Doctors who specialize in aspergers

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Im just wondering.. for those of you who have seen several doctors or psychologists.. what difference does it make seeing someone who specializes in ASD? I understand that they are better able to diagnose aspergers, but was there a significant difference in how they were able to help you find help for the problems you were having?

When I was in college, I felt there was something off in my life, so I took advantage of the free counseling they had there. After three months, my counselor told me that I might have Aspergers, told me what it was and recommended me someone who specializes in Aspergers. Since I had no health insurance, it was a bit expensive, but they gave me a reasonable discount. It helped me a lot with realizing what problems I had with people. If you can see a specialist, do it. After about two months, I learned enough to "function" in a way that made my life a lot better. Plus a Aspergers group that recommended some good literature (I like their suggestion for the book, "How NT People Think -> aka -> How to Win Friends and Influence People).

The difference was huge for me. A counselor who didn't know anything about ASDs actually hurt me, a counselor who knows about ASDs has actually been helping me with my meltdowns lately.

I've not seen someone who specializes in AS for AS counseling but I've seen people who know nothing about AS for what was essentially AS related issues.

I drove one of them to a nervous break down of sorts. Not intentionally of course. He was just under the impression there was some deep emotional cause as to my behavior...I suppose that would be a valid assumption of an NT, and when he couldn't drag it out of me (because there was nothing to drag out), he became frustrated.

I find that those who really don't deal specifically with AS expect the patient to have a great deal of emotional trauma and substantial emotional responses to certain situations which, as someone with AS, I experience in more of a neutral way. I call this "misplaced empathy" on their part. In other words, they don't know what actually upsets you and what doesn't because they assume you would be upset by, and unphased by the things NT's are usually upset by and unphased by. We are just too alien to them.

They exist, but I think they only treat children. Just like people who train service dogs for autistic people. We disapear once we turn 18 you know.

I was tested by a nuero-psychologist who later refered me to a neuro psychologist who specializes in autism who also has Aspergers Syndrome.

Mine doesn't help me very much. My main problems aren't the symptoms of AS though. I can manage those well enough on my own for now.

If you want to treat AS symptoms they may be better able to help. If not I suspect a different kind of specialist may be better.

After having a bad streak with psychs. I went back to a learning disability center, I found someone who I think is gonna work a lot better. Id "now" for most aspies, u should see someone who at least specializes in learning disorders. Normal psychs dont really get aspies. But then not every single autism/learning disability specialist is gonna suit every aspie. Similar to how not every single person who specializes in depression and anxiety is gonna suit every single NT with depression and anxiety. And that makes things more challenging to aspies.

Normal psychs cant really help you and dont get you and will think your a weird NT whos problems all result from your co-morbid disorders. Psych mostly think Im a stubborn NT with bad social anxiety and mild depression. And for some reason, they refuse to admit that their not working. I think their should be some ethical thing that psychs are suppose to tell you when they dont think their a good match.

Are any of these special aspergers doctors covered by insurance?