Misdiagnoses and late diagnosis of autism in adulthood: Ruth's reflections with her therapist / Ruth [S.N.] in Good Autism Practice - GAP, 22-1 (May 2021)

Public ISBD [article]  inGood Autism Practice - GAP > 22-1 (May 2021) . - p.73-77 Titre : Misdiagnoses and late diagnosis of autism in adulthood: Ruth's reflections with her therapist Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Ruth [S.N.], Auteur ; Elin [S.N.], Auteur Année de publication : 2021 Article en page(s) : p.73-77 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : In this opinion piece, Ruth, a Registered Manager in Adult Social Care, and Elin (a psychologist and therapist), consider the impact on Ruth of not being identified as autistic until the age of 46. Prior to this, several mental health professionals had viewed Ruth variously as psychotic or as having a personality disorder. She was put on high doses of anti-psychotic medication for some years. This short piece does not include the perspective of the professionals who have assessed Ruth in the past, so it is not possible to establish how they reached their conclusions and missed autism. Ruth and Elin suggest possible reasons for this. These include the fact that Ruth had experienced abuse and trauma in her young life (not uncommon in autism); and that she had significant sensory processing issues. In addition, they argue that many mental health professionals lack an understanding of the presentation of autism in girls and women and so look for different explanations and may rely on the previous conceptualisations of their colleagues rather than taking a fresh look at the person before them. They end this paper by reflecting on the impact of late diagnosis and how life might have been different. While all those involved in the field of autism know many autistic people, like Ruth, who have been misdiagnosed and given inappropriate or ineffective treatments, it is the hope that as autism becomes a compulsory part of the initial training in health, education and social care that the proportion of those who reach adulthood and who require support, meet professionals who understand their needs and work effectively together with them. Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=460 [article] Misdiagnoses and late diagnosis of autism in adulthood: Ruth's reflections with her therapist [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Ruth [S.N.], Auteur ; Elin [S.N.], Auteur . - 2021 . - p.73-77. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Good Autism Practice - GAP > 22-1 (May 2021) . - p.73-77 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : In this opinion piece, Ruth, a Registered Manager in Adult Social Care, and Elin (a psychologist and therapist), consider the impact on Ruth of not being identified as autistic until the age of 46. Prior to this, several mental health professionals had viewed Ruth variously as psychotic or as having a personality disorder. She was put on high doses of anti-psychotic medication for some years. This short piece does not include the perspective of the professionals who have assessed Ruth in the past, so it is not possible to establish how they reached their conclusions and missed autism. Ruth and Elin suggest possible reasons for this. These include the fact that Ruth had experienced abuse and trauma in her young life (not uncommon in autism); and that she had significant sensory processing issues. In addition, they argue that many mental health professionals lack an understanding of the presentation of autism in girls and women and so look for different explanations and may rely on the previous conceptualisations of their colleagues rather than taking a fresh look at the person before them. They end this paper by reflecting on the impact of late diagnosis and how life might have been different. While all those involved in the field of autism know many autistic people, like Ruth, who have been misdiagnosed and given inappropriate or ineffective treatments, it is the hope that as autism becomes a compulsory part of the initial training in health, education and social care that the proportion of those who reach adulthood and who require support, meet professionals who understand their needs and work effectively together with them. Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=460

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