Hi! Another newbie!

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Hi everybody - I originally came to the forum because I have a newly diagnosised 8 1/2 year old daughter with Asperger's. She's been receiving interventions since she was 3 1/2 for an unspecified developmental disorder. The official diagnosis was a long tough road full of family denial and professional skepticism. I am glad my research paid off! We are in the process of redefining her IEP to address the quieter symptoms that the school seems to discount. In their words 'she's doing fine academically'. It may be a very long road still... She has the added challenges of ADD, and a rare learning disorder in writing (not just the sloppy handwriting...).

In all my researching on my daughter's behalf, I'm beginning to believe I'm an Aspie myself. Too many of her challenges are all too familiar. She has tested on the high end and, in taking the online assessments, I came out at almost exactly the same place on the scale. At 42, it's been a bit of a shocking lightbulb moment - and it sure as hell explains alot.
Looking back, there were other lightbulb moments but I never connected them - the most obvious one (now) - at 22 I learned that everyone does not think in pictures. I couldn't understand why people looked at me funny when I talked about that... I graduated with a BA in Fine Art. My school community embraced that and treated it and my creativity like a talent. Out of art school was a much different story. I never would have guessed that creativity would threaten other people.

Anyhow, I'm excited to be here and hope to find that my daughter and I are not as strange as everyone thinks we are!

Pretty much a newbie myself as I only joined Wrong Planet on Monday just gone, although I have lurked here for nearly a year, lol. I don't think you will be considered strange here. It's the NT's that are the strange ones

I'm glad you stuck with your daughter and helped her through this. When I was a child the only person who knew something was the matter was my Mum, and she looked after me accordingly thank goodness. Unfortunately though my diagnosis didn't happen until a long time after she passed away but never mind.

It's always best to try and get a professional diagnosis if you can, (the Doctor that diagnosed me told my daughter and I afterwards that he could have told us within five minutes of meeting that I had Aspergers ) as it does help to smooth things along and stamp out the voices of dissension and criticism. I understand what you mean re the 'shocking lightbulb moment', and I also found it to be a huge relief. Now I know myself in a way that I never could before. I hope the same is true for you.

Hi Ginro!

Sticking by my daughter is second nature! I would love to say that I had that instant maternal instinct when she was born but I did not. I loved her to death but had no clue what to do! So, I relyed on what has gotten me through my entire life - research. Unfortunately, I lost both of my parents in my 20's and I'm an only child as well, so there is no family support for me. Looking back - my father had said some strange things about my mother after she passed. He was always frustrated at how she protected me from him. I'm slowly but surely piecing the puzzle together but - I'm pretty sure my mom new something was amiss even if there wasn't a name for it back then.

I'm afraid of the diagnosis soley from an employment/insurance stand point. I simply cannot afford to be labelled 'pre-existing'. I'm not sure a diagnosis will have any benefit other than confirmation. I've gotten this far in life without intervention (not that I'm saying it's been wine and roses...) but I think I'm much better off than plenty of 'normal' people. As long as my daughter gets what she needs, and as long as I can act as interpreter for what she is going through, I think we'll all be just fine.

It's funny when you say the NT's are the strange ones - I've always embraced the concept of 'originality'. Break the mold. Damn the status quo. I had people tell me I was brave for that and I never understood how that applied. As it turns out, when I say I really don't care what other people think - I really don't! Nothing brave about it! There are more 'normal' people that envy that than you may think.

To WrongPlanet!! !

Hello and welcome to the Wrong Planet community, draelynn.

Hello

Welcome!

Welkome to WrongPlanet.

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