Autism Assessment

[Dirtdigger]

Well, I already had my Autism Assessment and am suppose to go back for a short discussion and the final results. I guess they thought I looked a bit retard too because I had to take an IQ test and I have to say I didn't particularly liked that "B" that gave it. Felt like slapping her upside her head a few times and stuffing those blocks down her throat.

Most of the questions the psychiatrist ask can be found in the self-take Autism quizzes on-line. And it didn't take me long that the on-line quizzes do a much better job at determining Autism than the Autism Expert, because these quizzes have a lot more questions. I think psychiatrist should start using these themselves.......

 

[Beverly]

Yeah, mine wasn't as extensive as I expected either, but she did interview people close to me so, I assume that was all she needed and didn't need to ask a lot of questions.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Psychiatrists can't diagnose autism can they? I got assessed by psychiatrists who then referred me on to a psychologist.

And that's weird, mine took months, not just an interview with screening questions.

 

[Dirtdigger]

Psychiatrists can't diagnose autism can they? I got assessed by psychiatrists who then referred me on to a psychologist.

And that's weird, mine took months, not just an interview with screening questions.

Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I see them all as quacks. My doc is a neuropsychologist.

You are in the UK where things are done differently. Much quicker methods have been developed to detect Autism. I don't know how old you are but if you are young it will probably take months to diagnose you especially if you didn't have a diagnoses prior and if you required some therapy. I'm 69 and always been considered a bit nutty by my family so I wouldn't even consider them. My mother tried to get me put in a mental institution because I couldn't speak when I was suppose too. However, the doc will review all of my documentation since all of his questions were already answered as well as much more. I've always been notorious for keeping documentation of my quirkiness. And I also had childhood pictures and pictures of my obsessions. So I was armed to the teeth when I went in which will make the docs job so much easier. Otherwise I would have made several trips to this doc.

Apparently it is difficult to assess people my age with Autism and that is why a neuropsychologist try to get as much information as he can from relatives. This will be my second diagnoses which I decided to get because my sensory processing issues have gotten more severe where I was constantly being harassed. This diagnosis will put me in a much better position now to get something done about bullies I still have to deal with. Though it isn't physical any more it is still name calling, picking on me and noises for the sole purpose of causing me to go into severe sensory overloads caused by a spoiled brat who is always getting into trouble with someone around the neighborhood. I have a feeling he got in some serious trouble again because I've had peace and quiet around here for little over a month now. But the noises isn't just limited to this brat. Trains cause me sensory overload sometimes when they are on the track very close to me. I live by a railroad yard which is bad enough. And I only go in Wal-Mart in the morning hours because of the intense noise as the day wears on. I have to deal with yapping dogs and loud car radios as well which all I have to do is called the polic since the city got laws for these 2 annoyances.

 

[RidingDutchman]

I got diagnosed by a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist.

I have asked about the diagnosing procedure and few possibly reassuring things.

A big part of the diagnosing procedure isn't what you answer but how you answer it. The way you speak, look, sit etc. my psychologist knows better how i feel by looking at me as I know how i feel myself.

The IQ test, I had to take a WAIS-IV IQ test. This doesn't just give you a flat IQ to see if you are smart or not but it shows discrepancies. It gives scores on vocabulary skills, practical skills, memory and some others (there are more official terms for those but I can't recall them right now. If you want me to dig up the official form, feel free to ask)

Usually all these scores should be quite similar but for me there were huge gaps in different skill sets. I scored 22 points higher in vocabulary as I did in executive functions for example.
It is not to score if you are dumb or not, but it is actually one of the more accurate ways to see if one might be on the scale or not.

 

[Dirtdigger]

I got diagnosed by a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist.

I have asked about the diagnosing procedure and few possibly reassuring things.

A big part of the diagnosing procedure isn't what you answer but how you answer it. The way you speak, look, sit etc. my psychologist knows better how i feel by looking at me as I know how i feel myself.

The IQ test, I had to take a WAIS-IV IQ test. This doesn't just give you a flat IQ to see if you are smart or not but it shows discrepancies. It gives scores on vocabulary skills, practical skills, memory and some others (there are more official terms for those but I can't recall them right now. If you want me to dig up the official form, feel free to ask)

Usually all these scores should be quite similar but for me there were huge gaps in different skill sets. I scored 22 points higher in vocabulary as I did in executive functions for example.
It is not to score if you are dumb or not, but it is actually one of the more accurate ways to see if one might be on the scale or not.

Yes, I had to take that very same test too, after the doc got done with me. And at the end of that test I was given 2 questionnaires that was about Autism as well. I hated this WAIS-IV IQ test despite her saying the same things you are about it.

 

[RidingDutchman]

Yes, I had to take that very same test too, after the doc got done with me. And at the end of that test I was given 2 questionnaires that was about Autism as well. I hated this WAIS-IV IQ test despite her saying the same things you are about it.

I don't think a diagnosing test is meant to be fun and entertaining to do. It's a bit of a chore but that really allows them to see a lot of info. I also got to see the notes my psychologist made and she was constantly checking the way I responded to certain tasks, how I answered her questions etc. I really do think it is many times more accurate as any online test because it actually involves an experienced human being "testing" the given statements and inspecting you as a human.

I made a friend of mine make a few of these autism tests online. He's quite shy and introverted but definitely not autistic. Most of the tests say he either was or highly possible that he was. Those tests just check some stereotypes, online tests don't look at the person filling in the answers. The reason some of these questions come back in official tests is just to set a baseline, an option for further questioning and to test if some of the more common traits are around that they can't see in person.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I have never been to therapy and I'm a young adult, but not a child (despite how I'm spoken to and how I look). It is the same here for anyone over 18 years of age. My first diagnosis was "query ASD" by the psychiatrists/MDT which later became Asperger's by the psychologist. The UK is probably looking at ways to reduce the time as it will reduce the cost (since the NHS pays for assessments, they want to pay as little as possible) and the years (literally) of waiting we have. Not because we're this perfect, innovating country this site has set it out to be.

 

[Progster]

Psychiatrists can't diagnose autism can they? I got assessed by psychiatrists who then referred me on to a psychologist.

And that's weird, mine took months, not just an interview with screening questions.

Yes, they can. I was diagnosed by a neuropsychiatrist in the UK, but it was a private, not an NHS diagnosis.

My assessment was similar to how the OP describes, but I wasn't given an IQ test. I was just given an interview. I wasn't asked all the questions from the AQ test, either. I wasn't given any other tests to do, but I'd done a couple of online tests including the AQ on my own and brought the results along with me. My mum also came to the interview, and she confirmed that I had the traits in childhood. I was given the diagnosis the same day, then received a written report later in the post.

 

[Dirtdigger]

Yes, they can. I was diagnosed by a neuropsychiatrist in the UK, but it was a private, not an NHS diagnosis.

My assessment was similar to how the OP describes, but I wasn't given an IQ test. I was just given an interview. I wasn't asked all the questions from the AQ test, either. I wasn't given any other tests to do, but I'd done a couple of online tests including the AQ on my own and brought the results along with me. My mum also came to the interview, and she confirmed that I had the traits in childhood. I was given the diagnosis the same day, then received a written report later in the post.

Everyone of those Autism test including the AQ always indicate Autism for me and some of my scores are really high. My problem is I look a bit retarded to people since some have made statements that I've overheard and I have a feeling that is why I was given the IQ test, just like the first time. My mom thought I was retarded too and tried to have me put in a mental institution but the IQ test didn't indicate that I had any intellectual deficits but I started school a year later because of my speech deficits. I showed my neuropsychologist my 2nd grade report card and I was 9 years old. My report card indicated I was still having some pretty serious speech deficits but have made some improvements. And I still have problems with that to this day.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Every stranger seems to assume that too. I mean they speak to me like people speak to dogs, or babies and toddlers. I can understand being mistaken for a school kid, but a baby or dog? I think I probably must come off as low IQ. That's the only explanation I can think of for how I get spoken to. I don't think it's normal to say "isn't she cute?" to a mother when referring to her adult daughter. Nor call me a good girl. I've been called a good girl more times than I can count. By different people. I can't understand it.

My IQ has never got tested, though. Just said "no evidence of low IQ" when I got tested for ASD. But then she had my report and my grades were not low or anything.

 

[Dirtdigger]

Every stranger seems to assume that too. I mean they speak to me like people speak to dogs, or babies and toddlers. I can understand being mistaken for a school kid, but a baby or dog? I think I probably must come off as low IQ. That's the only explanation I can think of for how I get spoken to. I don't think it's normal to say "isn't she cute?" to a mother when referring to her adult daughter. Nor call me a good girl. I've been called a good girl more times than I can count. By different people. I can't understand it.

My IQ has never got tested, though. Just said "no evidence of low IQ" when I got tested for ASD. But then she had my report and my grades were not low or anything.

Yes, that makes sense what you said in your last sentence. My grades were mostly low on my second grade report card. However toward the end of the semester I made only one outstanding grade which was an E (excellent) in gym. I started out rotten and then got a couple of average grades than got an E. So it may of been all of my below average grades that they determine I should have the IQ test. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Progster]

Everyone of those Autism test including the AQ always indicate Autism for me and some of my scores are really high. My problem is I look a bit retarded to people since some have made statements that I've overheard and I have a feeling that is why I was given the IQ test, just like the first time. My mom thought I was retarded too and tried to have me put in a mental institution but the IQ test didn't indicate that I had any intellectual deficits but I started school a year later because of my speech deficits. I showed my neuropsychologist my 2nd grade report card and I was 9 years old. My report card indicated I was still having some pretty serious speech deficits but have made some improvements. And I still have problems with that to this day.

Yes, unfortunately some people are extremely ignorant and think that is if someone has a speech impediment that they must be stupid. But of course that's not the case. They give the IQ test for other reasons, I think to see where your spread of cognitive abilities lies, your strengths and weaknesses. It's standard procedure to be given an IQ test as part of the assessment, and unusual not to be given one, though it's not obligatory. I don't know why I wasn't given one.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Probably cost saving.

 

[Jonathan Lees]

mine took many months and many meetings but i live in the uk where they seem to be thorough with it. i also am on occasion spoken down to like i am a child, however i seem to normally come of as having a far higher intelligence than i actually have which leads to people resenting me.

 

[marcadam]

I recently went to my GP for a referral, I initially got laughed at, but after a bit of persistence he agreed to make a referral. I got a letter from the neuropsychologist last week stating they no longer do assessments so I spoke to Autism West Midlands for advice, they kindly sent me a pack which included a leaflet and an AQ test to take to my GP, hopefully this time I'll get referred to the right service.

Reading your descriptions of the assessment I'm kinda worried, what if the doctor says I don't have aspergers? I'm concerned that I'm just a neurotic oddball, that being said I scored 42 on the AQ test and I know for a fact I'm not just shy and introverted. I mentioned it in passing to my manager and now the office have latched on to it which just adds to the anxiety. I would pay for a private assessment but I can't justify spending £600 - £2000.

 

[clg114]

Yes, unfortunately some people are extremely ignorant and think that is if someone has a speech impediment that they must be stupid. But of course that's not the case. They give the IQ test for other reasons, I think to see where your spread of cognitive abilities lies, your strengths and weaknesses. It's standard procedure to be given an IQ test as part of the assessment, and unusual not to be given one, though it's not obligatory. I don't know why I wasn't given one.

I was diagnosed with the old DSM-4. According to that criteria, a person had to have at least average intelligence to get a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. The IQ test was one of the determining factors whether the diagnosis was Asperger's or classic autism. The other factors are no impairment in cognitive or linguistic abilities . While not required for diagnosis, it is common for Aspies to be very strong in these areas.

It is unusual that you were not given a IQ test. What criteria was used for your assessment?

 

[unsurewhattoname]

UK uses ICD 10 criteria.

 

[Progster]

I was diagnosed with the old DSM-4. According to that criteria, a person had to have at least average intelligence to get a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. The IQ test was one of the determining factors whether the diagnosis was Asperger's or classic autism. The other factors are no impairment in cognitive or linguistic abilities . While not required for diagnosis, it is common for Aspies to be very strong in these areas.

It is unusual that you were not given a IQ test. What criteria was used for your assessment?

I was given the diagnosis according to the old DSM VI, too. I don't know why I wasn't given any tests - perhaps he had all the information he needed from my background information, my mum, my notes and didn't need any more information to make the diagnosis, idk.

UK uses ICD 10 criteria.

Usually, yes, but the DSM can be used. I was diagnosed in the UK with the DSM.