[sweepy62]

Oh boy, well today marked the one month mark, I spoke about h wanting to come to one of my sessions, she didnt think it would be positive, but due to his insistance, she agreed with would have a prep session without him a week before, and then he would come in the following week, and only limited info would be disclosed.

She would monitor the session, if she thought it was going negative, she would ask him to leave, because she said her first priority was me. she would see how the first ten minutes would go, but would only give him 20 minutes.
We spoke about current stressors and also about where my anger is coming from, more coping skills, to deal with future talk about dealing with csa, also spoke about how my drawings are so much helpful for her.

She would like me to write out my coping skills as well as draw them out in art form, I dont understand that part of it though. But since I like drawing i will do it, I have many ideas so far.

Heres the shocker, my old t, had added a diagnosis to my treatment plan before leaving, Aspergers Syndrom!!!!!!!, she also agrees with this, but wants to officially confirm it, so she is sending me to a pdoc for psychiatric eval she says takes about 3 to 4 hrs omg , I wouldnt go anywhere its right in the same building, its going to be the end of march, I am so scared , I dont know what this involves. I cant imagine 3 to 4 hours of anything, except being on a plane and thats difficult, and I take sedatives for that, because I cant stand sitting close to anyone.

[HazelGirl]

They just ask questions about your symptoms. It's not too overwhelming.

[sweepy62]

I hope not it just seems so long how many questions can possibly one answer in all those hours lol I think I'm getting too old for this lol it does explain alot though, but my old t which I love should have given me heads up.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HazelGirl]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

I hope not it just seems so long how many questions can possibly one answer in all those hours lol I think I'm getting too old for this lol it does explain alot though, but my old t which I love should have given me heads up.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe because your T was leaving, they didn't want to open a whole can of worms right before the end.

[RTerroni]

I was diagnosed with Aspergers when I was In High School and they asked me a lot of questions

[Lauliza]

I think that is great! She may not have brought it up because she thought you already knew, or didnt think it would add anything to your treatment. Ts who are not experienced with Autism/Aspergers dont always know how to address it, or even know that it needs to be addressed.

As for the testing, my daughter has Aspergers and the neuropsychological testing (which sounds like what you're going for) takes some time. But you will be fine and it is well worth it. There will probably be a written part as well as an interview, that's why it takes longer. It may run shorter though depending on the tester. It really just serves to give you information about your diagnosis and also to address some additional treatment options (if any) that you are entitled to but aren't yet receiving.

[sweepy62]

Originally Posted by RTerroni

I was diagnosed with Aspergers when I was In High School and they asked me a lot of questions

Is it written or verbal?

[sweepy62]

Lauliza: how long do results take? I just want to continue therapy, I dont want extra meds or anything like that, im already sick of the meds im taking as it is. I dont know what this test involves, I get anxiety around new people.

[phaset]

Sweepy, depending on the testing they might tell you that day. Mine was 8 hours over several days, plus they talked to my mother. I did an IQ test, some writing, a long true/false personality test, plus we talked a lot about my childhood. It wasn't a bad experience. I get anxious around new people too.

He recommended that I see a psychiatrist for more testing, and I am seeing them Monday.

There are no meds for aspergers.

[sailorboy]

Sounds like a good plan!

Don't stress the evaluation. If you are uncomfortable just tell them to stop or leave. They can't make you stay against your will. Good luck!

[sweepy62]

i never took an iq test, although i love challenges, trivia, brain quizzes, stuff like that, i dont do well with geometry and hard math problems. or stuff like if jane travels 10 miles and turns left and then right and went 5 miles and turned east how many miles did she travel, just saying, lol i know that did not make sense lol but you get it.

[The_little_didgee]

An Asperger's evaluation is different from a standard psychiatric consultation. My assessment was done by a psychiatrist and was about 4.5 hours long. She asked a lot of questions about my childhood, school, relationships, and interests. My mother was interviewed in person. We also had to fill out some questionnaires on my developmental history.

I was diagnosed at the age of 34. It was a such a relief, but it would have been a lot more helpful if it was discovered when I was a child. The diagnosis has helped clinicians understand me a lot better. Before that I was diagnosed with BPD which turned out to be wrong. Apparently this is common.

[RTerroni]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

i never took an iq test, although i love challenges, trivia, brain quizzes, stuff like that, i dont do well with geometry and hard math problems. or stuff like if jane travels 10 miles and turns left and then right and went 5 miles and turned east how many miles did she travel, just saying, lol i know that did not make sense lol but you get it.

I don't think that IQ tests are really that good of a measure on how intelligent you really are, I have taken a number of them before and have gotten results all over the board.

[sweepy62]

ok, getting a bit paranoid lol, when you say they ask about child hood, you dont mean past traumas right.

[sailorboy]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

ok, getting a bit paranoid lol, when you say they ask about child hood, you dont mean past traumas right.

I've never been through it so I don't know for sure but if you are uncomfortable with any of the questions I would just decline to answer them.

Remember you are not your diagnosis and hopefully this evaluation will help your future treatment. Hang in there SP.

[The_little_didgee]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

ok, getting a bit paranoid lol, when you say they ask about child hood, you dont mean past traumas right.

I was asked about past traumas. The psychiatrist only asked a few questions, because she was trying to determine if other things could explain some of my behaviors during childhood such as my apparent deafness. Most of the questions focused on early development, social skills, school, sensory issues, friendships, repetitive behaviors and imaginative play.

A simple yes or no answer should be adequate. I don't think you need to explain what happened. Anyway you are getting assessed for ASD, not PTSD.

[phaset]

Sweepy, what do you think about the possibility of having Asperger's? Do you think it matches you?

[sweepy62]

Originally Posted by phaset

Sweepy, what do you think about the possibility of having Asperger's? Do you think it matches you?

Most definitely 99 percent fits very well, explains alot, but also I dont remember anything before age 7, I did ask my older cousins and uncles and got lots of info. Also my behaviors were also combined with csa behaviors as well.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

Is it written or verbal?

There were no written questions in my assessment. There was an interview and we played some games.

I think I posted a thread about it.

[CantExplain]

Overview of Diagnostic Assessments

The Centre for Autism and Related Disorders, NZ (CARD) currently employs a Registered Psychologist who is trained in the administration and scoring of two reliable diagnostic tools. A description of each of these is provided below. The fee for conducting a diagnostic assessment is $150/hour + GST which includes provision of a written report.

This semi-structured assessment can be used to evaluate almost anyone suspected of having autism--from toddlers to adults, from children with no speech to adults who are verbally fluent.

The ADOS consists of various activities that allow you to observe social and communication behaviours related to the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders. These activities provide interesting, standard contexts in which interaction can occur.
The ADOS consists of four modules. The individual being evaluated is given just one module, depending on his or her expressive language level and chronological age.

The ADOS takes approximately 60-90 minutes to conduct

The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is a clinical diagnostic instrument for assessing autism in children and adults.

The ADI-R is a standardised, semi-structured clinical review for caregivers of children and adults. The interview contains 93 items and focuses on behaviours in three content areas or domains: quality of social interaction (e.g., emotional sharing, offering and seeking comfort, social smiling and responding to other children); communication and language (e.g., stereotyped utterances, pronoun reversal, social usage of language); and repetitive, restricted and stereotyped interests and behaviour (e.g., unusual preoccupations, hand and finger mannerisms, unusual sensory interests). The measure also includes other items relevant for treatment planning, such as self-injury and over-activity.

The ADI-R takes approximately 120 minutes to conduct.

[CantExplain]

Here's what I wrote after the assessment:

I went to see S on the North Shore. She’s giving me a formal Apergers assessment. She asked me what makes me happy, sad, frightened, angry and lonely. She got me to narrate a picture book (about frogs flying on lily pads), to make up a story, and to teach her how to brush her teeth. She gave me some toys to play with while she was “doing some paperwork”: I interpret this as an attempt to watch me while I didn’t think I was being watched! She asked me about my holidays, what makes a friend and what plans I have for the future.