How many on WP do you think really have some form of autism?

Post Reply New Topic

I thought that CAPD was one of those things that was more likely to go along with spectrum issues...sorta like face-blindness...

I have the list.

It was passed on to me from the direct lineage of Hans and Leo themselves, who were actually brothers of the same...father, but of different mothers, and that father was Eugene Bleuler. The list has the complete genetic tree of all the...experiments that were released after the war.

I know the true origins of autism, and by revealing it ambiguously, my life...isn't in danger, because no one actually cares.

OK....i'm an idiot....I really don't know if you're being serious here or not.

Repetitive stereo-typed behaviors and social functioning are both criteria within the over-all diagnosis of Autism. The severity and or level of impairment can only be determined for certain by a trained professional. Often times mental "disorders" are a severity of normal human functioning. There are plenty of NTs that are very passionate about a limited amount of subjects and there are no doubt plenty of NTs that have social problems. The only difference is the significance of his or her symptoms and whether or not they fully satisfy the criteria for Aspergers.

I cannot speak for everyone because there are exceptions to every rule and/or generalization, however I suspected that I might have an ASD a few years before I was diagnosed. I have since had two specialists return with the same diagnosis for me. In my case my "self-diagnosis" was correct and confirmed by a real diagnosis.

The spectrum is just that, a spectrum and/or a continuum. There are people on both poles and everywhere in between. This includes people with severe Autism and people who are closer to the NT pole yet still have the threshold to warrant their diagnosis. I believe that we should refrain from discounting other people's diagnosis. When I was administered the WAIS IQ test I scored 127 verbal, average for another component (94), however with one component I scored a 74 which is significantly lower. I was told that an over-all IQ score would not be very accurate with me since my skills were so "uneven". As a general rule Aspergers is differentiated from LFA because verbal is higher then performance. The opposite is true for classical Autism. Its unfair to judge a person's diagnosis based on just one factor. It will lead you to the wrong conclusion.



If you mean Central Auditory Processing Disorder, then yes its frequently co-morbid with Aspergers. I for one have both.

This would be like lung cancer patients saying that people with liver cancer mimic cancer. If you meet the diagnosis for cancer, you meet the diagnosis criteria. You use the word mimic, however if CAPD were to create symptoms identical to Aspergers what would be the difference? Aspergers phenomena is defined by a set of criteria. If a person meets those they have it. Any other debate is just debating the cause which could very well have multiple causes. CAPD is a valid separate diagnosis because even though many people with ASD have CAPD, not everyone with CAPD has Aspergers.

Last edited by Polarisx7 on 01 Dec 2009, 4:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Well, it's a matter of opinion. We don't have DNA test for autism yet. So it goes down to the psicologist/psichiatric comunity. Diagnostic Manual change and with it change how people percive DX. Asperger? Sometimes I wonder if something like Asperger "really" exist. If you look at the stereotype Aspie yes, many, many of us doesn't have Asperger. But really Asperger is that? Many psicologist doesn't agree you can go to one and he says that you can't be Aspie because you are not litteral but another one thinks that's not an important trait, and so on. I see "Aspie" simply as a very high functioning autism, and autism itself is a spectrum.

As for me, put me between autistic and they'll probably call me NT, put me between NT and they actually call me "half autistic" (many of my coworkers!).

Yes I'm not litteral, yes I can work and also go to a restourant or lead a conference.. but after that I go to bathroom and rock for half an hour, does it matter? Is really behavior and "functioning" all the story? I don't think so.

Defining Asperger/Autism is like defining "afroamerican", there are people clearly afroamerican but there are many between the 2 worlds, and actually it depends on them how they want to define themselves, for me If you feel an Aspie is enough. By the way, I'll se what my daughter psicologist will say, she has asked me if I want to get a DX, so we will see

Nightsun,

There again it comes down to individual "differences" within the spectrum. I cannot speak for anyone else but here is my perspective... I am one of those Autistics that was born functionally socially ret*d. I didn't have ANY of the "rules" hardwired and my only means of understanding such rules were from a literal point of view and inquiry from NTs. Like many people here you may actually have a higher ability to function socially yet still meet the criteria for Aspergers/Autism. It doesn't mean you do not have it entirely. From what you've shared it sounds like you're being over-loaded and feel the need to stim. I call that state "stimulation fatigue". After a lot of interaction with people I need my "alone" time.

It's nice to see when the community here takes something seemingly negative and turns it into an opportunity for discussion and learning. You all are quite keen.


M.

I have been wonderign for a long time whether I really do have a form of autism or not. I was nto diagnosed until late. I have been wonderign if I did somthign worng that made them think I have autism when I do not. But I did nto even knwo they were goign to diangose me with it. I had been in the mental health system fro years. then they said autism. If it was always there then hwo did they miss it for years. It does nto make sence to me. also on the reprot it says autistic disorder. it does nto say asperger syndroem. I think a late diangose fro asperger sydnerome would make more sence. It does not make secne for such a late diagnosis of autistc disorder. I have decided I am high functioing. Becuase my inteligence is with in normal ranges. I think taht is right for the definition. A normal inteligece means high functioining? I Know i should be spell cheaking my posts. I was going to spell cheak them all. but it takes so long. I have dyslexia and dyspraxia also. I dont post to much here becuase it is a big effort to work out how to say thigns. i have had years of spech lange theripy to help btu it is still difiuclt. maby I am just being lazy. maby that is how i got diangonised from being to lazy. I do nto understand it. Maby I need to try harder then they will change the diangois. but I am tyring so hard already. I dont knwo waht to do. should I send a leter to the psyclogist or psyciatirst and tell them I thnk they misdignosed me? I think they shoudl at elast change the diagnosis to asperger syndrome. I definently think I do nto have autistc disorder. It is stresful to knwo I am diagnsoed wtih it. I do not think i have it. It is upseting beucase it is a lie.

I'm under the impression that most people here have a form of autism but the majority are mild.

You're no idiot, and I suspect Danielismyname is joking (he has a delightfully dry sense of humour).

Prior to the 1990's it was not widely recognized that people who could talk functionally were Autistic. Even today the overwhelming majority of psychiatrists know very little about Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and would not know to consider it, much less be able to diagnose one.

What may have occured in your instance is that your case has come to the attention of someone who has some familiarity or expertise in Autistic Spectrum Disorders resulting in the possibility been considered for the first time in connection with yourself. It is not uncommon for people with Autistic disorders to be mis-diagnosed with mental illness or psychiatric disorders, and it is not in the least bit implausible for someone to have their Autism overlooked or misdiagnosed by mental health practitioners.


You might meet the diagnostic criteria for Autistic Disorder. If you experienced a qualative delay in acquiring speech, or self-help skills in early childhood, or this information cannot be determined at this time, then some physicians will give an Autistic disorder diagnosis because Asperger Syndrome requires there not be such delays. Further, some physicians do not accept that there is a valid division between Asperger Syndrome and Autistic Disorder and so do not use "Asperger Syndrome".

Why does this diagnosis not make sense to you in your particular case?


If you are trying very hard then the problem is very probably not laziness.


How much information do you have regarding why the diagnosis was made? How and why did Autism come to be considered and what kind of assessment and expertise was employed to arrive at the diagnosis? What is the clinical rational for Autism and for the Autistic Disorder diagnosis in particular? To judge the soundness of your diagnosis you need to know this kind of information and so if you do not have it, you might consider requesting clarification around anything that is unclear to you about how you got this diagnosis. Then if you want to write about your concerns regarding misdiagnosis, you will have specific information to work with. You will know why Autistic Disorder rather than Asperger Syndrome and can state your case accordingly.


Not everyone accepts the two are distinct; the DSM which is the primary diagnostic standard might merge the two conditions in the next iteration of the DSM (expected in 2012). However if you think the current Asperger criteria better fit you, or that neither diagnosis properly applies, then the first step to resolving the issue is probably to find out why this diagnosis has been applied in your case.

I heard lot of aspies are mild.

"Prior to the 1990's it was not widely recognized that people who could talk functionally were Autistic. Even today the overwhelming majority of psychiatrists know very little about Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and would not know to consider it, much less be able to diagnose one"

I did not know this.

"Why does this diagnosis not make sense to you in your particular case?"

It does not make secne becuas I have friends. And I feel normal. I talk. I can write thigns and I write storys and do art. my cosin said taht she thinks my upbrign might have caused me to be liek this also.

"How much information do you have regarding why the diagnosis was made?"

I wsa out of the mental health system fro 1 year arpoxmatly. then the spech lange therpist said she needed to refure me back so taht the pcycoligist would give a reprot to say I needed mroe serivis. then I went to the apoitment and mum came also. and teh pcycolgist asked mum if she had considerd autism. it was the same psycoligst taht was noramly with my case. she did not say autism before. mum said yes. then they started talkign about it. some people before then said they thoguht I have autism. but they were nto profesionals they were jsut people who kenw me. The psyclostit told mum I had autsim spectrum disorder. and she wrote a leter sayign autism specturm disorder and autistic disorder on it. which are not diferent thigns.


"How and why did Autism come to be considered and what kind of assessment and expertise was employed to arrive at the diagnosis?"

they psycoligst had my file and said she had read throguh all of it. she said "its all very complciated" then she started talkign about autism. I do not think there was any assessment. does taht mean it does nto count. if there was not a assessment?


"What is the clinical rational for Autism and for the Autistic Disorder diagnosis in particular?"

I do nto know. What does this mean exactly?

"To judge the soundness of your diagnosis you need to know this kind of information and so if you do not have it, you might consider requesting clarification around anything that is unclear to you about how you got this diagnosis. Then if you want to write about your concerns regarding misdiagnosis, you will have specific information to work with. You will know why Autistic Disorder rather than Asperger Syndrome and can state your case accordingly. "

Do you mean writing a leter to ask why I was diagnosed with autsim?

"Not everyone accepts the two are distinct; the DSM which is the primary diagnostic standard might merge the two conditions in the next iteration of the DSM (expected in 2012). However if you think the current Asperger criteria better fit you, or that neither diagnosis properly applies, then the first step to resolving the issue is probably to find out why this diagnosis has been applied in your case."

Are they the same thing? I think i shoudl find out why. I have a copy of the leter. but it does not say why.

This.

People could think there's nothing wrong with me, because on the outside I'm just a slightly clumsy and shy person that constantly says the wrong thing.
But years before I even knew of Asperger's I could come up with Shanti(my name) syndrome and it would match all the most common AS symptoms.
My life is pretty screwed up at the moment so I don't need to convince myself I have AS. It's annoyingly there.

Indeed. I can speak! My Autism must be a sham!

I am sometimes concerned that many who self-diagnose and seek no further confirmation are perhaps looking for a justification for giving in to traits that they might work through if they didn't let the self-DX become a recipe for defeatist surrender. But, I am not a professional Psychologist and I originally was a self-DXer, so it's not for me to judge.

I can say that the more I've learned about the disorder, the more self-revelatory the knowledge has become. One of the weirdest parts of the experience has been recognizing internal actions, reactions and behaviors as actual aspects of the fact that my brain is firing neurons differently than those around me. Things that have always been frustrating, disappointing and upsetting are no less so, but I see them for what they are now.

My internal isolation has become a snow-globe, that I watch in continual preoccupation as people and events disturb the enclosed system and send it swirling in specific motifs, that were once merely chaotic and now clearly have a strange symmetry. I still have no real control over it, but I can recognize the sequences as patterns and they are at once fascinating and wistfully existential. A comforting and disturbing melancholy.

Autistic people can do all those things. I have friends, and since AS is not a disease or condition that is in addition to the core self, people with Autism feel normal as themselves. Many with Autism are very gifted writers and/or artists. I know nothing of what you are "like" as relevant to the discussion, so cannot comment on your cousin's input.

Mental health services are becomming more aware of Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and more and more practitioners are acquiring awareness of ASDs. It could be that the speech therapist suggested the possibility, or that your psychologist has newly acquired some awareness in this area, or it might be that your service provider reviews returning consumers for possible Autistic Spectrum Disorders because of the evidence that many instances of "treatment resistent" diagnosed "mental illness/psychiatric disorders" are actually instances of misdiagnosed Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

If this is a psychologist you have worked with before, who also has access to your case history, and interviewed you with your mother when they gave the diagnosis, then this would all constitute assessment and would be adequate for diagnostic purposes in many instances.


"What is the clinical rational for Autism and for the Autistic Disorder diagnosis in particular?"
To reach a diagnosis, physicians consider the possible conditions that could match the presenting symptoms (as the physician understands them), and then attempt to rule out conditions untill one particular answer is left. The reasons why the symptoms are considered to indicate the particular condition being diagnosed and why other conditions are considered to not be better or equally good explanations (for the presenting symptoms/complaints) constitutes the "clinical rational" for the diagnosis.

If you are not going to see the psychologist again or feel more comfortable approaching this in a letter, then this might be a good idea. For instance you seem unclear as to whether or not an actual assessment took place and if so what precisely constituted this, so you might want to ask when and why Autism came to be suspected, what clinical assessment or other methods were used, and about the particular expertise in respect of diagnosing Autism of the person who diagnosed you. You also seem to be concerned that if you do have Autism that you have the Asperger type rather than the Kanner varient that you have been diagnosed with, so you might want to ask how this particular decision was arrived at.


It's not entirely clear whether there is a clinically significant difference (whether the criteria that separates the two actually indicates anything about prognosis, best treatment/intervention practice, functioning level, or anything of clinical utility). It is currently an area of much controversy.