Child abuse confused with Aspergers

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I've seen a fair number of profiles stating that people have self-diagnosed themselves as aspie. It's been a while since the clinical psychologist reported his findings after our session and one thing that stuck in my mind was his statement that the effects of child abuse resemble often autistic traits. The CS graded the abuse I suffered as "severe".

My body language is very restricted. I often don't acknowledge people who are greeting me; not ignoring them deliberately, just don't realise it's happening. These are just two symptoms of AS AND of child abuse.

With this in mind I'm thinking those who only think they are AS because they match many or all of the traits may in fact be suffering the after-effects of severe abuse. It's almost certainly worth booking a chat with a CS to find out.

This is one of the main reasons why people should avoid diagnosing themselves with AS. PTSD is just one of the things that can confuse a person into thinking that he or she has AS. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or even social anxiety (agoraphobia) are other disorders.

Take a long, hard look at most of the posts in The Haven, and you'll see what I mean.

Totally agree with you but want to add that kids with these conditions are also more likely to be abused. Which came 1st the chicken or the egg, that is the question.

It does sound as if you are labelling all those self-diagnosed with likelihood of having suffered child abuse though. I'm sure there are many now diagnosed members who were at one time, self-diagnosed.

I understand what you are saying, and perhaps it's true in some cases, but it's rather a sweeping statement, that undermines those who are very likely to be correct.

There is much more to Autism than just body language. In fact even when all challenges are dealt with, very profound differences still remain.

The label "autism" never would have occurred to me on my own, and I'm amazed at the self awareness of others to be able to distinguish these traits in themselves. Even a decade after being told about my diagnosis, I'm still unsure sometimes of the level I actually function at compared to others.

I'm not diagnosed, or self-diagnosed, or self-suspecting or whatever. People (my partner, youth workers, friends I have on the spectrum) just kept asking me if I was autistic. I didn't notice any of these differences or traits in myself. But when people said to me, you behave like this, this, this and this, and that's kind of autistic, it made me wonder if this is likely. I discussed it with my mother, she thinks its likely. In fact, I haven't discussed it with anyone who thinks it's unlikely.

My poor social skills and ToM difficulties could definitely be accounted for by abuse and neglect. My literal mind could just be a coincidence. My rigid adherence to non-functional routines (same plate, same clothes, same music, same films, same, same, same, and it's not boring to me, I love it, and hate it when it's disrupted) could be a result of my upbringing.

It's about weighing the possibilities. I know I am not in a position the weigh the possibilities for myself, that's why I am going to see a diagnostician, and a counsellor.

All I know is that I've never seen a clearer representation of my own experiences of the world than when I'm with Autistic people. Particularly offline.

I've been diagnosed with AS. Before that I was diagnosed with a personality disorder due to abuse and neglect. I had a developmental delay and speech problems my whole life. I was told this was a result of bad parenting. I don't know.

This is part of the reason I get so annoyed when I have child protection/safeguarding training. There's a multitude of things which cause children to display the "tell tale signs of neglect/abuse"

As with most minority groups, I would assume that there are more aspies who have been abused. They're not aspie because they've been abused, but difference and vulnerability are magnets for abusers. Disabled people as a whole are much more likely to have been abused.

I looked into the possibility of being on the spectrum after being in an abusive relationship. I was diagnosed with PTSD but there is def more to the issue. I do have a literal mind and that was part of the reason why he was so abusive towards me.

Same. I've met at least one person who claims he has Aspergers. There is no way he can have it. He doesn't have the social issues that many of us have, etc.

I have never really been able to distinguish these traits in myself as such - especially as I've always (with the exception of a few sensory things) been the way I am.

I think I ended up in a abusive marriage because of my AS. When I lack social relationships and someone who sees me for a mark zeros in and says he loves me after two days, and I figure that's normal so I go ahead and get married - it fits a checklist on what I knew of the rules of courtship - man loves you - check and says: marry me - check - and what have you and you were brought up in an era of "women are supposed to get married and have kids" - I thought I was following the script but I had no idea of developing a relationship,warning signs, nuances, behavior I should not tolerate that may have prevented the worst of it if I could have recognized what was going on early - well, if I knew now what I knew then. I know I am still a bit of a mark, but age and time have taught me some life lessons. So, yes I was told for some while I had PTSD - but that's all anyone looked at, that is where they stopped. I dealt with the trauma ad nauseum. AS is AS.

I agree, Logicalmom. I am NT, grew up with an abusive father and a denial mother. I'm pretty sure I don't present to clinicians as similar to AS. I have spent plenty of time in group therapy with other women who suffered similar abuse in childhood and none of them appear AS like. Lots of other diagnosis and issues, but nothing that feels like AS.



Quite possibly. I watched a lady friend with AS date a bad guy some years ago. She clung to him for years and spent another few years getting over him after he broke off from her. She thought he was the best thing alive as he used and neglected her. For all her fears; storms, non-existent intruders, driving, police, first responders.........
I wished I could have convinced her; fear thunder storms less and fear that particular guy more; as in don't cling to him; he's what you need to fear and avoid.

Off topic; It's interesting to me that you feel that you grew up in an era of; "women are supposed to get married and have kids". Growing up in the 60s and early 70s I feel I grew up in an era of "women can do whatever they want" with emphasis on independence. Could it be that your mother grew up in the traditional wife/mother era and the zeitgeist of the 70s/80s escaped you due to AS? (I'm over a decade older than you.)

Last edited by MountainLaurel on 17 Nov 2012, 10:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

People who think they may have aspergers should get a formal diagnosis. Preferably by someone who is an expert in the field.
I think it's impossible to diagnose yourself in an objective and knowledgeable manner. It just can't be done.

I disagree with the fact that people who have suffered from abuse in their childhood are showing exactly the same symptoms as people with aspergers. There may be some similarities but no more than that.

However, I do believe that the symptoms of children who have already been born with aspergers will get worse because of the abuse you are mentioning. That proves once again how disgusting and destructive child abuse is. There are so many people in the world who shouldn't have had kids!

I think another round of "don't self-diagnose because you're probably wrong and should get professional help" is tiresome and pointless.

Also, you're probably wrong about other people being wrong.

It may be pointless and tiresome in your opinion but when you are really honest you know as well as I do that people who think that it is impossible to diagnose yourself.

As I have mentioned here before, I hardly knew what aspergers was when I got diagnosed with it. I sometimes get the impression that some people think that aspergers is an interesting and special thing to have. Well, for you information, it isn't.

People who don't have it should count their blessings instead of wrongly identifying themselves with the ones who do.