Are most self-diagnoses correct?

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Very true. But, I wouldn't dismiss all online tests. Certain screening tests are available online and rely on self reporting. These include the Cambridge tests, but there are others. In my own case, I enjoy the combination of a year's survey of research studies, self and family memories of my behaviors, my awareness of autodidactic adaptations (masking), a list of many of the typical AS characteristics with many, many real-life examples, a few factor diagnoses, and, of course, my screening-test scores. I agree that no single piece of evidence does a self-awareness make. Besides, in my case, at least, I enjoyed doing the work to collect all my evidence.

I am not dismissing them. As you said a some of the better ones are a good first step and a good indication to proceed further. Not saying here, but some do stop at this point and it is way to soon.

Yes, indeed; making the reliability of the tests a roll of the dice, really.

I don't understand why it is assumed that a professional can diagnose a person better they can diagnose themself.

If I were go a therapist and decided based on my hunches to diagnose the therapist with autism, they would probably give me a funny look. This doesn't mean that the therapist him/herself doesn't have autism.

Maybe you get what I'm saying.

Hehehe!

Thank you all so much for your perspectives on this! I asked, in part, because I live in the US and will be spending up to $2,000 on the testing. I have done months of reading and research on autism, and the vast majority of what I've learned (and the online tests I have taken) seem to be a pretty good indicator that I am autistic, and now I want to know for sure just to have peace about it. However, part of the reason my test at the autism clinic was inconclusive was because I didn't have much knowledge of how I was as a child.

I talked to my mother afterward about it and, although she was the one who first asked me several years ago if I thought I might be autistic (after going to a psychologist to talk about my dad, who almost definitely is), she now says that she didn't notice anything different about me as a kid. I sent her a list of many of the characteristics that I've noticed in myself and that my current psychologist has pointed out (during my first meeting with her, she said I have many aspergers chracteristics, even though I hadn't mentioned suspecting that I may have it) and my mom agreed that I was spot on with the list, but also said that "all children have some of those characteristics." I told her that that may be true, but that I have all of them, which is not common. I am aware of the fact that she homeschooled me and my siblings and never had us tested for anything (even though three of us have pretty severe ADHD symptoms, and one of us is almost definitely dyslexic) because she didn't "want us labled," but talking with her has started to make me doubt my belief that I am probably autistic and make me question whether it's wise to spend the money to have the testing done. It also makes me worry that she will skew my results when the doctor talks to her as part of the assessment.

I guess I was mainly looking for assurance that most people who suspect that they are autistic are usually correct, which seems to be the case.

I remember those threads well. I don't think it's meaningful or useful to draw the distinction between these terms if that's not the way people are using them.

In practice, most people who self diagnosed really meant that they suspected strongly. For some this remained the case even after one or more professional diagnoses and we end up with the "what if my professional diagnosis was wrong?" threads. I think it's useful to explore the open and evolving questions about what defines the spectrum, what causes the symptoms currently used to diagnose the spectrum.

What I think is demonstrably not useful is saying "I suspect that most self diagnoses are [right/wrong]" --you can't prove it and if you are in the "most self diagnoses are wrong" camp the message that gets communicated to many who are in various stages of discovering their possible autism or getting diagnosed is "you are wrong and faking or deluded." It isn't something that can be proved and it isn't useful or helpful. It contributes nothing of benefit to anybody.

What it does that isn't helpful is stir up the anxiety of people who are in the same situation you and I were in a couple of years ago--people like SeptemberM.

What I would say in response to anxiety about the cost of diagnosis is that even if the result suggests that you are not autistic, the money won't have been wasted. You will learn about yourself and perhaps some other condition that contributes to the symptoms that led you to suspect autism. If you are like me or most of the others here who have been through this, you won't be able to rest until you have been assessed anyway.

As I wrote last year in the self-diagnosis topics then, I suspect strongly that those individuals who suspect that they have AS or other ASDs, but really don't, will probably end up losing interest in the matter as if it were just another fad. Persistence in one's own self-awareness is probably one of its most self-evident characteristics.

I was basically self disgnosed for about 7 years, now, I have an official diagnosis.

Ask your parents about that last part, my parents were interviewed through phone when i were diagnosed. They also filled in a questionaire that was mailed to them about my upbringing and how i function.

now you are with us all in the "what do I do now?" club.

Another problem I have with the official diagnostic format is that a parental report is MANDATORY from everyone I spoke with. Aside from the obvious (if parents aren't around you cannot get diagnosed???) the main problem is that my parents are far more biased than I am. My mother goes into complete denial with I try to approach this subject and would never say another was anything less than perfectly normal in my childhood, even though my school records practically scream "ASD and/or ADD". The clinician apparently needs an "unbiased" source of my childhood but the simple fact is that this source is FAR from unbiased.

As for my brother? He said it's "obvious" I have Aspergers (since he works with Aspies) and it would be a waste of time. This coming from a guy who is smarter than most PhDs. How much proof do I need? Sorry for going off topic but I have spent YEARS researching this and there is no way it could possibly be anything other than Aspergers/ASD Level 1.

An interesting question. Another great question would be: "Are all official diagnoses correct?" Because anyone with enough time and money can get a diploma. I believe professionalism is more about a combination of ethics and experience (the former should be present in every professional, while the latter would hopefully develop together with the professional) than degrees. But I digress.

I am what you would call self-diagnosed. I cannot say I am 100% sure I have AS, mostly because I do not know anyone with enough knowledge to provide a second opinion (unless you count a classmate from my short time in university; he once asked me if I had autism, because his mother works with autistic children and I reminded him of them. Honestly, we barely talked, so I do not consider his opinion valid, even if he agrees with me). However, I have done some research on the subject since October 2010, when I first suspected I had AS. This forum, whatever I could find on Google, both the DSM and ICD, a few questions about my childhood and Tony Atwood's The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome were my main sources for research. I have also taken the EQ, AQ and RAADS-R tests, with suitably (and at times ridiculously) autistic scores in all of them. Evidence suggests I am on the spectrum.

However, I do not intend to seek an official diagnosis. I have a few reasons:
- other than the satisfaction of knowing my suspicions were right (or not), a diagnosis would not benefit me in any significant way. As far as I know, the Brazilian government does not offer welfare to autistics and I would not need welfare even if it was offered, rendering the whole point moot;
- money, dear boy. Even back when I had a very well-paying job, I had no desire to waste money on confirming something I pretty much know already. Furthermore, my aforementioned refusal to accept a diploma as the proof of demi-godhood they are made out to be meant I would never accept the word of a single professional; I would only feel safe after getting a second or third opinion, which would require even more money;
- my parents. I am not sure if they are in denial or just oblivious (and frankly, I stopped caring long ago), but they have always refused to admit that I am weird (outside of a few very heated arguments we had in the past, but even then, they would apologize afterwards). My father seems to be the one who is most willing to admit that I am not normal (probably because I do not live with him), but all I have to do to appease his doubts is to find a job (which has been surprisingly difficult lately). If I had an official diagnosis, they would realize (or stop denying) that I am autistic, but considering how much effort they put into refusing to acknowledge that, I am not sure if I want them to know; I think none of us would get any benefit out of it. And since it would be unnecessarily complicated to keep the psychological assessment hidden from my mother (who lives with me), I would rather avoid it altogether.

Regardless, finding out about ASDs alone enlightened me more than I ever hoped. A near 100% suspicion of being autistic is much better than a lifetime wondering what makes me so different from my peers. And months of research and introspection seem more reliable to me than the word of a single stranger with a piece of paper nailed to his wall. Unless that single stranger is Tony Atwood or Simon Baron-Cohen.

By the way, the word "single" is in italic to enforce that I consider numbers important in this situation: a single stranger, regardless of whether they agree with me or not, could be a quack, but the more strangers in agreement, the greater the chances of it being true.

P.S.: Another reason why I have no more interest in a diagnosis is because I have figured what I shall do with my life. As soon as I have bought my mother a house, I will leave her and become a hermit. The perfect mix of isolation and adventure, both of them being things I crave more than anything.

I've just signed up for this website (or resigned up). I've been wondering this myself. From what I hear declaring yourself an aspie has become a fashionable sort of trendy label popularized by television characters like House. So I'm wary of self-diagnosing but am reading up more on the topic since it seems like something a lot of people will apparently falsely diagnose themselves with while not fully understanding it.
The problem is it seems like a professional diagnosis doesn't seem error-proof as well, especially with female aspies and depending on the professional in question. I've read several online blogs and articles talking about this. So from where I'm standing the best option seems to be serious self-reflection, introspection, seeking a diagnosis with multiple psychologists, and researching your past with those who knew you (family) and asking your friends certain questions.

And there are problems there too. I don't have insurance, my cultural background and the perceptions of psychologists my family has, my own experience with psychiatrics and the whole procedure....mainly it's money. If I have a diagnosis it's not guaranteed I'll be able to afford counseling services. It seems like the best option available here is practicing on my own and communicating when I'm confused. It'd be helpful if someone was wondering what was "wrong" with me in a situation where I don't have a friend to translate for me and maybe even knowing I've at least been confirmed to not be neurotypical is enough to not be down on myself and move on instead of fixating on my confusion. But the benefits of a diagnosis might help in connecting with people who are diagnosed and understandably frustrated with people who wear it like some sort of badge.
I don't know, that's the most confusing part for me. When I feel I might be but others will get mad at me because I'm being ignorant and misleading and irresponsible. It doesn't seem like you can judge another persons diagnosis without potentially being alienating and harmful too though. Grey areas.

I should go back to work now.

^^^
sounds like you have it figured out satisfactorily btw, welcome to WP

(This thread is a minefield )

SeptemberM - quick question - what do you mean when you say 'correct'?