Diagnosis

[Rosiemay]

Heyyy! Ahhh I have diagnosis in February and I’m so excited for it.
I want to prepare some notes for the meeting to make it easier to say everything I want to say. Does anyone have any tips? Like what things I could include or what I could note down? Also how did you everyone find their diagnosis? What was the process like? (If they had one) I’m anxious and excited.

 

[Outdated]

I think there are different practices in different countries. For me it was 3 hours of going through a series of tests by a panel of psychiatrists and psychologists. Mostly they just talked to me and asked me questions, and they showed me a couple of short video clips and asked me a few questions about those.

It was all very relaxed and very easy to cope with and I enjoyed it. Then they went away and conferred with each other for a little while. When they came back they told me that I was ASD2. I said "I didn't think I was that bad." and they all just smirked at me.

As for advice, just try to be yourself and allow your differences to show. Many women mask very well and because of this they get misdiagnosed. Let them see who you are.

 

[1ForAll]

Heyyy! Ahhh I have diagnosis in February and I’m so excited for it.
I want to prepare some notes for the meeting to make it easier to say everything I want to say. Does anyone have any tips? Like what things I could include or what I could note down? Also how did you everyone find their diagnosis? What was the process like? (If they had one) I’m anxious and excited.

Hello, welcome. Do you mean you have an evaluation in February? Clarification of this will help replies be more detailed and targeted. Thanks.

 

[VictorR]

The diagnostic process often varies between each practitioner. For me, there was a combination of written tests given before the interview, more written tests once there, and separate interviews with family members and then myself.

I had a copy of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome with portions applicable to me bookmarked and some notes on my relevant examples. The doctor didn't end up asking to see it, but I did send in some stories in an email following the interview, as I found that I missed some examples.

Most stories of the diagnostic process I've heard are usually one-on-one, though again, experiences vary.

 

[DaisyRose]

Congratulations! I hope everything goes well with your evaluation. I would recommend to take a small lunch or some snacks if you can. My evaluation was 4 hours long and I felt super tired and exhausted during and after the whole process.

In a short amount of time you are reliving your entire life by answering questions and taking lots of tests. I would write down all the types of symptoms you have that relate to autism such as types of stimming you do, how you process information, what your routine looks like, etc.

When I was in the process of my diagnosis I was asked a lot of questions like these. I would also recommend to answer each question as best as you can. Any answer you give is never going to be a right or wrong one. I hope this will help you prepare before your diagnosis. I wish you the best!

 

[Progster]

Mine was just one lengthy interview, in which lots of questions were asked and after about 20 minutes he said he could tell I was on the spectrum. Some of the questions were to rule out other diagnoses, I think. My mum also attended and he asked her some questions, too. I was diagnosed with Aspergers - DSM IV at that time. I thought I was a very mild case, but in the report it was 'moderate".