Getting tested for a diagnosis with YAI

[Cutesie]

There is an organization called YAI which provides autism services in New York, New Jersey and California. One of the things they do is testing. The problem that I have is that they can't be reached.

On their website, there is a Getting Started form, which I filled out last Tuesday. They say that one can expect a wait of up to ten days for a response. That really holds me up, because I have the simplest question about their services and they have no regular customer service. My question will determine whether I may be able to use them, or if I have to look elsewhere, which I would do as soon as possible.

Has anyone here used YAI? Is their communication with enrolled patients as bad as it is with potential ones? I would expect not, and I sure hope not.

 

[Levitat0r]

When I wound up on the street in Colorado, I encountered at least two fake charities whose behavior did not correspond to an exhaustion of resources, but rather to an unwillingness to help. It's a common HR tactic to sneak a paradox into employment requirements, and that's how they discriminate against people. They tell everyone they dislike that they failed the impossible requirement, and then they do a favor for the one they actually want. Well, they (the charities I encountered) do the same thing. They will also refuse to give you any meager comfort or even free advice, and it becomes clear that what they don't do is help. They pocket money. That's terrible for whatever (likely few) charities which are genuine.

 

[Rodafina]

@Cutesie
I'm not personally familiar with the organization, but did you try this page?

Contact Us

Seems like there are several ways listed there to contact them.

 

[Outdated]

There is an organization called YAI which provides autism services in New York, New Jersey and California. One of the things they do is testing. The problem that I have is that they can't be reached.

I did similar here, went to a professional autism centre to get a diagnosis. I'm not much of one for doing things over the phone or online though, I physically walked through the front door and spoke to people. For me that's usually a lot easier.

 

[Levitat0r]

@Cutesie
I'm not personally familiar with the organization, but did you try this page?

Contact Us

Seems like there are several ways listed there to contact them.

Oh, yes, sorry, I wasn't attempting to comment directly on your specific case. I just have a lot of venting pending, and basically everything reminds me of something I'm already upset about. Carry on.

 

[Cutesie]

@Cutesie
I'm not personally familiar with the organization, but did you try this page?

Contact Us

Seems like there are several ways listed there to contact them.

I did fill out the form on that page today. All of the phone numbers circle back to the voicemail for Getting Started.

 

[Cutesie]

I physically walked through the front door and spoke to people.

Thanks; I might do that.

 

[Cutesie]

Although feeling really, really non-talkative, I walked into a YAI location. Haltingly, I asked the question. She gave another address and their phone number. When finally reaching someone on the phone, I was told that the wait to hear back from someone could be weeks.

 

[Judge]

The first thing I thought about reading this is to compare it to anyone in the UK making initial overtures to obtaining an autism diagnosis. Point being, with their NHS bureaucracy I have the impression that it likely takes far longer than ten days just to get the ball rolling.

Yeah, if you can physically access one of their offices I'd do just that. Otherwise you're completely at the mercy of an electronic system compounded by your average medical bureaucracy.

In essence you may have temper whatever impatience you may have given the logistics of it all.

 

[Cutesie]

Update: Today I received an email from YAI. They had sent messages on 09/30 and on 10/09, which I hadn't seen.

I filled out the referral form that they linked to and will wait some more.

 

[Good boy]

Hi @Cutesie I would like to hear more about that organization and how they are doing the diagnosis

 

[Cutesie]

Hi @Cutesie I would like to hear more about that organization and how they are doing the diagnosis

An email was received from them on 12/05, asking:

"We received your request for a psychological evaluation on our webpage and would like to ask if you will be needing the psychological evaluation to apply for OPWDD services?"

My response was muddled:

"I don't think so, because I probably don't qualify. The reason that it's not just a "no" is because I don't know the criteria needed to qualify or the resulting services are needed. (That's two ways of saying the same thing, right?)

"I'm totally lost in the process of trying to find any kind of treatment. Some of the issues that need treating are the same ones that hinder my ability to get it. This message itself is quite difficult to type, because anything involved with the process causes my anxiety to spike wildly.

"This isn't a good first impression that I'm making towards you, but I just don't know what to do."

They never got back to me after that time, and I didn't press the issue. I don't know if their question was simply informational, or if whether they'd evaluate depended on my answer. Perhaps I should ask now. If I do and anything comes from it, I'll try remembering to update here.

 

[Good boy]

An email was received from them on 12/05, asking:

"We received your request for a psychological evaluation on our webpage and would like to ask if you will be needing the psychological evaluation to apply for OPWDD services?"

My response was muddled:

"I don't think so, because I probably don't qualify. The reason that it's not just a "no" is because I don't know the criteria needed to qualify or the resulting services are needed. (That's two ways of saying the same thing, right?)

"I'm totally lost in the process of trying to find any kind of treatment. Some of the issues that need treating are the same ones that hinder my ability to get it. This message itself is quite difficult to type, because anything involved with the process causes my anxiety to spike wildly.

"This isn't a good first impression that I'm making towards you, but I just don't know what to do."

They never got back to me after that time, and I didn't press the issue. I don't know if their question was simply informational, or if whether they'd evaluate depended on my answer. Perhaps I should ask now. If I do and anything comes from it, I'll try remembering to update here.

This reminds me of when I first started exploring the idea of going for help, it was trauma therapy at that time. I remember the confusion and feeling adrift, not knowing where to begin or how to cope.

I hope you soon find a good place and feel much better by being in a more comfortable place within yourself.