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I've had various anxiety and mood disorder diagnoses since I first saw a psychiatrist. In college I was diagnosed with ADHD by neuropsychiatrist. The OT I saw for motor skills/coordination issues as a child wrote in my records that she recommended Sensory Integration type-treatment and that I scored poorly on a SI test/screening tool (sorry I can't be more specific, I don't remember the details or have the information in front of me).
But about two years ago my therapist suggested Asperger's as a more appropriate diagnosis. She said she thinks a lot of my anxiety (particularly when it comes to social-related issues) stem from that and not an anxiety disorder.
My brother was diagnosed in high school as having mild Asperger's. My second cousin was diagnosed as a child with High Functioning Autism.

My Aspie-ness (hope using that phrase doesn't offend anyone) isn't as readily observed as it probably was when I was younger. I've had years of therapy, some occupational therapy, training and experience in acting/theater, which have helped me cope and improve with social interactions. Plus my eye contact has greatly improved. I think this is why some therapists never picked up on it. My mom went back to school a few years ago to get her Master's in Special Education. She's told me more than once that she thinks if I was born in the 2000's instead of the 80s, that I'd probably have been diagnosed with Asperger's.

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Thanks for the welcome!

Welcome greetings, angiebanana, to the Wrong Planet neighborhood.

hai,
welcome
i'm new as well

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

Hello angiebanana, welcome, enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

To WrongPlanet!! !

Welcome to WP!

thanks everybody!

Welcome to WP!

hi

sorry i haven't been back in awhile. life has been wild and busy since i posted last year. but i am back now....

i am seeing a new therapist who specializes in spectrum disorders (i've moved to a new town far away from my old therapist).

i was never diagnosed with an ADOS or anything, so I don't know that my diagnosis counts as official. I'm not sure, after years of therapy and some OT and learning to 'adapt', I'm not sure it would show up on a test...does that make sense?

so i don't know if a test would show i officially meet the cuttoff for asperger's. but i know my brain is not wired in a 'neurotypical' way. maybe at this point it would look more like PDD-NOS. I don't know. I'm not sure what these tests are like and how they work.

so I'm debating having testing done. from what i understand to get any accommodations i might need an official diagnosis from testing. but any accommodations i might need...I have my 'official' ADD diagnosis paperwork that would be enough (it certainly helped in college).

anyway, i'm probably rambling, but i just wanted to stop back by and say hello.

Hello from another n00b. I suspect a good diagnositican would be able to give you an Asperger's diagnosis even with years of therapy/coping mechanisms. There's a lot more sensitivity and awareness of the spectrum's breadth, and the professionals I've worked with recently usually could tell what things in my were rote or more of a struggle. You may find it gives you new insight into yourself. I can empathize with the genetic link.

I found there was a huge difference between my current therapist, who specializes in the spectrum, and my previous ones. Has that been your experience?