Hi

[unsurewhattoname]

Oh apparently I do have a diagnosis, psychologist never told me. Guy who said autistics are robots said I have Asperger's actually gave me a diagnosis. So there's that I suppose. We've ordered Tony Attwood's book, thank you for the recommendation. Wonder what else I can find out about my apparently autistic self.

 

[Elemental]

It's great you've decided to do some exploration & Tony Atwood is pretty straightforward in his writing. I'm just reading 'Been There. Done That. Try This!' which is a collection of writings edited by him. It's about different aspects of AS - ASD living & ways of limiting associated stresses & just general coping strategies like awareness of triggers etc. There's a lot available now regarding information online, plus coming onto here as you are...well, it's al steps in the right direction because pre / post diagnosis, it can all be a bit confusing & an odd learning curve at times but remember you are NOTalone!

 

[unsurewhattoname]

So what happens now?

It's weird because there was no test. He just asked me questions. Is that how it usually goes? I was expecting days of extensive testing in labs, not a conversation that lasted less than an hour.

 

[ancusmitis]

So what happens now?

It's weird because there was no test. He just asked me questions. Is that how it usually goes? I was expecting days of extensive testing in labs, not a conversation that lasted less than an hour.

Yeah, I think that's pretty much how it works. I remember a number of tests, but they were all done by researchers, not diagnosticians.

 

[royinpink]

Oh apparently I do have a diagnosis, psychologist never told me. Guy who said autistics are robots said I have Asperger's actually gave me a diagnosis. So there's that I suppose. We've ordered Tony Attwood's book, thank you for the recommendation. Wonder what else I can find out about my apparently autistic self.

Awesome! That'll come in handy if you need accommodation.

While I appreciate the psychologist's sentiments (I'm not a big fan of the DSM 5 either), Asperger's has always been on the autism spectrum. And quite a few 'high-functioning' people with the old autistic disorder diagnosis would take objection at being called robots! Actually, most people probably would, period. So that bugs me. I had to delete a rant about it because it's probably not the place for it.

As for what else you can find out: loads! And self-knowledge is really the best way to equip yourself in a world not designed for autistic people. I personally learned a lot from autobiographies such as Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Wiley. Musings of an Aspie is also a great online resource, and she has a book as well. Check out the resources section for more or let us know if there's a specific interest you have about ASD (e.g. relationships, work, teen/school, gender differences, comorbids, neuroscience, etc.). One of us has probably read something.

 

[royinpink]

So what happens now?

It's weird because there was no test. He just asked me questions. Is that how it usually goes? I was expecting days of extensive testing in labs, not a conversation that lasted less than an hour.

It depends. If you go to a neuropsychologist, there may be more tests about your focus and information processing abilities. A developmental (child) psychologist would also have more tests--that's because most of the Asperger's/ASD tests were designed for children, who have not learned any coping skills to cover social deficits, still play with toys, etc. There is only one diagnostic tool specifically for Asperger's in adults, the RAADS-R, and it's widely used in Australia but doesn't seem to have caught on elsewhere. It only takes an hour or two at most with someone talking you through the questions, and maybe 20 minutes if you fill it out alone. The AQ or ASQ is also for adults but for screening purposes only (i.e. designed to catch people who 'might' have ASD and get them in for a full assessment).

So yes, some psychologists diagnose this way, for various reasons. Sometimes they are psychologists who specialize in ASD and and thus rely more on their knowledge and expertise than a poorly designed test. If they haven't diagnosed at least 50 people in your demographic (e.g. adult female), though, I might wonder a bit. I've had the battery of child tests (as an adult!) and I can say with some certainty that it is not an accurate or appropriate way to diagnose an adult. I've also had the diagnostic interview (which is what that hour-long conversation is called), where they might seem to just be talking about your life but are actually observing your delay in responses, quality of response about different kinds of questions (e.g. can you answer emotional or interpersonal questions quickly and intuitively? do you pick up on nuance? do you do better talking about concrete, factual topics? are you literal and pedantic about words?), facial expression, gesture, social anxiety, etc. So I think you're good.