Do you think Asperger's Syndrome is over diagnosed?

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Frankly, I think they diagnose people as aspies when they AREN'T! They CLEARLY diagnose people, that ARE aspies, as NOT being aspies! Others, like ME, never had a chance either way. BTW b9, MANY might deny that YOU are AS based only on what you said! Even Asperger HIMSELF might have said so.

Yeah, its not like I think its cool to possibly have AS, the problems I have are not cool at all, I just want to understand them better.

A lot of people in the UK who are diagnosed don't seem to fit the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome as I've come to understand it. They go to pubs with their friends and drink; they "hang out." Many of them have or have had girlfriends or wives. Their problems seem to be qualitatively different from the AS Americans know, which is a developmental disorder focusing on deficits in social (especially nonverbal) communication, sensory or gestalt processing, love of routine or familiarity, obsessive interests, etc. In the UK, the diagnosis seems to mean doesn't fit the social norm for any reason at all: lack of initiative or otherwise low conscientiousness, socio-economic disadvantage, etc.

Possibly it's not "cool" to have, but the point b9 made is that it's a "reassurance" to people that haven't made it in life, who are simply lazy NTs, or attention seekers. Now, as for myself, I reject the all or nothing idea. I'm self dxed at the moment, and am fairly certain that I will never get professionally dxed. Why? Because I've learned. Certain people get smart, figure things out, cope, and deal with their problems. They might look like total f-ckups, and *act* normal, but is what's on the outside truly indicative of what's on the inside? Most things that people would consider NTish about myself are learned, forced, and do not always work. Each of our situations is different, to judge based on oneself is kind of irrational, in my opinion.

There is some truth in this. In the UK, 'Aspergers' seems to cover all types of Autistic-like conditions, except classical Autism. However, I wouldn't go as far as to say that somebody can't have AS just because they enjoy a drink or two at the local, or is in a romantic relationship. As JR said, you learn NT behaviour to some extent and although the social awkwardness, sensory issues, obsessions and love of routine will never go away, they can be controlled to some extent.

Back to the main discussion, I think that there are varying degrees of severity of AS. Unfortunately, all people who have been diagnosed with AS simply have 'AS,' even though we're all vastly different in the symptoms that we show. I don't think AS is over diagnosed, it's just that, because it was only recognised by the DSM in 1994, it's still a new condition, so it seems like there is an epidemic. In reality, people are being diagnosed now because knowledge and awareness of AS in the medical profession has improved. I would agree with Daniel and say that AS was (and still might be) underdiagnosed, but the problem is that every man and his dog wants to have a diagnosis of AS.

I say that if a dog wants a diagnosis of AS, let's give it to him/her! I mean they are OBVIOUSLY smart, and WILL see the descrimination, etc....

I couldn't resist!

I believe it's overdiagnosed by laypeople.

I have an aspie friend who goes to a bar to drink beer. He does it because he chooses too, he wants to be more than a label. He also has friends but not many he says. I have gone to a bar myself for karokee but I don't really like them because they are loud and smokey. I used ear plugs though but I just don't like the cigarettes. I wouldn't say I don't go to bars because of my AS, I am just not interested.



I also talked to another aspie on MSN. He had lot of girlfriends but I forget how many, 17? He said he met them at bars and aspie gatherings but hasn't had a girlfriend in fours years now because he hasn't found anyone since then who is interested in him. The relationships lasted like three months and one was eight months. I think he said his last one lasted 1.5 years.


I just don't go around assuming someone doesn't have AS just because they go to a bar or they talk a lot or they had girlfriends or boyfriends. I sure talk a lot. Lot more than other people. Other times I am under talktive.

Good way to look at it SG. There's ALWAYS more to the story than some "type" that everyone fits.

It depends on what you mean by diagnosis. Self-diagnosis or by parents with consolting a doctor yet, yes. But people that have actually been diagnosed by a doctor, no.

I don't like the "lazy NT" thing. A lazy NT is not too lazy to learn to socialize, nor too lazy to pick up the speech patterns around him. I don't see how he could get diagnosed with Asperger's at all. ADHD, possibly; but then, ADHD often does show up as what looks like laziness--and if you are a decent doctor, the coaching you do for ADHD will help somebody who's lazy, too.

I've been told I'm 'lazy', that I don't work hard enough to fit in, that I should just get out and socialize more and I'd be fine. But I work very hard as it is... I don't know how to work harder. My response has always been, "Well, if I'm lazy, then teach me how not to be lazy!" And nobody's ever been able to even point me in the right direction...

I'm still undiagnosed but I do think autism is over-used and over-diagnosed. It seems to have become a catch-all for all sorts of other problems.

I am actually quite social, and can talk a lot (though no guarantee I'm keeping track of all that I'm saying). I also am pretty good at reading facial expressions, tone, and body language (though have other social oddities and difficulties, such as - I can know that someone is angry or whatever, but I don't know what is "socially appropriate" to do with that information). I also have a wide variety of interests, and I rarely get into monologues about my interests.

However, I stim like crazy, speech can short out on me so that at times I am either nonverbal or solely echolalic, I get sensory overload from being in places like stores, and when a plan changes unexpectedly I am prone to meltdown and engage in self-injury (though I've gotten better at controling self-injury). I also have auditory processing issues (common), and almost never make eye contact.

Someone can have very different traits, or have those traits present differently, and they're still on the spectrum. My dad is way less obvious than I am, to the point that he may not get the diagnosis as an adult, as he's adapted so much. While I have little social difficulty (though, it looks like I have way more social difficulty when trying to socialize with people who can't tolerate my "weirdness"), and at times talk a lot, there are plenty of autistic people who have less difficulty and "obvious autistic traits" but are still very much autistic.

Should I claim that any autistic person who doesn't stim, or just does something like bouncing their leg, and who can make eye contact "obviously don't have AS?" I mean, rocking and difficulty with eye contact are extremely common in autistic people. But not everybody does it, and there are those who have learned to suppress it.

I don't mean to rail on you, I just want to get the point down that autistic people can act very differently, and still be autistic.

I have been out to pubs with people. This does not mean I do not have AS. The fact that I become unable to participate in conversation because other peoples' speech becomes incomprehensible, even though they can all hear each other is probably more relevant than whether or not I am at the pub in the first place.

Plenty of people drink to cope with stress and distress, this is not something exclusive to non-autistics.

I do not, nor have ever had a girlfriend or a wife. I do however have a long-term partner (male). I suggest that what is more relevant than whether I (or others) have and/or have had romantic relationships is the impact of AS on those relationships. AS impacts on romantic relationships, it does not preclude them.

I am unable to comment on the manner in which AS is being diagnosed in either the UK or the US as I have no direct experience of either, but I think it's important to keep in mind that AS is a neurological condition, not a personality profile.

I don't know if it is under- or over-diagnosed. This sort of thing can only be shown when our knowledge about the underlying problems in the brain is large enough to diagnose AS by a simple brainscan.

i do not know any people in my life that have asperger syndrome.
i never met another AS person.
i think this means it is rare.

but i post on other AS forums.
there seems to be a never ending stream of people who are self diagnosed.

some are accepted with open arms, and then they go on to dominate and change the flavor of that forum.

they seem so well adjusted in ways that i am not, and they also seem to be manipulative.
they invite members to parties and barbecues, and they talk just like i hear NT people talk at the shops.

i think that there are some people who like the "innocence" of asperger people, and then want to fit theirselves in with that by saying they are also asperger.

they may identify with what AS people say, but that does not make them AS.
but some are prone to act like an AS person just to be involved.

i have seen three asperger people in my correspondence on the net.

i am friends with them, and i identify with their thoughts so much that i truly believe they are AS.

i do not trust anyone who just sits on an available seat and says that is where he is supposed to be.




i really was not talking about you or any single person.

i have no idea who you are so i can not say anything to you.

there has to be some correlation coefficient in all asperger people, because if there is no way in the universe that you and me are similar, then the definition of asperger syndrome is not valid or cohesive.


so i am not saying you are a pretender or anyone on this forum is.

also, i should start my sentences with "i think"
that would make them less offensive i guess, as it reduces the scope of the idea to just my own head.

Last edited by b9 on 17 Aug 2008, 8:36 am, edited 1 time in total.