How do I know when I am officially Diagnosed?

Androidy

I am 60 years old and six months into getting an NHS diagnosis of Aspergers. They warned me it would take a while, but after my last session with a nurse she told me it could take another 18 months, which incredibly slow.

This is my first go at a helpline, so bear with me.

chiarieds

Hi @Androidy - I'm pleased to be the first to welcome you to this friendly & supportive community. We have some lovely members who are on the autism spectrum whom I hope you may get to 'meet.' How are you today?

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community 

Feel free to join in or ask any questions 

Hope to see you around 

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @Androidy It's good to have you with us. 

Unfortunately, waiting times for a diagnosis can be very long indeed. Do you feel as though you're getting enough support in the meantime? 

Just to let you know, I've moved your post into our category for discussions relating to autism and Asperger's syndrome. This should help other members with similar experiences to find your post. 

rubin16

Hey welcome,to the community,

I have autism and was diagnosed at 18 (Now 30) and when I was diagnosed they told me and my family about my diagnosis in an appointment and then had a written report sent to me that lists my scores on the assessments done, my diagnosis and where I struggle and need support in.

I think this report is your official diagnosis, and is then sent to your GP and put on your medical records. When I had my assessments done it was done fairly quickly over the span of a month. The assessments I had done were an Intial Assessment, a Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) where the spoke at length to my family, an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Assessment, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and Faux Pas Recognition Test (FPRT). After this me and my family were told of my diagnosis and then given a report.

This was all 12 years ago though, so not too sure if the assessments have changed or not and I know things are slow nowadays with the covid situation. But I hope this helps in some way.

Caz_Alumni

Hi @Androidy

Just wanted to stop by, say hi and add my welcome! How are you getting on? Has @rubinheath16's post helped to answer some of your questions? Or have you managed to find out anything more yourself since your last session with the nurse?

Also, I know you've said that this is your first time doing something like this. So, if you need a hand navigating the community, or you have any questions for us, then please do let us know. We're very happy to help.

All the best, and I look forward to chatting with you some more Androidy!

[Deleted User]

I waited 6-9 months for my diagnosis. They said it was because the backlog of people on the waiting list is high and the doctors qualified to diagnose autism is low. I expect the wait to be much longer due to coronavirus as the government will cut NHS staff or have them work from home to comply with social distancing.