Is WP attracting too many of the wrong people

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Self diagnosis is a individual's right.

Armchair diagnoses are offensive, reckless and potentially harmful. Your comments are all of those things and more.

Indeed - under the WP banner it says:
Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences.


It's not like this is some exclusive club in which only those lucky enough to be diagnosed can participate - don't we have enough elitism and exclusivity in other aspects of our lives already?

There are plenty of non-Aspie Autistic people who find the idea that "Aspie only" is a bit elitist as well.

I posted a few months ago how the Aspergers Association of Victoria (Australia) advertised an upcoming workshop on "High Functioning Autism and Aspergers". When I enquired over tickets I was told that ticket prices were subsidised for parents of children diagnosed with Aspergers. I asked as a parent of HFA child with an interest in the workshop could I get the discount? The answer was no, I had to pay as a member of the public!! An extra $100! I wrote a letter of complaint to the organiser. Her response was that the Aspergers association looks after the interests of children with aspergers and their parents. I wrote a letter to Autism Victoria (State body) and they told me that AAV were an independent organisation and were not under the jurisdiction of Autism Victoria.

So getting back to Wrong Planet - I canvassed parents of PDD-NOS and HFA kids whether we need a separate section on this forum. I'd like to canvass this idea again.

When you create your WP profile, they offer a choice of checking self-diagnosed, officially diagnosed, not sure, NT, other diagnosis, or having a relative with AS. To me, this implies that this community is open to all who have interest in AS vs needing to be sure they have it.

This forum is too AS centric. I might look around for other forums.

No please stay; I like reading different people's viewpoints...

The thing is, you kinda have to suspect something before seeking a diagnosis, right? Like if you got all sorts of symptoms for stomach ulcer, they'll send you to test for ulcer. You kinda have to go through that suspect and speculate stage before you can be tested. It doesn't mean you can't check out some ulcer support forum for information before it's confirmed.

Autism is much harder to test and a lot more expensive. Not everybody have the coverage or fund to do those test. Not every doctor even know enough about them. So usually only those who are very certain they'll benefit from having a diagnosis would go through with that. I'm waiting for a private assessment. I'll pay for it and still it's at least 6 months' wait time.

So, as suspected (strongly!! !) but not formally diagnosed yet, am I welcome or not?

Don't hold your breath. In addition to my daughter's ASD I'm also a self diagnosed AS. I find it the height of arrogance that I need to prove I'm an AS with a piece of paper from a health professional who will charge me $800 to tell me what I already know.

argggg; this thread has gotten toooooooooo hostile.

My husband and brother also score within the spectrum, but they don't care much about diagnosis and don't feel they need the support, so you'll not likely find either of them posting here. My daughter is undergoing the diagnosis process, but may or may not begin posting here if I tell her about the site. I am convinced enough that I have an ASD that no professional, if they tried to, could get me to believe I don't. In fact, the more I study the symptoms, the more certain I am that it applies to me.

Something has been "different" about me for most of my nearly 47 years, but up until recently they didn't know there was a name for it. They didn't even know it was a bona fide "difference," just that I was a physically uncoordinated, socially awkward but highly intelligent kid who could talk like an encyclopedia and do the school work of several grades ahead of myself, but couldn't jump rope, ride a bike, throw a ball, or make friends. If not having a piece of paper with a diagnosis written on it makes me the "wrong" kind of person for this forum, then I am truly despondent.

I am diagnosed with AS and I find "Aspie only" to be elitist.



This is pretty ridiculous. The distinction between autism and AS is completely arbitrary.



I would like to see the forum decenter "Aspie" as the default, myself, but I've already actually said that in the wrongplanet.net discussion forum, or something close to it.

I don't have an opinion on subforums, I prefer like...three forums.

Wow! Mine is going to charge me $1750 and I checked several doctors and they're all similar. It must be a big city thing. I wish I can find someone who only charge $800.

I agree WP is the place for all sorts of different people, including NT who know somebody with AS or just interested. Even if my self-diagnosis turn out to be completely wrong, I have two diagnosed kids and I should belong here.

Tut, tut! Imagine claiming not to fit in anywhere, when they really do fit in! And then, to top it all, using this false claim of theirs in order to pretend to fit in here, when they really don't fit in! Is there no end to these people's deceitfulness? Perhaps they should start up their own website, "Sorry, Wrong Wrong Planet".

I'm 53 and have never had an official diagnosis. I am using this site as the Educational Psychologist at my son's school informed me that my son is without doubt on the autistic spectrum, and in his opinion has Asperger's Syndrome. He gave my son the choice of getting an 'official diagnosis' or allowing him (the Psychologist) to inform school staff of the 'unofficial diagnosis' so that they could be more sensitive to his needs. My son chose not to be diagnosed - he feels different enough without giving those who bully him extra ammunition, at the moment he is not officially a 'freak'. I came on here looking for information on how best to help my son, and also discovered that I wasn't alone, there are lots of people out there who are older, undiagnosed, and mightily relieved to have finally discovered they are not entirely to blame for their perceived faults.

My son's behaviours and sensory sensitivities are very similiar to, but far milder than, mine. Mine are in turn minor compared with those of my late father.

Thankfully, most people on here seem welcoming and supportive. However, if this had been the first topic I had read on the site it is unlikely I would have felt comfortable joining in - and frankly I've had quite long enough of feeling an outsider.

Gotten?

It started hostile. The title "Is WP attracting too many of the wrong people" is clearly rancorous.