Autism Diagnosis

Autism Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with Autism in October 2010 by a psychiatrist called Dr Michael Layton at the NHS Oxfordshire Learning Disability Ridgeway Trust in Headington, this was a 3 hour assessment in which my parents were also present using many tools and ASD specific knowledge such as -


  • Autism and Empathy Tests

  • Sensory Issues

  • Speech Delay & Language Delay

  • Motor Coordination

  • Theory of Mind (mentalising and "self" and "other integration)

  • Social Imagination

  • Receptive and Expressive Language

  • History of early development which wash helped further by my parents memories of my development and behaviour.


The conclusion was a diagnosis of Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is an anxiety disorder as Dr Layton recognised and overlap in behaviours and was able to separate the ASD "obsessions" for the OCD "obsessions" and also rule out only other traits which overlap with other disorders.

I thank him for starting my Autism journey and his kindness with both myself and diagnosis other members of my family. I felt very different from my Asperger's counterparts/cousins he confirmed this so he also started my journey of self discovery, acceptance and happiness.

Dr Layton also wrote the foreword for my first book, which is an autobiographical account of my life with Autism.

History of Mental Health and Diagnosis'


  • Referred to Educational Psychologist - 1993

  • General Practitioner diagnosed me with "nervous" throat - 1994

  • Referred to CAMHS for clinical depression and problems with social integration - 1996

  • Referred to Adult Mental Health services in 2007, 2008 diagnosed with Borderline and Schizotypal personality disorder, auditory hallucinations and psychosis

  • Diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder and OCD by psychiatrist - 2010

  • Follow meetups with psychiatrist - late 2010

  • Diagnosed with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, visual perceptual disorders and learning difficulties - 2012

Operations


  • Adenoidectomy

  • Circumcision due to Tight foreskin (phimosis and paraphimosis)

  • Grommet insertion due to glue ear

  • Three Teeth extractions due to overcrowded teeth and brace