Self diagnosed people here don't have aspergers

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http://asdgestalt.com/viewtopic.php?p=10378#p10378

Had started putting together a little thread entitled, The Knowitall Hall of Fame.

I believe the official numbers for ASCs is just above 1% of the population. Although that hasn't been broken down into the different diagnostic categories. But supposedly higher-functioning individuals make up the majority.

Sophist, your thread brings up something I've been thinking about and that is if you are a person who has known their own struggles and off beat characteristics long before the word Asperger's popped up and if you have spent literally years researching everything you can about it and consequently learn how incredibly diverse it can be; what exactly is it that the diagnostician knows that you don't? I can't afford a diagnosis, but if I could, the diagnostician will need to prove his credentials.

Well, there's certain benefits to training. --Not to say all professionals remember what they learned during training.

When it comes to ASCs though, I really wouldn't trust the opinion of a professional who hasn't had ample experience with ASCs and in various ranges/sexes/ages. In my humble opinion, experience is what makes someone an autism expert, not a degree hanging on the wall. In training in the various disciplines, there really is so little focus on individual conditions that no one is an expert just by right of having a degree.

However, self-diagnosis has its own pitfalls too. For one, individuals who currently lack a diagnosis, there is comfort sometimes in having one and therefore a desire, so there is an inherent bias. But then there's an inherent bias in diagnosing oneself-- not that you can't be right!-- but it's a similar concept as "A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client."

I don't recommend giving much credence to professionals, however, who don't have considerable experience as I mentioned.

For some individuals, self-dx gives them what they are seeking, and that is enough. It can be as much as some self-enlightenment, which can give a person a good framework for understanding themselves. For others who may either need or want the official label, then I'd recommend seeking out the most experienced professional one can.

Sweet. Sorry I haven't been around on there for a while

No worries. People come and go and sometimes come again.

Diagnosis is really not easy to come by. I think that should be mentioned.

Everyone is saying to find a qualified and experienced person, etc but ANY kind of treatment can be impossible to get for many. It is for me - just too expensive and without insurance or help it can't be gotten.

That's one thing to consider. It may sound simple to "just get a DX" but sometimes it can't be done.

I believe it is possible to diagnose oneself right. There is Autism Spectrum Disorder, so somebody slightly autistic and selfdiagnosed is so different from low functioning autist... But still I think it is possible to diagnose yourself.

And it can be extraordinarily difficult to find someone who's had enough experience too. Especially if the only professionals around usually only work with children. There can be worlds of difference between autism in childhood and adulthood.

I think that the OP made a pretty broad statement. I know that the self-diagnosed people here, do have AS. I also feel fortunate that the experts were able to diagnose me, at such a young age.

I agree that there are pitfalls to self-diagnosis. For example,
1. How many people here are qualified to determine whether a certain set of conditions constitutes "clinically significant impairments" in functioning?
2. At what point do the diagnostic criteria cross over from normal (but extreme) behavior to Asperger's?
3. Is the person truly being objectively honest with his/her self?
4. Has the person ruled out other problems?


I do not have an official diagnosis. I sought help from doctors because I was having "significant" problems that needed to be addressed. At various times I was diagnosed with one or more of ADHD (it never quite fit), depression (I have never been depressed) and anxiety (other potential diagnoses were also discussed), and prescribed a variety of medications du juor. Over time we were able to rule out ADHD and depression, and overcome some serious anxiety problems. However, none of this truly addressed my problems. After many years, all the signs were pointing to Asperger's. My doctor told me he couldn't help me with Asperger's (he writes prescriptions) so I moved on. 6 years later, I am still unofficially diagnosed because I have not sought out another doctor.

I truly believe that I cannot address my problems if I don't understand the source of the problems. I have no interest in the Asperger's label other than it explains my (and my officially diagnosed Asperger's son's) problems and leads to self understanding and solutions that work. If my impairments are caused by something else, then I need to know what that something else is so that I can address that other cause. My only interest is in being right. It took years, but at this point, I think it is Asperger's or nothing (no other diagnosis fits).

I have nearly three decades of experience being me.

If I am not qualified to identify things that I am unable to do at the same level as a typical person, who is?


If you're diagnosing to point out only upsides, you should look into the requirements for diagnosis, rather than the stereotypical version you will learn about online.

There is flaw in some cases of self-diagnosis, and there is flaw in some cases of professional diagnosis. We are human, therefore, inherently fallible.

I have seen some self-diagnosed cases that I was sure were incorrect. These were people who were mistaking misanthropy, shyness, or anxiety for AS. These types of mistakes continue to happen.

However, I have also seen cases of those who were self-identified, who were absolutely correct. I was identified by professionals first, but knew I had AS before the official diagnosis.

Doctors make mistakes as well. That's why I believe, when one is getting a diagnosis, one must make sure the professional has a great deal of experience with ASDs.

I don't believe self-diagnosed != not on the spectrum. It isn't that black and white. I do find, though, in my mind I have a bit of a bias. I tend to believe self-diagnosed males more than SD females. I believe that is only because the ones I have encountered, who I believe were incorrect in their self-assessment were female. It seems that females are more likely to be mental hypochondriacs than men. Men usually fight the idea that something is amiss, even when something is.

That last paragraph is only my experience. Although, I have met some SD females who I believe were absolutely correct. I think I have some sort of A-dar. lol However, I'm not a professional, so I can only give my opinion.

I might not be diagnosable in terms of impairment. There's no doubt I operate below the expected standard ; but when I say I think I have an ASD, it's not so much related to behaviors (although they are there) but to descriptions of sensory and cognitive processing. I match the descriptions, that is how my brain works and that is as it has always been. A diagnosis for me would change little practically. Everyone has already shrugged their shoulders about me anyway. I'm living in official Loser Land and frankly, it's quite comfortable here.

Be careful, some people might get hurt.
Just so you know

I Dx-ed myself with "Inadequate-Immature Personality Disorder" at 14 after reading about the characterstics of this supposed personality disorder in a Random House encyclopedia. Certain psychologists once believed this was a legitimate mental disorder though, to the best of my knowledge, it's never been accepted by the APA.


At this point in time, I had never heard of NVLD and even few professionals knew anything about it. But 14 years later after I had a neuropsych eval, I was told I fit the pattern of individuals with NVLD. Shortly after this, I read Dr. Byron Rourke's book; "Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, the Syndrome and the Model".

This is from that book:


"Children and adoloscents whose clinical pictures bear a striking resemblance to the social and behavioral characteristics of the NLD child include children with Turner's syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, Williams syndrome, Fragile-X syndrome and THE SO-CALLED "INADEQUATE-IMMATURE DELINQUENT" DESCRIBED BY QUAY (1972)".


So it looks like the alledged "Inadequate-Immature Personality Disorder" was (at least in many, if not all, cases) little more than a speculative clinical term for the social/behavioral manifestations often found in people with NVLD/AS.

Thus....sans an accurate and official name for it....I was pretty much self-Dx-ed at 14.