question please help

[scotsguy80]

Hi everyone,

 

The person who is going to diagnose me for aspergers has mentioned that collateral information about me would be useful, please can anyone help me by helping me understand what collateral information about me could mean?

 

 

Thanks

[trekster]

Hi everyone,

 

The person who is going to diagnose me for aspergers has mentioned that collateral information about me would be useful, please can anyone help me by helping me understand what collateral information about me could mean?

 

 

Thanks

 

Thats a very open question and it could mean a number of things. i think they are asking for some sort of evidence that you think you have aspergers.

If you have any school reports, college reports any type of educational reports then take them with you.

 

Make sure you talk about your interests as much as you can during the assessment.

 

Alexis

[Kathryn]

I agree with Alexis, I suppose it means any additional information, especially from other people, about your background which could help them arrive at a diagnosis.

 

You could ask him/her outright what kind of information would be most useful.

 

K x

[Mandapanda]

Hi scotsguy80

 

I work in an adult mental health team, and as I understand it what the doctors mean when they say collateral information/history is they need to talk to someone who has been close to you - parent/carer/sibling - to get another point of view of your life and behaviours/difficulties/symptoms. Not because they are checking up on what you are saying but to confirm that what you think is happening is happening, and also other people sometimes notice things you don't, for instance they may identify a behaviour as 'different' whereas you only know that so feel it is 'normal' (please don't be offended by the words I use). They also may be aware of how any behaviours have impacted on your life and on people around you, and how things have affected your quality/enjoyment of life. Also the other person may know more/different things to you about your family medical/psychiatric history and any similar behaviours in other members of the family. This all gives them a fuller picture of your life and development etc. They need to try and work out whether things are happening because you have a condition/disorder, or whether it could be because of trauma/events happening during your life.

 

What they do at our place is they would talk to you on your own first - to meet you and get to know you a bit, also there may be things you want to disclose that you don't want the other person to know, and then bring in the other person to talk to. If no-one can go with you, could they write a letter providing any information?

 

Good luck, hope it goes well, whatever the outcome.

[scotsguy80]

Hi all,

 

Firstly thanks everyone who helped me answer my 1st question.

Secondly. the person who will be diagnosing me for aspergers mentioned the Scottish Governmentt diagnostic standards for ASD, do you know if it's normal practise with regards to the Scottish Govt diagnostic standards for ASD for a GP to firstly send someone to a pychiatrist regarding an adults aspergers syndrome diagnosis (even if never in someone life has any pychiatric condition has been referred or mentioned to that person)?

Edited October 12, 2009 by scotsguy80

[NobbyNobbs]

i dont know about the scottish part, but my diagnostic report stated that there was no evidence of psychosis, and spent a lot of time ruling out previously diagnosed mental health issues before stating the diagnosis, so its likely that ASD cannot be diagnosed without further investigation if there is any evidence that there is any psychiatric disorder present. i initially saw a psychiatrist through university who gave me a working diagnosis of AS, OCD, Agoropobia and depression and by the time the final report was written they'd ruled out all but AS stating the other conditions were results of the AS and not conditions in their own right. i know there are other adults on here who were first sent to a psychiatrist.

Edited October 12, 2009 by NobbyNobbs

[scotsguy80]

i dont know about the scottish part, but my diagnostic report stated that there was no evidence of psychosis, and spent a lot of time ruling out previously diagnosed mental health issues before stating the diagnosis, so its likely that ASD cannot be diagnosed without further investigation if there is any evidence that there is any psychiatric disorder present. i initially saw a psychiatrist through university who gave me a working diagnosis of AS, OCD, Agoropobia and depression and by the time the final report was written they'd ruled out all but AS stating the other conditions were results of the AS and not conditions in their own right. i know there are other adults on here who were first sent to a psychiatrist.

 

 

If I had known that my session with the pychiatrist wasn't my aspergers diagnosis I wouldn't have went to the pychiatrist's I would've cancelled my appointment.

[scotsguy80]

I was browsing through the Scottish Government's website when I came accross:-

 

"Action to improve services for people with learning disabilities, including autistic spectrum disorders" and "The Scottish Government's community care policy aims to improve the quality of life for adults who are in receipt of social and healthcare services. Policy is developed so that individual choice and control becomes a reality. In so doing, the Scottish Government works very closely with those who are responsible for shifting the balance of care so that more people are able to continue to live in their communities. Legislation, such as the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, is implemented to help identify "adults at risk", to provide support to them when they need it, and to provide the means to protect them from harm".

 

Do the scottish government think that people with aspergers need their quality of life improved?

 

[I'm Aspergers Not Stupid]

I was browsing through the Scottish Government's website when I came accross:-

 

"Action to improve services for people with learning disabilities, including autistic spectrum disorders" and "The Scottish Government's community care policy aims to improve the quality of life for adults who are in receipt of social and healthcare services. Policy is developed so that individual choice and control becomes a reality. In so doing, the Scottish Government works very closely with those who are responsible for shifting the balance of care so that more people are able to continue to live in their communities. Legislation, such as the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, is implemented to help identify "adults at risk", to provide support to them when they need it, and to provide the means to protect them from harm".

 

Do the scottish government think that people with aspergers need their quality of life improved?

 

They was talking about a lot of disabilities not just Aspergers, I wouldn't say that they're saying If you got one(or more) of the disabilities stated that you need a better quality of life. I believe its more along the lines, If your affected by any of the disabilities mentioned and you need some sort of help, that they are willing to help. I might be wrong, but personally I think because there's so many different learning disabilities to cover in this statement, maybe they they didn't want to go in to detail on how each one might effect someone, so they rounded them all up sort of speak and said "quality of life" just as a way to cover all the disabilities it concerned.

 

Hope that helps.

[scotsguy80]

the government's ideas of what is right for people might be their ideas or ideas shared by anyone but not necessarily shared by me for what is right for me I am my own person not societie's and not any government's!