Asperger SyndromeHFA The Route to Diagnosis

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Asperger Syndrome/HFAThe Route to Diagnosis

• By
• Giles Harvey

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Early Signs that were missed

• Dislike and a phobia of rattling and breaking
  crockery ever since primary school. This is a
  sign of Sensitivity to sound.
• Poor Co-ordination in PE lessons and CDT lessons.
  While this is not a direct sign of AS it is a
  sign of Dyspraxia which can occur alongside
  Asperger Syndrome
• Poor eye contact with others especially when
  under stress again a direct AS symptom.

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How were they missed and who missed them?

• Teachers
• Teachers at secondary school missed co-ordination
  issues
• Doctors
• I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1986, and the
  Consultant Paediatrician was informed about my
  dislike of crockery by my parents but failed to
  follow up the information any further. A Child
  Psychiatrist also didnt appear to spot the
  signs.

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Later Signs that were missed

• Onslaught of depression, this is often a result
  of the anxiety associated with Asperger
  Syndrome/HFA
• Increase in mood swings and loss of temper.
• Fear of everyday things in life e.g. aeroplanes
  flying over my parents house where I lived at the
  time.
• Lack of Social Progress, no relationships with
  opposite sex and few friends.

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How were they missed and who missed them?

• General Practitioner
• He was the first port of call on the route to
  treatment of all these issues
• Consultant Psychiatrist
• I was normally referred to him from my GP. He
  diagnosed clinical depression and didnt
  regularly see me
• College Lecturers
• Again they also missed clues

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Why are clues missed?

• At this time in my life Asperger Syndrome wasnt
  widely known about.
• Asperger Syndrome/HFA is associated with or can
  be mistaken for many other conditions that are
  more widely known about, for example Depression,
  Schizophrenia, Learning Difficulties although
  these wont apply to every case.
• Lack of widely available information to Parents,
  Carers, Support Workers and Clinicians.

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How was I diagnosed

• Through watching a documentary on television,
  called QED, which happened to be about Asperger
  Syndrome and a well know AS advocate MARC
  FLEISHER. From this program my parents could
  match his behaviour and symptoms with mine.

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But of course!

• Watching a documentary doesnt constitute formal
  diagnosis. At first I didnt want to know, but I
  later went through a bad patch so decided to seek
  formal diagnosis. It took a while to convince the
  General Practitioner to find someone to diagnose
  my Asperger Syndrome.

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Where did I go?

• At the time the policy was one where GP practices
  were fund holding, therefore my GP paid for me to
  go out of area to the Private Sector, to a
  Consultant Psychiatrist who worked from the
  Altrincham Priory Hospital. Over a period of two
  evening visits, lasting not longer than a couple
  of hours, I was finally diagnosed.

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But what happened next?

• I was sent back to the local NHS service for
  treatment the same one that had previously
  lacked knowledge of A.S. Therefore NOTHING
  happened, at least initially. I felt I needed
  advice on how it would effect me, more
  information that hadnt come out of Marc Feisher
  and QED, and also I felt I needed information on
  how I could deal with A.S. At the time of
  diagnosis I felt very dirty and as if I needed to
  go home and bath/shower.

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Then what happened?

• I continued to be quite depressed on and off
  through College and University, therefore I
  needed support, and the support network just
  wasnt there. The local Psychiatrist wasnt
  interested in the Diagnosis, as he hadnt made
  it, so eventually I was referred again to the
  Private Sector, where the diagnosis was confirmed
  by another Psychiatrist.

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What are the advantages of early diagnosis

• Early diagnosis and treatment can help shape the
  direction of someone with Asperger Syndromes
  life, so they can get the best out of life and
  have a perception of realism.
• It costs less in the longer run to treat them, as
  wasted diagnosis and treatment is avoided.
• It gives the option of appropriate education
  where needed (e.g. Autism specific Schools).

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What are the advantages of early diagnosis

• 4. Most importantly it reduces the prospect of
  bullying, as other children can be told and
  taught to understand that the unusual behaviour
  associated with Asperger Syndrome isnt
  deliberate. Its a specific complaint.
• 5. It reduces the risk of being involved in
  crime, in a limited number of cases, in that
  symptoms can be appropriately treated.

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What has been the past route to diagnosis

• There are three primary Aspergers specialists in
  the UK, based in Cambridge, Sheffield and Guys
  Hospital in London. In the past, diagnosis has
  largely been done by them but that has involved
  travel costs and again lack of realistic post
  diagnostic treatment. The early days after
  diagnosis are difficult for someone with Asperger
  Syndrome and this is when support is really
  needed.

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Who needs to be able to spot symptoms of Asperger
Syndrome

• General Practitioners
• Teachers
• Consultant Paediatricians
• Lecturers
• Criminal Justice System
• Consultant Psychiatrists
• Social Services
• Psychologists

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How can information be delivered to professionals?

• Through Information Leaflets
• Through training programs (there are numerous
  AS trainers and Conference Speakers available)
• Through reading books
• Through Videos/Video training
• Through Internet Training
• Through Academic Courses run in conjunction with
  the National Autistic Society

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The

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