How Many People Here Are actually Autistic or have Aspergers

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My 10 y/o daughter was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age 7. We suspected something was amiss since she was about a year old, but didn't realize just how amiss since she was so much like my husband and I both as children. When she was 7, she started having violent meltdowns due to sensory overload after riding the bus home from school. It wasn't an option for us to not bus at that time. She was a danger to herself and her younger brother and sister, and I got a few good bruises from her as well. When she was evaluated, the specialists at the UC Davis MIND Institute asked if either of us, her parents, had similar behaviors or autistic traits. Before then, we'd not realized autism was a spectrum disorder. Reading up on Asperger's, HFA, Temple Grandin, etc, we put the pieces together. I was much more severely affected by anxiety(still am) and anti-social behavior than my husband, but he's almost certainly on the spectrum too. I have been semi-officially diagnosed by my psych that my 10 y/o and I both go to. She put in my chart that I have suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder and mild Bipolar disorder. Is that official enough? Per my psych, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

I hope that the VERY hart childhood and teenage years I had can be spared for my daughter. I think that my experiences have helped and will help her in the future. At least we know she won't end up with the ambiguous "emotionally disturbed" diagnosis I got as a teenager. We actually know what's going on with her.

I would say I was HFA, but I am diagnosed Asperger Syndrome because I had no language delay. But I believe the terms are interchangeable, and it seems to me that HFA includes more sensory issues than AS, which is why I believe this. I have far too many sensory problems to list from memory.

I was quite offended reading through this thread, as OP was basically saying how the ppl who hadn't posted were "fakers". I hadn't posted because I was offended at the accusation, and I'd only seen this recently.

But yeah, again, I feel I have to prove it. Might resort to taking a picture of my diagnosis like Daniel!

I won't prove mine. I don't need to drive all the way to Montana and get the papers and scan it and post it here where my psychiatrist wrote he says I have an autism spectrum disorder, mild. I dunno what my mother did with the real official diagnoses papers when he actually picked the aspie label to place on me. I don't need to prove a thing. If someone wants to think I'm fake, kiss my ass.

That's kind of what I'm like. But then I get the worry that ppl don't like me! I guess on this occasion the worry took over.

I was diagnosed autistic back in 1961. It was considered pretty rarer back then. Even rarer than Down's Syndrome. I did have a major language delay but my intelligence level has since developed to be in the average range but I still have many of the physical issues with autism such as gait pattern. Mine is rather stiff and I have poor motor skills.

Last edited by paulsinnerchild on 09 Dec 2008, 4:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Who cares if people don't like you. I am sure lot of people here don't like me. I hardly got replies in my new threads so that's a hint. Of course I don't bother starting a thread asking who likes me and who doesn't because then that just means I do care and I am bothered by it which I am not so therefore I won't be starting such a thread.

Remember, not everyone is going to like you. That is impossible. That even happens to NTs too. Not everyone likes every single person. You can be a very sweet nice innocent person and there will still be people out there who don't like you. People find reasons to not like someone.

How about you quit telling people how to respond and feel?

Hence why most of the time I couldn't give a toss! I guess sometimes when I'm depressed all the crap from my childhood comes back. The guilt of being different. Being hated for, what I saw, no reason. But that's getting off topic.

It just annoys me when ppl assume things of others.

I can't be supportive? Mmmm kay.

I don't see how I am telling her to feel. Just giving out some advice.

I don't need advice. I know how to cope. Sometimes I fall down, that's all.

For some reason I've yet to discern, "Autism" (whatever form it takes), is the most...called into question medical condition I've seen, i.e., do you really have it?

OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, etcetera, are rarely called into question from my observations, but as soon as someone mentions the "A" word, the claxons start sounding. The prior conditions are all diagnosed by the same people, and all of them are diagnosed based on behaviour like Autism.

What's so special about Autism? Who would actually want this (I can see why it's good to know if you have it, but actually having no difficulties compared to your peers and pretending you have it just reeks of childish behaviour, and I doubt many people do that)?

It's really strange.

Aspergers diagnosed.

You have to know me though. Anyone who has known me since I was little will without a doubt know that I have aspergers.

I guess it comes to giving ppl an excuse to be the way they are. Some ppl are inherently lazy, and will try to find any excuse to be that way. It really annoys me when autism comes into this. It isn't an easy excuse to not talk to ppl, or not find a job, or to avoid responsibilities. Most want to be able to do these things easily.

These ppl are ignorant, and know nothing about the problems we face every day of our lives.

The psych who has known me for years didnt actaully say but suspected I had AS. She said, I was very intelligent too cause I told her that my mum said "Ive always been slow" and I said my IQ assessed to being average to being above, superior but I do have a learning disability.
Anyway, she interviewed my mum because she needed early childhood history for assessment and she said I just have autism and not AS. I said what, you sayin Ive got Kanners or something and she goes no, not like sitting in the corner rocking but she still said I wasnt AS cause they are very bright and I had more aloof and withdrawn behaviours as a child and no particular obsessions. She also wrote to the psych department and said she thinks there is something else there, like a personality disorder, I guess.
She is one of the best and very experienced in diagnose and treatment of people with wide range of developmental disabilities but I still think I am aspie or atleast HFA and if I was assessed by a other doctor or professional, they would likely say AS, I think so.
I just say I am Aspie and aspie sounds cute.

Last edited by Samara on 09 Dec 2008, 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

Probably the main reason is because allmost every people uses the word "autism" with the meaning of "low-functioning autism" (even if they, intelectually, know that there are other kinds of autism, at an unconscious level they continue to associate autism=LFA)

Probably other reason is because the frontier between "autism" and "non-autism" is in much way arbitrary, than is easy to think "you are not autistic; it is your psychiatrist that have a very wide criteria do define what is autism".

Btw, I doubt that, in my country, many "Have Asperger - diagnosed" of this forum will be diagnosed as such (here, adults diagnosed with AS are usually individuals who are incaple to work or only could work in special programs for disabled people). Note that I am not saying that "our" concept of AS is more correct than "yours", I am only saying that is different.

She said I definetly had autism (mild). There was no doubt but she thinks a psychaitric condition is more prominent.
I have only seen the public psychaitrists this year at the hosptial. I havnt been involved with them since I was a child or teen but I havnt seen them for years, only private. I dont know how I got to see them. I think going to emergency cause I cut my foot and then the cops took me a other time, same 'ol same 'ol.
My new psych dont know me so well except what written in my file which is pretty substantial. I got him to feel in a DSP review and he put that I was a severly and chronically disabled in women in terms of BPD but he my case manager said he also wrote as my new diagnose that I had a vunerable personality and BPD and a developmental disability.

I dont buy it for a second. I dont care what he has read in my file I am not severely and chronically disbled cause I have Borderline personality disorder.

One day I am garna have a car and a high profile job and I'll show em who I really am. Alot smarter than what they think.
DONT DOWN LABEL ME, ever! I feel like sayin to 'em