago my husband is convinced(and so am I) that he has it to, is there anywhere he can go to be diagnosed, also he would like to go and speak to someone ie: a councillor as he has alot of issues he would like help with can anyone make any suggestions we are in the northwest of england

many thanks

[chris54]

Hi there

 

Try your G.P. for a referral. As you may have picked up it can take a long time and there are not to many Serves about for adults.

I think you will find there are many of us adult who see our children diagnosed and then realise that we are affected to to some extent.

 

Me for one sees little point in a formal diagnoses other than for peace mind.

 

Good luck.

 

Chris.

[jonathan]

Hi there

 

Try your G.P. for a referral. As you may have picked up it can take a long time and there are not to many Serves about for adults.

I think you will find there are many of us adult who see our children diagnosed and then realise that we are affected to to some extent.

 

Me for one sees little point in a formal diagnoses other than for peace mind.

 

Good luck.

 

Chris.

many thank chris for taking the time to reply

[Tally]

Hi jonathan,

 

Diagnostic services for adults are woefully inadequate. It can't do any harm to try the NHS first, but your only option may well end up being seeking a private diagnosis. The NAS have a list of diagnosticians. If you contact them, be sure to mention you are seeking assessment for an adult, as many on the list are only qualified to assess children.

 

I would also consider going private for counselling, as long-term counselling is not really available on the NHS. Some counsellors offer reduced rates for people on low incomes and there are even some free counselling services. Your husband's GP might be able to give him some information about these, or at least point him in the right direction. Counsellors who specialise in ASD are extremely rare, so really it's just a case of finding the right person. It's common to have to try a few before you find someone you 'click' with, and with AS, it might take even longer, but there are good counsellors and therapists out there. A diagnosis wouldn't be necessary for counselling if you can find someone who is prepared to accept him as he is.

 

Has your husband met with any other adults with AS? He might find that sharing tips and advice might help him too. If it's not easy to find AS adults in real life, there is always the internet.

[malcolmmatthews]

I've heard of more and more adults realizing (often correctly, it seems) that the peculiar personality traits they've noticed over the years in themselvs and/or in others, may very well be Asperger's. We're going through it right now with my wife, but it's next to impossible to find someone who will diagnose an adult. The debate we're having now is whether getting an official diagnosis is worth it. Will it hurt, help, or not make any difference? My wife's afraid to know for sure. I'm leaning toward knowing, but I can see how the temporary peace of mind could lead to more frustration for both of us later down the line.

[Tally]

In my own case, the official diagnosis has been a positive thing. I still don't have any formal support, but I feel much more comfortable seeking informal support now that I can be sure that I really have AS.

[LicklePaulie]

In my own case, the official diagnosis has been a positive thing. I still don't have any formal support, but I feel much more comfortable seeking informal support now that I can be sure that I really have AS.

Ditto and amen to that! I also feel it's better to know the animal you're trying to tame (when the need arises) rather than fumbling around in the dark...

[Flora]

A very useful consequence of a dx for adults (those with 'normal' cognitive ability especially) is that it can be used as a sort of map to identify previous misterious areas of difficulty. This is how it helped me. Prior to dx I just quietly assumed that the difficulties I'd experienced all my life were due to the fact that I just simply wasn't able to function as well as other people in some areas. Now I can identify those difficulties and either work out solutions, or (more rarely) just accept that is something I can't do and avoid it like the plague. I don't advertise this to anyone around me, I just quietly work it out and decide what to do. As said I think the key here is cognitive ability and outlook. You have two choices (as an adult).... be a victim to it... or work with it. I chose the latter.

 

Flora

[Delyth]

Hi

 

My husband has an AS diagnosis and has recently received funding through the NHS for counselling with a professional qualified in AS. It was quite a lengthy process to obtain funding partly because there is no one qualified in our area - East London. We went through our GP and learning disabilities team and also used the NAS information as a guide. You can also search the British Association for Counselling register and I think there is another psychology register of practitioners that might be useful for your husband.

 

Good luck in finding someone in your area.

 

Best wishes

 

Delyth

[jonathan]

Hi

 

My husband has an AS diagnosis and has recently received funding through the NHS for counselling with a professional qualified in AS. It was quite a lengthy process to obtain funding partly because there is no one qualified in our area - East London. We went through our GP and learning disabilities team and also used the NAS information as a guide. You can also search the British Association for Counselling register and I think there is another psychology register of practitioners that might be useful for your husband.

 

Good luck in finding someone in your area.

 

Best wishes

 

Delyth

Thankyou all for reply to my question, I think I will take a look at the B.A.C.Register

many many thanks