I'm new, and not sure what to say...

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...so i'll start with the obvious:
Name: Andrew
Gender: M
Age: 27
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Not officially diagnosed with Aspergers, but have overwhelming evidence to support it. (including my mother, who is a portage worker, suggesting it when i was 19- at the time i rejected this because my only experience of Autistic Spectrum disorders was a cousin of mine who is profoundly autistic and unable to interact with others pretty much at all). 8 years have passed, others have suggested it to me (and to others) and there's lots of water under that bridge now. It seems official diagnosis (or non-diagnosis) is not easy to come by once you've left the Education system, so that's an ongoing thing. Was pointed towards WP by a friend of mine who is a member...

So yeah... Hi!

Hi Welcome to WP.

I also never would have thought that I would be on the Autism Spectrum. I always had difficulty making and maintaining friends, had some sensory issues, etc.

Despite all of this, I manage to live a normal life (career, married in my thirties and have two beautiful children). My son was receently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 3.5 yrs. After I read more and more about the signs, I realized that I probably have autism (or at least autistic traits too).

At this point in time, I do not know whether it would be beneficial or detrimental to be formally diagnosed (if I even meet the diagnostic criteria..). I am happy to have found this site and get a chance to hear the histories and on going stories of others and how they live with autism and autistic traits.

I find the site well moderated. There might be a few "wing nuts" - but I actually find the people on the forums to be highly articulate, intelligent and considerate (more so that most other sites (related to Autism or not), that I have encountered.

thanks for the welcome

i guess it was the whole stigma attached to AS that scared me at first, and it wasn't exactly a good time to have to deal with that too, i had kind of a breakdown just before my A-Levels (hence only 2 Es and an N!) and whilst with hindsight a diagnosis (or at least assessment) might have been easier to come by back then, i kinda threw my toys out of the pram when my mum mentioned it. I guess now, a diagnosis would open doors as far as practical help is concerned (i could go back to university and have the support i needed at my previous failed attempts), simply accepting it in myself has helped me understand so much about who i am and why i behave the way i do, and why my schooldays were so hellish (yet strangely not as hellish as they ought to have been when i look back). I guess that it makes more sense that what i thought for years was Depression (and tried to treat as such without success) is actually Aspergers... accepting Aspergers as a part of who i am seems to have eased the depression a little, before any practical help has come my way. I'm almost worried that if i did go for an assessment and found i DON'T have Aspergers... where would i go then?

Welcome to WP!

I had a concern about "not having" Asperger's too.

I spoke to a child psychiatrist who specializes in children with autism. (I had one appointment with him to talk about my son - who is actually very high functioning). I mentioned my concerns about my being on the spectrum. He said that I would be wayyy to high functioning to get a diagnosis (in his opinion). However, he stated that both my husband and myself could well have some autistic traits.

As this nice doctor is seeing me for a whole two hours (and not even really having a discussion about me) - I don't think that he realizes that I have developed a certain amount of skills by being alive for 38 years!! ! He doesn't really have a whole picture - but I am happy that he thinks that I have the skills of a neurotypical. It took a long, long time to get to be comfortable in my skin

Even if I don't bother getting a formal diagnosis - I know that a lot of my troubles was not my "poor attitude" or wrongness. It was also not the fault of society (and neurotypicals). I have some differences and, knowing my challenges, I am better able to work around them without judging myself or others.

Even if I went for a formal assessment and did not meet the diagnostic criteria, I still appreciate this site and information that is geared for people who are on the Autism Spectrum. It helps me understand my own autistic traits and how to live with them successfully (as well as understanding my son and others on the spectrum).

On this forum - don't worry about a "formal diagnosis." Share and learn what you can.

There's a stigma attached to AS? I can't even find anyone in RL who's ever heard of it, much less has any pre-formed notion about what it is. A lot of people do associate Autism with Downs Syndrome, but Asperger seems invisible to the world at large, except for the publicity hype for that movie Adam.

Ted Danson's sitcom Becker spent a half-hour making fun of the name once without ever discussing what it was, and I heard Bob Saget in his most recent sitcom use the word in a joke making reference to avoiding eye contact, but those are the only times I've ever heard it mentioned on television.

I don't really care whether anyone has a prejudice toward the disorder. They'll never have any compassion or respect for us because we don't look crippled or deformed, we just don't fit in. We will always be discriminated against just for being different. What its called or whether its even given a name won't make a difference.

Oh...sorry...I was kinda ranting, wasn't I? Never mind. Back to topic - talk amongst yourselves. I was never here.

Welcome greetings to the Wrong Planet community, Andrew.

Hello, welcome. I hope you like it here.

Apologies... as a n00b, i used the abbreviation 'AS' to mean 'Autistic Spectrum' not 'Aspergers Syndrome'. My bad... stupid English language!

Ain't it great how things can be so easily cleared up around here?!

Welcome.

Hey there, Newbie *hug*

To WrongPlanet!! !