Who here is waiting for diagnosis?

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As the title asks...

Awaiting formal diagnosis after initial informal assessment

What is the difference between formal diagnosis and informal assessment?

For the informal assessment they interview you and give you a brief test (AQ10 they called it) to ascertain if they think that you have a high possibility of being on the autistic spectrum. If so then they refer to you on for a formal diagnosis (the initial assessment is not a formal diagnosis). There is a long waiting list though (up to a year).

Yes, but in what way is a formal diagnosis more useful than an informal assessment? Are you in the UK, and dealing with the UK National Health Service? - if so, then my advice would be to forget it now.

I am waiting for a formal diagnosis after some testing. It should happen tomorrow but I am so stressed out about it that I am feeling down about the possible result being negative.

Why so?

This is the problem which assessors have to deal with - their clients are actively searching for a 'positive' diagnosis, and since there are no downsides to giving a client the diagnosis which they crave, and the client is quite likely to challenge anything other than a 'positive' diagnosis, then it is extremely unlikely that any self-referred client will be given anything but the diagnosis of their choice (especially if the consultation is at the client's own expense).

My first appointment to discuss the assessment process is tomorrow. I'm really hoping that she will at least give me a hint that could be regarded as an informal diagnosis. When I first emailed her giving a brief discription of my traits, she said that she thinks an assessment would be a good choice for me.

Because, in the experience of most of the UK posters on here, the UK NHS is not remotely interested in the possibility of diagnosing adult ASD.

But why would they feel they have to give the client the diagnosis of choice if once the assessment is over the client has no more need of the assessor?

I want an objective diagnosis, I have no favouritism either way. I am not necessarily in complete agreement that I have aspergers. Yes I have traits of it but i also have traits that veer away from it as well (I am not literal, I do not think in black and white terms (unless I have pms and it's the wrong time of the month), I don't have any issues with abstract thinking, I have more interests than one...in fact I can have so many interests it is hard to find enough time to pursue them all and so on).

At the moment I am learning to sketch, learning to paint, learning to play piano, learning flute, taking a still life class, taking a pottery class (after the still life one), learning about art history, collecting paleo diet recipes and continuing my reading on said diet with the Paleo manifesto by john Durant and so on. I just love learning things and it's impossible for me to pick one favourite.

This week I have mostly been focused on drawing as I have an upcoming Still Life Class in a few days, which as I said is also followed by the pottery for which I have a manual to read (I have always wanted to learn pottery!). My drawing technique needs practice (see my avatar and blog...for my first ever attempt at a still life with one of my plushies as a subject) so I felt a need to work on that in preparation for the course. I am not looking forward to the group work aspect of it though...I really do prefer to work alone using my own preferred methods.

However, it is beneficial to learn from those who are more experienced (I have an issue with my eyes that impairs my ability to see 3D as I dont have full binocular vision. this can affect my depth perception and ergo my perspective) as they may be able to help and offer advice on my problem areas so I can improve my sketching. My avatar is my present level of ability after teaching myself to draw for approximately 2 weeks (I am a beginner when it comes to drawing). I am hoping the class with advance my ability further.

I am also learning to read music (music theory) and have increased my piano playing repertoire to include Aura Lee, Marianne, Hark the Herald Angel sing (to prepare for xmas when it gets here) and am now moving on to learn Come All Ye Faithful and Take my Breath Away as well.

When it comes to flute I have not had much time to practice so have settled for trying to improve my emboucher until I get around to learning how to play actual notes lol.

I have also been playing around with acrylic paints.

On the other hand if I do have Aspergers it may be useful to know...even if keep it to myself. I do have distinct traits of it (a tendency to collect hobby related things, difficulty relating to other people due to developmental differences when I was growing up in that I was beyond my years in some ways (advanced for my age) but behind in others...too idealistic, over sensitive, emotionally immature), difficulty with social interaction and find friendships (as well as maintaining them...I am an introvert in some ways), I have physical sensitivities etc.

There are up sides and down sides to having a diagnosis. The downside is that people can treat me like I am a stereotype when I am not, however, the upside is that I may get any support I am in need of or help with some issues that were previously misdiagnosed (such as my long running problem with my sleep cycle which is often put down to depression when in actual fact I have never been able to sleep properly and have been experiencing daytime sleepiness since I was a teenager along with a need to keep napping).

What I don't want is a diagnosis that is an incorrect one...that could be very destructive.

Ie I want to finish my degree...academically I work best alone, being slowed or given special learning aids for my 'Aspergers' could actually damage my ability to learn. I had problems at school because they taught too slowly for example, I got bored with the teaching pace (after repeatedly requesting that the teacher consider giving me something harder to do, a request that was refused as they wanted me to wait for others to catch up) and stop trying in the end. At university what I need is to be left alone to learn at my own natural pace...I may have social problems in that I don't think like most people I meet and I know it (meaning I cant relate to them...their thinking is...illogical, irrational, flawed and in some cases delusional as in this whole worthless fad that has taken over the world...another human made belief system that has everyone convinced it is some great truth in life when it is not) but I am not intellectually impaired in any way whatsoever.

I don't mind which diagnosis i get as long as its the right one.

Please excuse my typos, I am on strong painkillers for my back and they are making me a bit space age (dihydracodiene or I think what the yanks call vicodin).

Unfortunately I am not dr house...

I finally got an appointment with a very promising specialist at a dedicated autism center, but it seems he must be treating everyone in the Western hemisphere because the office is scheduling appointments about eight months ahead of time. Mine is in the beginning of 2015.

However, I have also been in contact with a graduate school of psychology, and I might be able to get a free assessment starting in September, but I'm worried about that as evidence for SSI because it will be performed by students, and psychology students rather than medical students at that. I'm planning to do both assessments.

I'm waiting for the result of my very thorough assessment. Should get it in the end of August or the beginning of September. I suspect I'll get a diagnosis but I obviously can't know that for sure. Don't know how I'd handle getting a diagnosis either (I'd probably feel both relieved and anxious/confused/something negative). I keep telling myself I can't be autistic.

I'm waiting, but I already now the result will be "yes".