ADD and Aspergers

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Dunno if i've said it here, but i'm both ADD and Asperger... My ADD is from birth (complications during my birth, lack of oxygen to the brain, results in a neuro biologic disorder)

I have ADHD and AS

My mother almost died in childbirth...and I may have suffered from lack of oxygen to the brain. Could difficult birth explain Attention Surplus Disorder? Or would it be clinically diagnosed as a form of ADD?

"Attention Surplus Disorder" fits me like a glove..
Did a quick google search and "attention surplus" turned up 7500 hits. People have been self-diagnosing and blogging about Attention Surplus Disorder for a few years now!.. It doesn't appear to be recognized as an official clinical diagnosis, but I think it should be. From what bloggers are saying....this is exactly what I have. For me, I believe Attention Surplus Disorder or ADD is primary, with AS secondary. I think it should be called ASS, Attention Surplus Syndrome..

Are you AS?...No, I'm more ASS.....heh......

ASS - love it! I change - that is my dx now!!:)

Husband - undx AS
Son -dx PDD-NOS
Other son - Unknown (18 months)
MIL - OCD and possible AS
FIL - undx AS (without a doubt!)
Mother - ADD
Father - ADHD
Me - ADHD, GAD- Severe, undx sensory integration disorder, dyslexia, dysgraphia...bla bla bla...just name something and I bet I have it!

=

Wonderful genetics at work LOL!! !!

I am ADHD but really feel like I fit into the AS category at times. I am not AS but have a lot of the typical characteristics such as extreme fine motor issues (especially handwriting), difficulty with social situations, anxiety, spatial reasoning difficulties, physically clumsy, lacked gross motor coordination, math difficulties, severe sensory issues, some adaptive skills difficulties ... etc. A lot of those difficulties are similar to ADHDers as well. I can honestly relate to most of the people on here more than I can relate to NT's although most on here would say I am an NT. Trust me, if you knew me in person you wouldn't really say that LOL

I think the biggest difference is the social component. I wouldn't say I have a deficit but that I have lacked the sustained attention to really learn certain social cues. I am all about hyperfocus. I can hyperfocus on what interests me for hours and then am amazed when I see that a whole hour or two has passed. It has been difficult for me to focus on something that doesn't interest me. As a result, the gaps in my knowledge are extremely huge. I miss social cues when I am paying attention to something else in the environment or thinking about something in my head. I don't always miss social cues though if I tell myself to be aware of them. The nonverbal cues have always been hard for me.

Most of the time, however, I feel that my ability to put myself in others shoes is a strength. I was able to do that starting in 1st grade. I remember specific situations where someone was getting picked on and I would literally cry for them. It usually happened during recess. Most of the time I played alone so I had nothing else to do but to analyze other people. I remember seeing an overweight child getting made fun of. I remember feeling hurt for that person and asking myself how that person feels about what that other person said. I became extremely upset and made a point to be nice to that person for the rest of the year. It became my mission to find who those people were and be nice to them. Although I was like that, I still wasn't good at picking up the nonverbal cues from people. I never knew what I did but I didn't have very many friends.


I see many difference between my husband, my child and me. My husband and child do often seem like that have ADD and perhaps they do but it just seems different. The difference is very hard to explain.