The Ball is Rolling!

Post Reply New Topic

So a few weeks or so ago I got a book from the library called (something like) "How to be Yourself in a World that is Different: an Adolescent's Guide to Asperger's Syndrome". Because I think I have it, I wanted my mom to read it so I left it in her room. For days I saw it was untouched. Kind of disappointing. Then the other day I saw it in the front hall (which indicates things to go out of the house) so I managed the courage to ask "what did you think of the book?"

She replied "You don't have asperger's." "Why not?" "Because you don't have a special interest that you always talk about." "I don't have long-lasting special interests, but I'll decide I am interested in something, it could be very suddenly, and read up on everything I can about it. And then I am done" (It does work that way too, right? I'm new to all this still... ) "Well Asperger's is a part of ADHD." "Mm... no it's not. It's a form of autism" "Well you're not autistic." "Alright..." "But you think you have Asperger's?" "Yes.. " "well then I'll read the book again" so HOPEFULLY she picks up on things this time, rather than dismissing what I think. Also I have much quirkier behaviour than my sisters; they're very similar. I'd think she'd notice that. And I tend to rock back and forth when I am seated; does that count as a stimm? I mean, I self-diagnosed my ADHD and it turned out to be correct. Also, if it's not AS I don't know what it is. I believe I meet the criteria, though in some cases barely. :s I just want to find a reason for the different way that I act.

I am not sure why I am making a thread. I guess because I am happy about this. Even if a diagnosis doesn't change much, it's closure for me because for so long I felt that ADHD diagnosis hasn't been encompassing all of me. And at least I think it seems to be a diagnosis more acceptable to relatives...

Do you mean you think Aspergers will be more acceptable to your relatives? I wouldn't count on it because you never know what they think about autism as a whole. They may actually start treating you worse than before, especially if their vision of autism is limited to Rainman.

What is best for you s to get the right diagnosis, and if this breakthrough with your mom makes you happy, then it is a good thing. Congrats!

I'd be careful about the autism diagnosis. I was treated like Rain Man, until I moved out. If I would have known, that I was going to be treated like Rain Man through my 20s and into my 30s, I would have moved out, when I was 20, instead of 32.

That is a problem with diagnosis - people react to that rather than to you, and feed you what they think would be right for someone with the problem you're being diagnosed with.

I am unfamiliar with this Rainman. Is it youtube-able? And by 'more acceptable' I mean that... well this is how it went:

1) Sylvr fails her first year of university, because of what appears to be unorganization and unmotivation, even though I went for something I love doing (instrumental music).
2) Sylvr gets diagnosed with ADHD immediately, a few months after school ends.
3) Relatives* (seem to) think it's just an excuse for her to 'not really fail because something is different about her brain', so that means she just doesn't have to try as hard next time.

*More Dad's side. I don't know if this is relevant but anyway: Dad's family is Catholic. Mom's is Christian. Dad converted, thereby ruining his mother's visions of him marrying a Catholic girl and their kids (me & sisters) going to Catholic School. So Dad's mom has always been somewhat critical, yet very loving, of my mother and my immediate family.

And so I think that people's reaction to Asperger's, being a part of autism, is deemed more acceptable and 'real'. Like I'm so tired of hearing people's opinion that "ADHD is just an excuse for poor parenting, and a way to keep your wild kids sedated with drugs. But hey, autism is real!"

I'm still me, but now there's an explanation for me being me!

Rainman was a movie with Dusiton Hoffman. Long story short he had Autism in the movie but was also really really really smart. A few things one if you really do have it go over it with you're mom, dad, sister(s) and then if you can see someone about it. Hold off on telling the relatives.

For me my mom, dad, sister, and me we all me have aspergers more then just the ADD. I have a lot more things that fit aspergers. I have and still have the special interests. I was the outcast from even the outcasts. I was just all around different from ever one. I would have meltdowns when I was a kid and so on and that was not coming from the ADD.

As for telling the rest of my family. Beside my brother-in-law I told my mom that I will be the one to tell the family when and where I want to. That means besides my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law no one else in the family needs to know. I'm still myself. Having aspergers, ADD, Dysleixa or whatever else dose not change you as a person. They make and shap you into who you are. So no matter if you have it or not just be you're self.

But to be honest when I get tested even if it turns out I don't have it or that I'm so old that it does not show up to be a problem does not matter to me. Nor does it matter to my parents or sister. Don't make a really big deal about the label because that's all it is. Yeah I have Dysleixa I don't let it stop me from writing or reading. It's just a label and that's all.

you are 21, why do you have to have the approval of your mom, is she a clinician of some kind? she isn't qualified to diagnose you or not.