Hello - Anyone here diagnosed as an adult (or from Houston)?

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Hello everyone.

Let me start by saying that I'm very grateful for this site since it may become the reason I've finally figured out what has caused me to be the way I am.

I've spent years going to doctors and researching various medical conditions to try and figure out why I've had certain physical issues, but only recently - thanks to a joking comment by a physician ("Your brain doesn't seem to function normally") - I started considering the possible links to behavioral issues and a neurological source for everything.

I must admit that even in the recent past I would never had known that "autism" was anything other than "Rain Man". I never knew how diverse it was, much less what "autistic spectrum disorders" were or that they could be mild or that I might have them. The way I am always seemed normal to me even if I could tell that I was not typical, and I never thought much about it - I just suffered through it and dealt with it and stayed miserable.

When my personal research finally got to the point of possible ASD connections, it was a sort of an epiphany. Suddenly pieces of the puzzle came together. Then when I found this site and started reading through the various threads, I was in complete shock. So much of what I find people saying here is such an exact match to me that it is simply beyond any probable coincidence. For my entire life I've never met anyone who acts or feels like I do and yet here there seem to be few people who don't.

It's almost too hard to process fully and I must admit that I'm feeling massive regret over not having reached this possible explanation earlier in my life. Things may have ended better for me if I had.

But even now that I finally feel on to something, I am stuck with the problem of moving forward because I'm an adult (turned 38 recently). At this point, I've learned to compensate and adapt so much that I'm worried a professional diagnosis will become complicated by what I've become and/or because of my current life situation. Might I be misdiagnosed because ASD is so complicated to begin with? Might not a psychologist just think I have "issues" (and might they not be correct)?

Plus, there seems to be an issue in general with adult diagnosis. So much of the diagnostic part of this, at least from what I have found so far, seems geared towards children or adults with more outwardly severe issues.

I have, however, also read many people claiming to have been diagnosed as adults. My question is, how?

I have called several doctors (searching for psychologists and neurologists) and found they weren't sure how to approach my situation. Even their receptionists didn't seem to know what ASD was. One psychologist suggested I come in for a personal meeting, which I have next week, but even he said it isn't common for adults to be looking for a diagnosis like this. Another clinic I found said they would get back to me because the doctors wanted to discuss the matter first since they also haven't done an adult evaluation before.

Adding to this, I have no job or insurance, so I can't exactly just keep trying random doctors hoping to get lucky - nor could I afford numerous sessions and batteries of tests. I'm just hoping to find someone who can give me an experienced professional opinion based on what I know and can explain, even if the only ultimate result is knowing there was an actual reason for why my life has been what it has been.

So with all of that being said, can anyone offer any suggestions as to what else I can try?

I'm located in Houston, Texas, so there must be options available to me. Perhaps someone knows a decent doctor in (preferably northern) Houston with experience in diagnosing possible ASD in adults?

Thanks very much!

Welcome to WrongPlanet!

Welcome!!

Didn't read over the main part of your intro, however I can say that a user known as Tim_Tex often greets new users here, and he himself is from Houston, Texas, so you will be able to chat with him.

Welcome to WP from a fellow Texan!

Until 2 months ago, I lived in Houston, but I now live in Wichita Falls, about 400 miles to the northwest.

Tim

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

I've been unemployed since March. I found out I have AS two weeks after my last contract, so I was fortunate that the Indiana Department of Vocational Rehabilitation paid $180 of the $200 cost of my 2 diagnostic sessions. I paid the other $20 as a copay. I found my psychologist by calling every psychologist and psychiatrist in the yellow pages and asking if they diagnosed AS in adults. Anyone who said they don't normally do that or they have only diagnosed children so far, I dropped from the list. I found 4 candidates who have training specific to diagnosing AS in adults, so they knew how to look past the coping skills I've developed over time (I'm 50).

The trick is: don't stop calling when you find the first person willing to take your money. Call them all and find the best one you can. The psychologist I saw even asked me if I wanted her to rubber-stamp my self-diagnosis so I could get state benefits. I appreciated her candor and said I wanted an honest evaluation because I need answers. We got along fine.

Argh, dammit! Well my earlier post is a bit useless now, innit?

I was diagnosed in Houston at 22 years of age. So check on both.

Thanks for the welcomes everyone.

MysteryFan3 - I've been unemployed for much, much longer than you. But that's not why I'm looking for a diagnosis now. I'm not concerned with getting benefits or anything. Never would anyway and that doesn't really matter anymore. I'm just looking for personal understanding. I don't even care if I don't get whatever is considered a legally official diagnosis - I just want a real professional one. Same boat as you were in I guess. Any diagnosis for me doesn't ultimately matter beyond the personal reasons.

Not to me. I did actually PM Tim anyway, just in case.



Any chance you could post where specifically you went? Or perhaps PM me the doctor's info? I would really appreciate it. My searching is getting beyond frustration and some places still haven't called me back and now it's the weekend and I'm just to stressed and depressed...

Gimme about an Hour. Do you just need his name or contact info as well?

Thanks so much, that's really nice of you.

Probably not a good idea to post any specific contact info for anyone in a public forum, so maybe you can just PM me the contact info? A phone number would be great if you have one. If not, even an address may help. I'll take whatever I can get.

Or if you prefer, just let me know and I'll PM you my e-mail address.

Last edited by Zer0_Voltage on 02 Nov 2007, 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MADDuck is from Houston and was diagnosed as an adult! PM him! Go on!


Welcome to WP, Zer0 Voltage!

Nice to meet you, Zer0.

I'm Jerry.

I live in Fort Worth but maybe soon I'll be moving to Austin (there is a full time psychology faculty position open at a community college down there!) - anyway, I was diagnosed at 26 yoa, but I was diagnosed with everything else in the world before that!

I didn't read all the way through your post - but what I did to get diagnosed is to find autism experts in the DFW area and then call them to ask if they would be willing to meet with an adult for a possible diagnosis of autism - I had education on my side, though - I am working on a Ph.D. in educational psychology and have a lot of experience testing so I could tell them about how divergent my IQ scores are and how my MMPI shows really wierd spikes that aren't indicative of anything I can find in books . . . though at that time I didn't realize that all my visual and perceptual problems were also related to autism as I had just read Temple's 'Thinking in Pictures' and one of Donna Williams books . . .

The problem that you are experiencing with compensation is a similar one - when I tell people I am autistic they are surprised but I tell them they can't see inside my head and how hard I'm working to behave normally . . . particularly lately - we have this LOUD woman at my work that I've about blown up at the last few days . . . grrrr . . .

Good luck getting a diagnosis - I found it really legitimized the whole thing for me.

Ana54 - Thanks, will do!

JerryHatake - Thanks, and nice to meet you as well.

animallover - Yeah, that's sort of what I was doing. Both searching the web and contacting people looking for a lead. Clearly I did it backwards and should have joined and posted here first. I have pretty serious issues with loud people too. I don't blow up - in fact rarely experience anything that could be considered an emotional response - I just want to get away. Fast and far. I then feel sick and burned out. Kind of hard to describe.

Joybob - Thanks again for the PM!

Hi Zer0_Voltage,Welcome

I too am stuck with the problem of moving forward because I'm an adult (turned 40 recently).
Still can't believe it.I was in complete shock about the dx 2 months before,as well
I've given up trying to understand or explain ASD,
or read any more books about getting Aspy kids to behave.
I guess I'm at the 'acceptance' stage
If you find anything usefull,let me know.
I am happy to plonk away on WP for the rest of my life,
& I hope you join in.
Peace & love from Australia.