Hello all,
Just found the forum, and wanted to introduce myself. First off, I am not diagnosed (as of yet), however I have very strong suspicions I fall within the spectrum.
I initially started researching Autism as my son was a preschooler, as he showed (and continues to show) many of the early signs, such as Sensory issues, arm waiving, and social differences between peers. However, the more I researched, the more I began to realize that most of the signs could be attributed to my eldest daughter. I mentioned it to a few of her teachers, and family members (including my wife), and was generally dismissed, so I ended up dropping it, while continuing to monitor my son.
Flash forward a few more years, and my daughter, who has always been a very difficult child, starts having major issues with going to school. After another attempt at therapy, we finally get a therapist that screens her, and recommends her for an Autism diagnosis. I ended up having to take her out of state to get a diagnosis, but sure enough, she was diagnosed with ASD.
After the diagnosis, I became obsessed with researching, and reading about ASD, specifically Asperger's. It wasn't until I read "Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's," by John Elder Robinson that it occurred to me, that I may have it as well. There were so many things in the book that just totally paralleled my own life. Now, I am remembering things from my own childhood, things that family members say or said, that is validating my own-self diagnosis. I have taken the online tests, and while I know they are not without their flaws, they have all indicated I should be diagnosed.
At this point, I have only told one other person of my self-discovery, and it was not my wife. I am successful, and have learned to adapt enough to society, and in a work environment, so I do not think that an official diagnosis would help me in any significant way, other than perhaps being able to relate to my children more. In the near future, I'll be pushing forward to get my son diagnosed, and as I will likely have to go out of state, may try to get diagnosed myself (in secret) to confirm my suspicions, however I am still on the fence if I will do this.
Thanks for reading my intro, rant.. and thanks for the site, I look forward to being more of a community member now, even if it ends up being from the perspective of a parent.
09 Feb 2015, 1:21 pm
