Is this a diagnosis?

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After some advice.

I recently had an ASD assessment and have just received a copy of the correspondance that was sent to my doctor following the assessement.

Three pages of text and towards the end it states
"In my opinion, [karma_llama] has Autistic Spectrum Disorder."

Does the above constitute a formal diagnosis??

It does seem a little ambiguous; can you contact your diagnostician and ask for clarification? My report says "Diagnoses: Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 (requiring support)" on it, with no mention of anyone's opinion.

Yes it constitutes a formal diagnosis. That's the way doctors are taught to write things, that they are rendering a formal and professional opinion. "In my opinion patient X has / is...".

I'm a professional engineer and have been called to court as an expert witness. I was taught that in court the proper way to speak is to say "In my professional opinion..."

thanks, i will double check with my doctor but not got time to go at the moment. I assumed it was a formal diagnosis but the 'opinion' bit made me wonder.

It looks like a i have formally joined the ASD family then!

Welcome to our community

Pull up a chair and grab a drink - there's lots of room at our table.

Hi, I had similar problems. My psychiatrist wrote a letter similar to yours with the 'in my opinion' bit. I asked and was told it was just that... his opinion and not a formal diagnosis. I had further assessments and then after a year of fighting to be seen by a clinical psychologist I now have a letter stating 'a diagnosis of aspergers is relevant in this patient. And that is a proper diagnosis, I asked. So the best thing is to clarify matters with whomever did the assessment. Good luck
P.S: nothing really changed after diagnosis...

Ah, i will definitely follow it up then.

I am only after a formal diagnosis to support me at work tbh.

Out of curiosity, I went back to read my own diagnostic report. I hadn’t notice before, but the diagnosis statement is a little bit “indirect”.

In a section titled, “Summary and Diagnosis”, the clinical psychologist describes a whole bunch of, um, observations (e.g. lack of social/emotional reciprocity, behavioral dysregulation, limited social knowledge, immersed in details, verbose speech, inflexible thinking, etc. etc.) and then writes that all of these "are consistent with Asperger's Disorder (DSM-IV-TR 299.80). This constellation of abilities and deficits is enduring and significant".

The choice of words, “are consistent with” does seem to be an odd way to diagnose someone.