Self diagnosed people here don't have aspergers

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I guess I just like hearing myself "talk", because I'm just agreeing with everybody.

I picked "not sure" for me, because...duh, I'm not sure. I don't know of ANYTHING other than Asperger's that explains anything about me. I think Asperger's is confusing in that people can have such different symptoms, and a lot of the language used to describe it is confusing (I've had to have a lot of things defined for me on this forum!)

I'm going to try to get a diagnosis. But if the doctor doesn't think I have AS, I won't believe them unless they can come up with a BETTER diagnosis. From my experience with doctors, and the mental health community in particular, they don't always know what the heck they're talking about. I'm not going to let a doctor convince me that I have something else, if I *KNOW* that that something else makes no sense and doesn't fit.

But I do want to get officially diagnosed, and I'm fine if it turns out it's something else (though I'd be shocked if there's anything that fits me better).

And really, why is it a problem if people think they have it, but actually don't? If they're comfortable here, I don't see anything wrong with it! Obviously I'd like people to try to pick their status as accurately as possible though.

SteveK's logic is brutal and unrefutable. I learned to rub two sticks together to make fire from the same guy who taught Doctor Firemaker. He learned it in school, and I learned it in the woods. He paid 100 000 for his education, and mine was free. Who is better, Dr. Firemaker or I?

An aspie is someone that struggles to fit into main stream society. Though the behaviors they adopt are sometimes wrong, and serve to make them stand out, they are attempting to head in an opposite direction from a poseur. I think an Aspie poseur would be plainly obvious.

Are they female, or are you casting more aspersions.

Wolfpup,

I have to respect you for that! If I wasn't given the choice of "have it, undiagnosed", I would have done as you. Also, if I had the money/time I might have been officially checked out. Like you, however, they would have to diagnose me as AS or something that is a closer fit(I haven't seen a closer fit yet).

BTW my profile may say diagnosed, but that is because it keeps changing to that. I'm tired of changing it back. I have done that 4 times already. I haven't tried to say anything else though.

Steve

They like doing this, law of deduction. However Autism and its spectrum IS complex, usually individualized (as maybe people have other things to consider like how they grew up, where they grew up, their environment, their history, personality types, other diagnosis, lord the list goes on and on; for a creature so simple we sure make things difficult.) and, well, its a spectrum.

Most doctors don't want to diagnose it because its hard to deal with, it takes a lot of time and energy to work with them because they don't think like the classified norm nor normally act like it.

Boy its hard being intelligent.
I mean they think they have it hard, I'd like to see them be brilliant.

One reason a DX helped me even though it was later in leife (I was 22) is that my family is the kind that needs a label. Also in Australia unless you are officially DX it is difficult to gain access to autism/AS services at the moment I attend a monthly meeting and am also a member of Alpha Autism a job agency for people with autism/AS. I think an offical DX is important for this reason.

Indeed it is the same for me. Initially I was diagnosed with social/communication disorder "a definite ASD", and then I saw a specialist and she diagnosed AS/HFA (as is often done in the UK). I know from what I am told of my childhood and how I experience things now that HFA is more appropriate than AS in my case.

If anyone has seen deathnote I'd use this as an example. Its not a flawless one so don't get nitchy on me.

Near would be an AS.
L would be an HFA.


If you haven't read the Manga or seen the Anime give me some time to properly explain this, I may make a thread about HFA vs AS.

College or no college is irrelevant, the original poster stated that it takes a doctor/professional to diagnose AS, that has absolutely nothing to do with what, specifically, they learned in college.

They were both experienced pediatricians who had seen a large amount of kids with different behavioural and learning difficulties, and were thus more than sufficiently equipped to recognise a previously unknown set of traits that seemed to crop up in individual children they were seeing.

Besides, autism can't entirely be learned from books and in classrooms/lecture halls. Experience with a wide range of children counts for much more than reading about something on the Internet or in a book and trying to apply this to real life without ever having met or observed kids who actually have these issues the books talk about.

And that's the big danger with self-diagnosis too - I've come across many occasions where someone had convinced themselves they had AS based on their own interpretation of the DSM criteria, but when faced with explanations and examples as to what those criteria actually mean, they refused to accept that their own interpretations would never get them a diagnosis. Other times similar individuals, when watching a film featuring actual diagnosed Aspies, started writing scathing posts about how those disabled (as if that was such a horrible thing!) people were not Aspies and that the film was all wrong.

Last edited by Noetic on 29 Apr 2007, 11:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I haven't seen it but will keep a look out for it

Out of curiosity, what films? I've only run across one that claims to have AS characters. Plus, it is a spectrum, so someone might not be that bad, I guess...?

I was referring to a documentary not a ficticious film (in this case a German documentary about two Aspies learning to become independent - one had a lot of Tics too though not "just" AS)

But outside of a license, college is the only thing they have in common, that others don't.



Anyway, it is interesting you bring this up! I was just the opposite! I found some things that DIDN'T fit me, and then found from diagnosed people here that they did. Even the monotone voice. I definitely never had what *I* would have called a monotone voice but, from what I have heard from people here, I used to, and sometimes still may. And I HAVE seen a LOT of people in school, on film, etc... and know some traits I have that seem VERY odd. The hypo/hyper sensitivity is something I RARELY mention, because when I did NOBODY understood! I mean I'm human, and I am the ONLY one of hundreds or thousands that is in pain, or notices? COME ON! Yet with lights ones I pick soon obviously become bad, etc... So it isn't anything contrived. EVEN TODAY some point them out. HECK, I don't think I am THAT literal these days, but coworkers, etc... HAVE said I am. THEY brought it up! I NEVER asked, I NEVER said anything about AS or autism. BTW Someone else said my voice was "singsong"! Personally, I NEVER thought that, and I thought singsong was anything BUT monotonous. Check this out:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/singsong

Check out #1,2, and 4! ALL say monotonous!

If anything, I am stricter about reading the DSM. I guess the only thing is like HOW clinically significant should social interaction be, etc... As for social interaction, I can get people to act nice around me, and do friendly things. STILL, they fall short of friends, and female relationships never go farther.

BTW there IS criteria that says no clinically significant mental disability, besides social.

Steve

Some social interaction is definitely pathological. Knowing to be selective is a sign of mental health and intelligence.

HUH?

Some social interaction is a waste of valuable time and in some cases can just cause stress, anxiety or other things than people don't need. Knowing how to gauge when to speak and when not to speak is much more intelligent and healthy.

OK, THANKS! If "knowing to be" was even "being", I would have understood it better.

YEP, that is certainly true! I got into the habit of talking to some. Just today I probably waisted over a half hour between two people. Oh well, at least they remember me. I'm only in the area 4-6 days a month on average.

Steve