Lived Self-Diagnosed, then Confirmed not to have AS

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Hi BrooxBroox, whatever is your case, please remain a member here as it will still be great for you---both because you do associate with us that are autistic, and because you are studying autism. And who knows, you may actually have mild autism but were misdiagnosed by the psychiatrist. The eye contact issues seems to be a big one for many---but I don't feel like it is a necessity. I have undergone therapy for eye contact because to be honest, with a lot of people I just cannot keep my eyes connected with their eyes. I honestly feel like my eyes are being forced away from other peoples' eyes---really a challenge. There are some people I can lock eyes with---but then it is the Aspie stare thing. Anyway, welcome to the WrongPlanet.

I am willing to discuss issues with you if you want. I don't mind to answer questions on AS/autism. I come from a family with autistics in it so I have been around autism a lot. I truly believe it is genetic. Are there people in your family with autism? What about sensory issues? For me, if I hear certain types of repetitive sounds that won't stop I can be made to hit the table with my fists. I also have problems with loud sounds. Bright lights bother me. I don't like to be touched---please, hands off---that sort of thing. A seam in my socks that isn't lying right causes me problems. I line up things. My soda can must sit with the label facing perpendicular to my left. I have special intense interests that really are a huge part of my life. Do you have these?

After a lot of study and analysis of my life, and learning about how other people operate and think (I am a gifted intervention specialist), I can say I understand the feeling I have that is autism. I can feel the inwardness. I know about the absorption into my world. Crowds bother me, but they don't scare me. Too much going on around me causes me sensory overload. I stim a lot. Do you stim? I finger flap and run things lightly across my neck and face and then scratch it off---like running the tip of my pinky finger across parts of my face then scratching. As a teen I used to twirl and pull through my hair until I was breaking my hair. I think in pictures. Do you? There are so many other things like social cues and taking things literally, but this is good for now. I would like to hear from you.

Anyway, I am Glider18, and I was diagnosed with AS/autism as an adult. I am an autistic savant (not the Rainman type, but the skill/talent type). Around here I am known for positive thinking in autism.

Hi glider18,

Thanks so much for your post. It was very informative and helpful for me.

My main "autistic" symptoms are:
-Avoiding eye contact
-Hate being touched
-Can't stand sounds like mouth smacking, bags crinkling, paper tearing, people tapping-- things like that
-Bright lights
-Socks not being aligned on toes (but most people I know are like that and not even slightly autistic)
-Can't stand dirt, water, lotion or any substance at all on my hands
-Difficulty with intimate relationships
-Anxiety due to change
-Occasional toe walking
-Used to hit and scratch self when frustrated as a child
-Constantly had to be rocked and in quiet environment as a baby
-I find deep pressure calming
-Unusually high tolerance for pain

But autistic symptoms I don't have are:
-Don't lack empathy
-Can make small talk
-Not socially awkward on daily basis
-Don't think literally
-I don't stim
-Started saying words at 5 months (although speech delay isn't part of AS)
-Reached all developmental milestones on time
-Always pointed and waved normally as a toddler
-Always responded to my name
-I can read peoples' expressions
-I can "read people" and easily decipher their intentions (like tell if I'm being lied to or deceived)

As far as autistics in my family-- no one was ever diagnosed with a spectrum disorder, but my great grandmother says my grandpa didn't talk until he was almost 4 years old. He is still a very shy person who is obsessed with math, physics, and aeronautics. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's HFA or AS.

My step-dad (so, not genetic obviously) has a brother with severe HFA. His case is kind of complicated.... he functions at a high level.... able to drive a car and works as a bus driver, and lives independently, yet he is still quite mentally and socially impaired. His mom has to buy his groceries and make sure his house is clean and all, but he is able to live indepently for the most part. I can't describe it... he has severe symptoms of autism but is able to function higher, if that makes sense. He and I don't seem to have any "disorder" slightly similar, but then again autism is a spectrum disorder

Yeah, this looks like one of the cases where the AS traits weren't causing impairment and weren't diagnosable. A diagnosis is a tool to describe a problem, and you don't put an autism diagnosis on someone if they don't have any disability!

There are, however, two ways you can be autistic: The first, the medical definition; and the second, broader, cultural definition. Autistic culture doesn't just include people who are diagnosably autistic; but also people who have the autistic neurology without any accompanying disability, and as such have a lot in common with diagnosable autistics. A lot of them used to be diagnosable but aren't now, or would be if they weren't coping so well.

So in a way, the OP probably both does and doesn't have Asperger's. For the purpose of sites like WP, he might as well be autistic.

Keyword: Broader autistic phenotype. (Hmm. Key phrase? Anyway.)

The only thing I can think of that's important to recognize is that those who have autistic neurology but aren't disabled need to be considerate of those who are disabled, or we end up with the same problems that crop up when "high-functioning" types thinking themselves better than the people they label low-functioning. Breaking ourselves up into little subgroups, with each group thinking themselves either superior or more truly autistic than the others, is not going to help autism rights one little bit.

Hello

Welcome to WP!!

I was told by four mental health professionals that I don't have AS. One doctor said because I was insightful. Later, I went to treat my anxiety with another therapist and she said that I had AS, without me even mentioning it. I tried to convince her that I only had anxiety but every time my traits kept comming. Is so obvious that I have it. I always take things literally. My AS traits are:

Poor eye contact
Anxiety
panic attacks
poor coordination/clumsiness
unusual body postures
intense preocupation with one subject
social akwardness and little social skills
lack of friends
I take things literally/concrete thinking
I'm very rigid in my routine
I thrive for prefection and order in my work
problems verbalizing my thoughts
hate small talk
high IQ
don't multitask
logical thinking
problems expressing feelings
don't like to be touched
hate noise and lights
attention to detail
visual thinking
"outside the box" thinking
I don't get people's jokes

etc.,

I think you should get a second opinion. "Experts" such as psychologists don't know everything. I have been mis-diagnosed several times by psychologists. It may surprise you, but one of the professions that seem to pick up on autism is speech therapy. Speech therapists know that I'm autistic the moment I say something. It doesn't matter how good my NT act is. They see right through me. However, you are still welcome here even if you find out that you are totally NT. You ought to take the RDOS test as well as other online tests. Most of these are based upon research, psychology, and plain old common sense. I believe that most psychologists have little expertise in diagnosing and or treating autistic people. I'm not putting down psychologists. I am only speaking from personal experience.

Close enough. While it takes impairments in three criteria to make a legit Dx, impairments in only two, throw that fish back.

That is three out of a dozen, so there are a lot of people with impairments in one or two who are nothing? I have been using the term, Half-Aspies.

The sub clinical where no trait reaches impairment, are just called Geeks, but have a lot of the same problem areas. This BAP, Broader Autism Phenotype, amounts to 10% of the population. The problems are just as real.

The DX is a statment of legal disability. Your function sounds higher than that.

It is very easy to be autistic and not meet the DSM, for the same reason that it was considered a condition of childhood, with no adult examples, children grow up and learn to cope.

We do learn, but at 40, that RDOS test will still spot the person beneath the social mask.

So welcome to WP.

maybe the person who said you're not an aspie just misdiagnosed you. I was misdiagnosed for many ridiculous things for my entire life. many psychologists have no idea what they're doing.

Broox, somebody should give her a refresher on the diagnostic criteria (you don't have to have every single symptom). I am actually pretty social, I like people, I can make small talk and eye contact (it takes a little conscious effort, though), and I communicate very well. I got marked down for the "inappropriate facial expressions" because I give a kind of "Oh well, what the heck" type smile when I don't do as well as I thought I might, but that's just me being positive.

I would recommend going to a testing center (one that can give legal diagnoses) to resolve this.

Don't come and say you have Aspergers unless you have been diagnosed.