Private diagnosis

[Little Boy Blue]

Could someone tell me where I might bet diagnosed for AS / ASD please? I will ask my GP for referral first but don't hold much hope. I live in N Scotland.

[Barrey]

Could someone tell me where I might bet diagnosed for AS / ASD please? I will ask my GP for referral first but don't hold much hope. I live in N Scotland.

 

Hi

 

We’re in a similar age band & I’ve just been down the assessment route. Whilst my GP was supportive, the PCT wouldn’t fund it so we went privately to Maxine Aston in Coventry because my wife wanted a diagnosis. I found the process uncomfortable & expensive. It would be better to have your GP on side, but not critical.

 

Maxine has an especial interest in supporting Aspie partners - Cassandra syndrome

 

NAS have a useful document about getting an assessment which questions whether you’d benefit depending on your circumstances. They’ve probably got a listing of local assessors.

 

A better alternative I’d suggest, is to buy Simon Baron-Cohen’s excellent book on ‘the essential difference’ which has several useful questionnaires (including the infamous eye test with poor pictures) & come to your own view

 

Above all I’d urge you to find good local support whatever you decide

 

Bon voyage……………Barrey

 

[bid]

If you contact the NAS they will give you a list of professionals in your area.

 

Bid

[baddad]

Hi

 

I found the process uncomfortable & expensive. It would be better to have your GP on side, but not critical.

 

Maxine has an especial interest in supporting Aspie partners - Cassandra syndrome

 

Hi Barrey -

I hope you don't mind these questions, but this whole 'cassandra' thing is something I find very distrurbing... How do you feel about about having a dx made by someone who has a very direct and obvious 'especial interest' in actually making a positive diagnosis? Did Maxine offer you any insight into how she compensates for this psychological conflict of interest (hers, I mean?). Did she mention whether she ever 'rejects' a diagnosis and the process informing those kinds of decisions? Don't get me wrong - I'm not making any sort of judgements about your personal situation, I'm just really curious about a situation where someone who makes their living directly from autism and relationship counselling is also directly able to 'diagnose' the very situation they advise on(?). It sounds inherently flawed to me - sort of like a barrister having the capacity to decide what constitutes a crime, identify those who have commited that crime, prosecute them and then ask for payment to defend them.

 

Little Boy Blue - For various reasons, some of them touched on above, a dx does tend to carry more weight if obtained through non-private channels. Having said that, though, for an adult who has few directly disabling issues in his/her life there is little to be gained in terms of support whoever is making the diagnosis (and scant little for those who might nbe more severely challenged).

Hope that's helpful

 

L&P

 

BD

[trekster]

http://www.autismdirectory.org.uk/Pages/Br...tus=1&hi=-1

 

For a list of the diagnostic assessment places in Scotland. There are 5 in Aberdeen City for example.

 

Alexis

[trekster]

Hi

 

We’re in a similar age band & I’ve just been down the assessment route. Whilst my GP was supportive, the PCT wouldn’t fund it so we went privately to Maxine Aston in Coventry because my wife wanted a diagnosis. I found the process uncomfortable & expensive. It would be better to have your GP on side, but not critical.

 

Maxine has an especial interest in supporting Aspie partners - Cassandra syndrome

 

Something that has disgusted many autistics including this one, as if living with an autistic would mean you became autistic. :wallbash: :wallbash:

NAS have a useful document about getting an assessment which questions whether you’d benefit depending on your circumstances. They’ve probably got a listing of local assessors.

 

Personally if someone wants to know for sure and/or is struggling in their lives they should be given the right to an assessment for ASD.

A better alternative I’d suggest, is to buy Simon Baron-Cohen’s excellent book on ‘the essential difference’ which has several useful questionnaires (including the infamous eye test with poor pictures) & come to your own view

 

Above all I’d urge you to find good local support whatever you decide

 

Bon voyage……………Barrey

 

Agreed see if you can contact your local NAS group either a social group or your local branch.

http://www.autismdirectory.org.uk/Pages/Br...tus=1&hi=-1 for social groups in your area. If the links dont work please tell the NAS so they can update their records on the site.

 

Alexis

[trekster]

for an adult who has few directly disabling issues in his/her life there is little to be gained in terms of support whoever is making the diagnosis (and scant little for those who might nbe more severely challenged).

Hope that's helpful

 

L&P

 

BD

 

i think that depends on the area you live in though. Im in North Somerset and have managed to secure a housing association flat. We did this by obtaining a carers assessment for my gran and bumping into the right social worker. She has been willing to go out of her way to keep me in my flat and i hope with the introduction of the autism strategy i will be able to improve my care plan.

 

Alexis

 

[lisad123]

I would def try GP first, from what I hear some places feel private dx does not carry as much weight and therefore are less likely to add support needed.

We didnt have any trouble with getting GP to refer but waiting lists are long and its a tough road to drive.

HTH

[Little Boy Blue]

Hi

 

We’re in a similar age band & I’ve just been down the assessment route. Whilst my GP was supportive, the PCT wouldn’t fund it so we went privately to Maxine Aston in Coventry because my wife wanted a diagnosis. I found the process uncomfortable & expensive. It would be better to have your GP on side, but not critical.

 

Maxine has an especial interest in supporting Aspie partners - Cassandra syndrome

 

NAS have a useful document about getting an assessment which questions whether you’d benefit depending on your circumstances. They’ve probably got a listing of local assessors.

 

A better alternative I’d suggest, is to buy Simon Baron-Cohen’s excellent book on ‘the essential difference’ which has several useful questionnaires (including the infamous eye test with poor pictures) & come to your own view

 

Above all I’d urge you to find good local support whatever you decide

 

Bon voyage……………Barrey

Thanks Barrey - I now know what Cassandra system and I've ordered the book too!

Edited January 5, 2010 by Little Boy Blue

[Little Boy Blue]

Thanks all for lots of good advice. There are no relevant services where I live and I may have to travel afar (as usual lol) so will contact my GP first. He's been pretty understanding in the past but I often seem to be going to him with my own diagnosis! Well, one has to quite often if one is good at internet researching....or wait forever....

 

I think I can see good reason for a proper DX - although I have to say that my sudden awareness of even self-assessed AS DX has made me feel better right away - I now know there may be a significant reason for a lifetime of problems that are possibly caused by neither myself directly, nor by poor parenting as I have long suspected. That in itself is a giant leap forward!

[Barrey]

Hi Barrey -

I hope you don't mind these questions, but this whole 'cassandra' thing is something I find very distrurbing... How do you feel about about having a dx made by someone who has a very direct and obvious 'especial interest' in actually making a positive diagnosis? Did Maxine offer you any insight into how she compensates for this psychological conflict of interest (hers, I mean?). Did she mention whether she ever 'rejects' a diagnosis and the process informing those kinds of decisions? Don't get me wrong - I'm not making any sort of judgements about your personal situation, I'm just really curious about a situation where someone who makes their living directly from autism and relationship counselling is also directly able to 'diagnose' the very situation they advise on(?). It sounds inherently flawed to me - sort of like a barrister having the capacity to decide what constitutes a crime, identify those who have commited that crime, prosecute them and then ask for payment to defend them.

 

Little Boy Blue - For various reasons, some of them touched on above, a dx does tend to carry more weight if obtained through non-private channels. Having said that, though, for an adult who has few directly disabling issues in his/her life there is little to be gained in terms of support whoever is making the diagnosis (and scant little for those who might nbe more severely challenged).

Hope that's helpful

 

L&P

 

BD

Hi

 

I think you’ve aired my concern/discomfort well.

 

Whilst I can understand that in the case of a child, the parents would need to provide the evidence; it’s unpleasant & hurtful to have your partner provide the ‘evidence’ against you.

 

Unlike other syndromes one of the ‘challenges’ of AS is the degree to which one is affected against each of the criteria. Only the emotional/eye photographs (in the essential differences book) being a wholly objective test, the rest being assessed on the basis of the assessors competence/experience.

 

Bon voyage…Barrey