Autistic traits not a diagnose so why is it written all over my medical records?

[Charlie C]

I requested my medical notes from the GP surgery and among other diagnoses it says 'Autistic Traits' and was wondering what that exactly means, I'm I on the spectrum?

[Special_talent123]

It means there are traits but not enough to diagnose

[Livelife]

Seeing as the Doctors have put that on your record then I would say you are fully entitled to ask for a referral for a diagnosis of Autism. There are never two autistic people that are identical and having traits warrants a diagnosis, you can't be partially autistic you are or you are not. It's where you are on the Autistic Spectrum not if your on it so now you know I personally would ask for an assessment. I would advise anybody to contact the National Autistic Society and discuss this with them they are the best people to contact initially but for your own sanity I would advise finding out for sure if you do have autism.

[Mihaela]

I agree completely, Livelife. There's no earthly reason for a GP to note 'autistic traits' without referring you to a specialist. Very odd.

Charlie - If you have no luck with the NAS (I've rung them over 30 times and it's always engaged) try contacting Autism West Midlands. They are really helpful.

[Special_talent123]

I was told, it means that you have some triats of autism but its not enough to diagnose especially under the new criteria

[Livelife]

I was told, it means that you have some triats of autism but its not enough to diagnose especially under the new criteria

I don't like to criticise the medical profession given I have no experience but when they quote new criteria it' can originate from cost cutting rather than what benefits the patients and there needs.

You have to be careful not to appear too radical or believe conspiracy that isn't there but neither can you ignore your feelings and needs and just because it doesn't fit with a preconceived ideal of the doctor it doesn't mean that a person isn't suffering as a result of it.

You have the right to question things even of your doctor but I understand that can be difficult for a lot of people to do but do as much research as you can find as many facts as possible and try to remember it's your own health and nobody knows your needs better than you and people do need to listen. Wasn't meaning you personally just a general statement for anybody who's reading it really.

[Mihaela]

Agreed, Livelife. You may well be right, ST123, but what's the point of adding that to the notes? Who benefits from reading those words? What medical purpose do they serve?
If a professional suspects autism and records it, then surely a referral should be made to a specialist for a proper diagnostic assessment.

[Special_talent123]

mihaela u being nasty/ im saying what I was told not from me

[Livelife]

Everybody has opinions doesnt make anybody better or that one is right and one is wrong we just have our own thoughts and let others have theirs everybody is happy in that situation.

[Charlie C]

I was give the label Autistic Traits by a consultant psychiatrist specialising in ASD disorders, Among other things I also have a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder which is far more debilitating then then the Autistic Traits. Thats why I'm in the critical criteria for the LD team.

[Livelife]

I have never heard about the condition you mentioned so I googled it and the positive thing about it is that it says it's not a permanent condition and it can get better so even though it must be very debilitating it doesn't mean that you won't feel better in the future and have control over it.

No condition is pleasant though in this case knowing that must give hope I know I would feel more positive if I knew this.

Have you been officially diagnosed then as this was concluded by a autistic spectrum disorder psychiatrist?

If it wasn't concluded by having the full assessment do they intend to give you the full assessment because if they don't you could not be getting a lot of the support needed to improve the quality of your life.

[Mihaela]

mihaela u being nasty/ im saying what I was told not from me

Of course I'm not being nasty. I think you've got mixed up because of the way I put it.

 

I meant that the statement may well be right about it meaning that you "have some traits of autism but its not enough to diagnose especially under the new criteria" .

 

I was criticising the doctor; not you. That's why I carried on by saying: "what's the point of adding that to the notes? Who benefits from reading those words? What medical purpose do they serve?

If a professional suspects autism and records it, then surely a referral should be made to a specialist for a proper diagnostic assessment.

[Livelife]

I misinterprete things quite regularly and others dont always understand my meanings in what I say or do, I think we are all capable of misunderstanding things it's just apart of everybody.

[Special_talent123]

Of course I'm not being nasty. I think you've got mixed up because of the way I put it.

 

I meant that the statement may well be right about it meaning that you "have some traits of autism but its not enough to diagnose especially under the new criteria" .

 

I was criticising the doctor; not you. That's why I carried on by saying: "what's the point of adding that to the notes? Who benefits from reading those words? What medical purpose do they serve?

If a professional suspects autism and records it, then surely a referral should be made to a specialist for a proper diagnostic assessment.

 

oops sorry. I not reading things right. Not in the right frame of mind since i heard of my friend died

[Mihaela]

Don't worry. I can imagine what you're going through. Traumas can really mess us up... <'>

[Livelife]

Don't worry. I can imagine what you're going through. Traumas can really mess us up... <'>

Isn't that the truth.

[Special_talent123]

Don't worry. I can imagine what you're going through. Traumas can really mess us up... > <

 

Really hard when u known each other for 19 years and loose touch within a few years and then find out they are murdered So sad. Miss him so much. I am grieving, and need to learn to control how I am feeling recently got angry just need to learn how to manage it during the grieving process. Its a week ago yesterday when it happened.

[Mihaela]

That's really awful. I feel so sorry for you. I only wish I could help you in any way.

I became partially estranged from my brother ever since I was about 14 (due to school). He'd do anything for me and I'd see him a few times each year when with our parents, but we rarely spoke other than when discussing common interests. He went missing a few years ago, and was found unaccountably drowned in the sea - still only in his 40s. The horror of it all still lingers, and my mother lived another 7 years having to bear that loss. Only after his death did I realise that his difficulties were due to AS. We shared some common AS traits, but not others. He had bad fibromyalgia too, but I don't. He was stronger than me in many ways, and could manage without support, and my mother had planned for him to support me after she'd gone. I wasn't to be

 

I had a friend who I knew well for 17 years. We lost touch due to 'life getting in the way', and a few years ago I was shocked to read his obituary on the internet. He was only in his 40s and immediately suspected that he'd taken his own life. A year or so later I read that, yes, he had. He was well-known and well-liked, a pirate radio DJ, but I knew this was only a 'cover', for he was very lonely and depressed when not hiding behind a microphone. I feel guilty for not getting back into contact with him, and often wonder whether he'd be alive today if only I had done. Looking back, I'm pretty sure he was an Aspie, as was my mother. Neither of us ever knew why we were 'different' to most people, but now I do.

 

I lost touch with another very close friend who I only knew for four 3 years, but who had a great influence on the direction of my life. A few years ago I made an effort to find her and eventually found an old friend of hers, now a psychiatrist. He told me that she had died a month earlier. I still think about whether I should contact her children (who I knew very well).

 

I still have a very emotionally undeveloped attitude towards death - unchanged since age 12ish. Everything about it terrifies and confuses me, and I react differently to neurotypical adults. I dwell on it if I'm not constantly distracted, and I even invent OCD rituals to protect my dead family, and still can't fully believe it.

Life can be very hard and cruel, especially for some of us.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Mihaela