More questions about diagnosis...

[Redjumper]

Hi everyone, I'm new here :)

I was wondering about diagnosis for adults, especially in the UK. If anyone could tell me how they went through it I would be grateful... ie what actually happens? How did you go about arranging for an assessment? What kinds of things do you talk about? Any particularly intrusive questions (eg about sexual life, or other very personal stuff)?

I'm asking because I've been thinking about trying to get a diagnosis for a while, but I'm very nervous about it. I know I would find it very difficult to approach my GP about it, or to speak to any other strangers about it. (Isn't the internet great?!) A positive diagnosis would be a relief for me, just to explain some things and to help me explain it to others, as I know that I could only be mildly autistic if anything. I suppose I'm scared that a GP would not be helpful, or that a negative diagnosis would make me feel quite battered, having been through all that just to find there's nothing at the end of it.

About me: I'm 20 years old, student, female, having read a lot about autism (HFA and Asperger's in particular) I identify a LOT with some aspects, but not at all with others, I have a cousin on my father's side who is diagnosed mildly autistic, some people have also suggested that my father could be mildly autistic (though he's not diagnosed), I did the online AQ test and got 36, I find that I can socialise and do chitchat pretty well if I really try, but most often I just don't want to...
Anyone think it's worth me going for it?

Thanks in advance, any help is really appreciated.

[frosty]

Hi there.

I'm also new here, and it happens that I find myself in practically the exact same position as you're in.

I'm an 18 year old male student. I only recently got the idea that I might have AS, or some other syndrome on the autistic spectrum, so I went online and did as much research as I could. The medical texts that I found were mostly just rehashes of one other, but I found the experience stories of autistics to be extremely informative, and was surprised to find out how analogous their behaviors and childhood experiences are to mine.

Except for how I seem to have a somewhat more developed ability to empathise and socialize (though I dislike the latter), though I do certainly have some difficulties with both.

Several notable qualities of mine include: Dislike of social and physical contact. Inability to understand and follow unwritten rules of socializing (eye contact, smiling, gestures, tendency to launch into monologues). Repeated and almost obsessive behaviors. Numerous daily routines that I dislike having interrupted. Sudden urges to know everything about particular subjects, and a fascination with mathematics, logic and science, etc. Any unability to act on the aforementioned as I please result in my becoming very frustrated, and will put me in a foul mood.

But then, this might just as well be a case of hypochondria, and I could very well be a neurotypical, albeit an unusual one. :)

Unlike Redjumper, I don't live in the UK, but any advice as to what sort of professional I should talk to would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT:

Also, I've scored 34 on the online AQ test, and am in the 99th percentile in terms of IQ (don't know if this helps).

There are two other males in my family that I know of which show similar charectaristics, but neither has ever been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.