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Diagnostic Assesment Was Pathetic

allan619

Well-Known Member
So I just got home from having my diagnostic assessment (NHS Scotland). I have to say my expectations were not particularly high given the fact that I was told that it would only last 90 minutes. The person giving me the assessment asked very basic questions about my childhood nothing that seemed pertinent to autism.

I don't want to sound arrogant, but he really didn't seem to be in control of the interview, he seemed nervous, he stumbled over his words. He kept over explaining how the assessment should work and kept talking about "corroborative evidence". When I pointed out to him, what I thought was obvious, that I was here alone and hadn't brought anybody with me to corroborate my experiences, he just ignored it and continued with the assessment. If corroborative evidence is so important why did he continue, why not end the assessment their. At the end of the assessment he said it was a mistake for me to come alone and I should have brought my mum with me. The letter and info pack that they sent me said it was important to have someone else there but if they couldn’t make it then the assessment would still go ahead. But it seems that from what he told me that it is impossible to make a diagnosis if you attend alone.

It was a good 30 minutes into the assessment before he actually asked anything of substance, he also wasted time getting details like my mum and dads name and ages, my sisters ages, what they did for a living and whether they were married and had kids. I wouldn't have minded these questions but we only had 90 minutes.

When he finally did get started he asked questions like "What was an average day in primary school like?" It was at this point that I told him that I had a very poor memory and struggled to recall that far back. A classic Asppy sign I thought, apparently not, according to him Asppies having short term memory problems is a myth. We spoke a little about my family after I told him that I could see traits in my mums side of the family, he only wanted to talk about my mum though, nobody else, I think he was unconvinced. We spoke about hobbies a little. He also seemed unconvinced. I got the distinct feeling that he was looking for a stereotypical, Sheldon Cooper, Asspy. Im 34, if I have ASD, it's not going to be obvious.

As we got toward the end of the assessment he told me that because I have such a poor recollection of my childhood that he could not give me a diagnosis either way. He essentially cancelled the assessment and referred me back to my GP to have some sort of memory test. What frustrates me the most is that I have been writing down my experiences and memories ever since I first suspected I was on the spectrum and brought it all with me, nearly 10000 words. He read it all but after he read it we didn’t really discuss anything that I had written about. I just tried to answer his silly basic questions. After he realised I had a poor memory he just wouldn’t let it go.

I waited 9 months for this test, I don't think I'll be going back.
 
That is very sad to hear. :(
I thought my ASD assessment was brief and shallow; but yours takes the award.
I got my diagnosis without having to bring anyone to the assessment, so there's something wrong there. Not sure how anyone else would be able to corroborate the story of my own internal experience anyway!
I can't see how your parents and sisters' ages and occupations can affect your having an ASD, or be relevant in any way.
Was there not even a frog story or shape puzzle? :eek:
 
Im sorry things went this far sideways . To me it looks like you got a BAD tester on said persons BAD day and what you should do is demand for a second diagnostic assessment with another doc

Reg said statement from said doc that Aspies dont have a short term memory Individuals with autism both have specific difficulties with memory and memorystrengths. Memory difficulty is not part of the diagnostic criteria for autismspectrum disorder (ASD), but it is a common difficulty experienced by many individuals with this diagnosis.

The general diagnostic criterias in DSM 5 for especially ASD have actually becomed harsher due to it was to soft in previous versions & to many were wrongly diagnosed + How on earth its meant for them to conclude this in 90 Minutes is beyound me :confused: EVERY diagnose evaluation i have taken has takend a WHOLE day ( due to distance what usely is spread out during longer period we had to compress it to one day in my case)
 
A classic Asppy sign I thought, apparently not, according to him Asppies having short term memory problems is a myth

Remembering your childhood is long-term memory, not short-term memory.

Some ASDers have incredible difficulty with short-term memory, part of executive function. It is not a core symptom of autism, but it is not uncommon.

It is important for them to know about your early childhood, because autism is a developmental disorder, so if you can't remember anything that's a problem. They need some evidence that your problems started at an early age, and some clinicians won't take your word alone even if you have an excellent memory because not everyone does (memories can become altered over time, many people misremember things -- the memories become sort of fuzzy and their brain just fills in the blanks with likely things, twisting the memory so it is no longer accurate....sometimes memories get blurred together, too, especially if they are of similar things). Sometimes school records can help with this if you don't want to/can't get family involved.

I'm sorry that your assessment went badly :(
 
My assessment took just over 6 hours. I had a "meet and greet" appointment before that to get introduced to the psychometrician.

I think that you might need to be patient. Talk to your GP and give him your honest opinion of what took place and maybe ask for a referral to a different person. I would suggest going along with any testing of your memory because there could be useful information there even if it turns out to be irrelevant to your major concerns. Diagnosing adults with ASD is not easy and I think some people in the "industry" struggle to understand how to tackle that.

Also remember that psychologists and psychometricians are humans. Maybe the person testing you was having a really bad day. Maybe the person testing you is on the spectrum. Ideally, that would not impact a client, and it is not fair to you, but when I get frustrated with people I try to remember that. Sort of a mantra so that I do not hit people or say what I am thinking.

I hope that you find a resolution, and I am sorry that this went poorly.
 
Sorry that your diagnostic didn't go well... But it might be worth looking into getting a private assessment done... I did mine with a private psychologist and he asked me to bring someone with me - I brought my partner. It lasted about an hour and a half. While there didn't seem to be a questionnaire as such, the doctor asked my partner questions on how I react to things and deal with other people. My childhood wasn't brought into it at all, which I suppose is strange, but I do actually remember quite a lot of it. Even as far back as being a toddler.
 
This whole experience has actually put me of seeking a formal diagnosis. How do people, who can relate to so many ASD traits, but not enough to be diagnosed cope with being told they do not have ASD. I don't think I mentally prepared myself to be told you're technically an NT. I've spend the last two years thinking about this, reading about it, it never really crossed my mind that the doctor might not agree. I know it's a cliche but my life makes so much sense through the lense of ASD, to be told I don't have it would seem cruel.
 
This whole experience has actually put me of seeking a formal diagnosis. How do people, who can relate to so many ASD traits, but not enough to be diagnosed cope with being told they do not have ASD. I don't think I mentally prepared myself to be told you're technically an NT. I've spend the last two years thinking about this, reading about it, it never really crossed my mind that the doctor might not agree. I know it's a cliche but my life makes so much sense through the lense of ASD, to be told I don't have it would seem cruel.

You said he couldn't say either way. Did someone else say that you don't have ASD and that you're technically an NT?

Why is it cliche to identify with ASD? :eek:
 
Yeah you're right he didn't diagnose me either way, but in my own mind I thought the diagnosis was going to be easy. Now I'm worried that I won't be able to handle being told I don't have it.
The cliche is "seeing through an Asspy lense" not actually identifying as ASD. Or maybe I don't know what a cliche is. :confused:
 
This whole experience has actually put me of seeking a formal diagnosis. How do people, who can relate to so many ASD traits, but not enough to be diagnosed cope with being told they do not have ASD. I don't think I mentally prepared myself to be told you're technically an NT. I've spend the last two years thinking about this, reading about it, it never really crossed my mind that the doctor might not agree. I know it's a cliche but my life makes so much sense through the lense of ASD, to be told I don't have it would seem cruel.

Im sorry to read this. As far as i can see they havent said youre a NT only they need more testing and confirmation of youre childhood from for example youre mom. What i CAN say is IF they dident suspected some cind of diagnose (be it ASD or ADHD etc.... ) they wouldn't send you back to youre GP and take this memory test.

Further more im afraid that you somehow have becomed to stuck with the possibility of YES i have ASD. You might just as well have any other Neoro Psychological diagnosis or multiple like me. Or indeed non at all and in that case i would kiss my lucky star to be honest, i wouldn't wish this or any other of my diagnosis on my worst enemy.

Btw they dident find my ASD until i was 30 and i had it since birth. As the other diagnosis you HAVE to try to have some patience,this IS a LONG complicated road to travel
 
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All im saying is that at this point, after my experience today, I think I'd rather live with no diagnosis than a bad diagnosis, thats all.
 
There's no doubt that your experience was unpleasant and unnecessarily so. Tell your GP of your experiences, make them aware of it's inadequacy and it's emotional effect on you.
In essence it sounds like you were being assessed by someone who only really knows how to do so for children.
Please don't lose heart.
 
You wrote so clearly about what happened I think I understood it well. I am sorry you had a poor assessment, which I certainly think this was. I think you were right to expect something better. My assessment was about 15 hours over three months. It was quite elaborate and I thought well done. I think you should have someone give your assessment the attention it deserves.

As regards memory, I have a very poor working memory, a problem all my life. For some reason acronyms stay in my memory easily as well as most of the science and engineering I have learned. I have forgotten my address, age, last name, phone number and most of the time, whether I have eaten or used the bathroom.

I hope you are able to find someone better for your diagnosis. Thank you for explaining so well what yours was like. It was easy for me to understand.
 
Yeah you're right he didn't diagnose me either way, but in my own mind I thought the diagnosis was going to be easy. Now I'm worried that I won't be able to handle being told I don't have it.
The cliche is "seeing through an Asspy lense" not actually identifying as ASD. Or maybe I don't know what a cliche is. :confused:

I think you're using "cliche" right, I just never thought of that as one, but it could be, I'm not the cliche king! I'm king of lots of things but not cliches. :D

(ducks ;))
 
You said he couldn't say either way. Did someone else say that you don't have ASD and that you're technically an NT?

Why is it cliche to identify with ASD? :eek:
Good question, Fino. (Hi Buddy!)

The "therapist" that I just quit, asked why the dx was "important" to me.
:neutral:
I explained that it would be beneficial for me to meet people with the same experience(s). The same condition(s). That I could learn from them. However, I cannot join any autism support groups without a dx(I've tried).

I also explained that there were several more "practical" reasons.
I intend to return to school, and I would like to be eligible for any aid that the school's support staff could provide.

I explained as well, that I had several comorbidities, and that if I wished for treatment or therapy, it would be more appropriate if I had a dx to tailor the appropriate course of action or method(s).

We spoke for a few more minutes, and she asked me why I "wanted" the dx.
:emojiconfused:
I reiterated the above, and told her that in addition, it would provide a foundation of information that could help, and empower me.
We spoke a while longer, and she asked me
what it would "change" if I had the dx.
:worried:
I explained all of the above, and told her that it could help to change the way that I made "life decisions", as my life hasn't been so great, so far, and it is apparent that I have made every decision in life thus far, through the lens of ASD. That if I knew for certain, I could begin to use tools and methods for coping that other "ASD's" do, and know that they were appropriate, not just doing anything, willy-nilly, differently.
I told her of my crushing loneliness and my difficulty interacting with others, and that I would feel more comfortable and welcome, with others with a similar background and difficulties.

We spoke a while longer, and she asked what I would do "differently" if I had the dx.
:rage:
I'll stop there, as if I describe further the interaction, I may say something I'll regret.

Now, I try very hard, to give people the benefit of the doubt.
But, when I ask anyone, repeatedly, for help and assistance, especially if they've been to school for it, and I describe fully why, and they continue to question, as if I had an ulterior motive for desiring a dx, I get the feeling that they never really gave a shot about me, anyway.

If I don't get that dx, I'll never be able to infiltrate and destroy some organization
that helps those with ASD. (Now, doesn't that just sound stupider'n hell?)

This entire system is designed to intercept patients at the lowest, cheapest level of care. You see, it's not about actually treating or helping a patient, it's about being able to say that you did.
If you can bill for saying that you provided appropriate treatment, why the hell would you ever provide appropriate treatment?

So, I'm hoping that I never suspect that I have cancer or epilepsy or food poisoning.

sidd
 
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Good question, Fino. (Hi Buddy!)

The "therapist" that I just quit, asked why the dx was "important" to me.
:neutral:
I explained that it would be beneficial for me to meet people with the same experience(s). The same condition(s). That I could learn from them. However, I cannot join any autism support groups without a dx(I've tried).

I also explained that there were several more "practical" reasons.
I intend to return to school, and I would like to be eligible for any aid that the school's support staff could provide.

I explained as well, that I had several comorbidities, and that if I wished for treatment or therapy, it would be more appropriate if I had a dx to tailor the appropriate course of action or method(s).

We spoke for a few more minutes, and she asked me why I "wanted" the dx.
:emojiconfused:
I reiterated the above, and told her that in addition, it would provide a foundation of information that could help, and empower me.
We spoke a while longer, and she asked me
what it would "change" if I had the dx.
:worried:
I explained all of the above, and told her that it could help to change the way that I made "life decisions", as my life hasn't been so great, so far, and it is apparent that I have made every decision in life thus far, through the lens of ASD. That if I knew for certain, I could begin to use tools and methods for coping that other "ASD's" do, and know that they were appropriate, not just doing anything, willy-nilly, differently.
I told her of my crushing loneliness and my difficulty interacting with others, and that I would feel more comfortable and welcome, with others with a similar background and difficulties.

We spoke a while longer, and she asked what I would do "differently" if I had the dx.
:rage:
I'll stop there, as if I describe further the interaction, I may say something I'll regret.

Now, I try very hard, to give people the benefit of the doubt.
But, when I ask anyone, repeatedly, for help and assistance, especially if they've been to school for it, and I describe fully why, and they continue to question, as if I had an ulterior motive for desiring a dx, I get the feeling that they never really gave a shot about me, anyway.

If I don't get that dx, I'll never be able to infiltrate and destroy some organization
that helps those with ASD. (Now, doesn't that just sound stupider'n hell?)

This entire system is designed to intercept patients at the lowest, cheapest level of care. You see, it's not about actually treating or helping a patient, it's about being able to say that you did.
If you can bill for saying that you provided appropriate treatment, why the hell would you ever provide appropriate treatment?

So, I'm hoping that I never suspect that I have cancer or epilepsy or food poisoning.

sidd

That's infuriating!! :mad: (Hello!!! :D:D:D)

That all sounds like a parable you made up.

For some reason, it reminded me of a therapist I saw once who just stared at me, silent. After literally twenty minutes of this, I got bored and started talking, which I suppose was her goal, and it got around to talking about suicide, and for some reason (this was almost ten years ago), I started explaining that unpredictability was in the nature of the illness.

That a person with depression or Bipolar or BPD or whatever could be in therapy and be just fine and then later that night be overcome with crushing pain and kill themselves, and therefore I couldn't say whether or not I would kill myself (which I suppose she asked).

I didn't have any desire to kill myself, I explained, and didn't think I would anytime soon for any reason, but it was within the realm of possibility for the feeling to suddenly emerge at anytime.

I guess it was basically semantics.
She left the room, came back, said she spoke with her supervisor--at which point I realized she wasn't experienced--and she told me they thought I should be in a hospital.
Then she tried convincing my parents to take me to one.

I can SOOORTTTTAA see it from her perspective, but also I think she was an idiot.
 
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That's infuriating!! :mad: (Hello!!! :D:D:D)

That all sounds like a parable you made up.

For some reason, it reminded me of a therapist I saw once who just stared at me, silent. After literally twenty minutes of this, I got bored and started talking, which I suppose was her goal, and it got around to talking about suicide, and for some reason (this was almost ten years ago), I started explaining that unpredictability was in the nature of the illness.

That a person with depression or Bipolar or BPD or whatever could be in therapy and be just fine and then later that night be overcome with crushing pain and kill themselves, and therefore I couldn't say whether or not I would kill myself (which I suppose she asked).

I didn't have any desire to kill myself, I explained, and didn't think I would anytime soon for any reason, but it was within the realm of possibility for the feeling to suddenly emerge for at anytime.

I guess it was basically semantics.
She left the room, came back, said she spoke with her supervisor--at which point I realized she wasn't experienced--and she told me they thought I should be in a hospital.
Then she tried convincing my parents to take me to one.

I can SOOORTTTTAA see it from her perspective, but also I think she was an idiot.
Nope! Not a parable, true every word.

Idiot?

You wouldn't trust your
health and well-being to a
12 week Cert. Course genius?!?
 
All im saying is that at this point, after my experience today, I think I'd rather live with no diagnosis than a bad diagnosis, thats all.

I respect that feeling 101 % BUT may i humbly suggest you try to give this some time to gather youre thoughts before taking the final desition .

Reg my working memory or indeed any of my Executive function is memory think goldfish short term memory, and the rest WAY below average. Common in both ADHD as well as ASD.
 
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