How did you know you are an Aspie?

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1. Did you get like tests or brain scans for that?

2. What is a diagnose for AS like? And where did you do it?

3. And, is there an on-line test for AS (like you know we can have on-line IQ tests...)?

I dont live in USA and I don't know what to do, because the hospitals in my home country doesn't seem to have a lot of information about AS.

My EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher has a son and a brother that has AS, and she kept telling me that I have AS!!
But I don't seem to meet all the criteria though...I do respond when I hear my name...

From a school psychologist after testing.

Autism from testing and evaluation just recently.

There are many paths to realising that you are an Aspie, Cherubfish. You don't necessarily have to be told about AS by a doctor or psychologist. Some realise they're an Aspie after reading about it in a newspaper or magazine or online; some have friends who recognise AS; some might hear a teacher mention AS; some might find out they're an Aspie quite by accident.

For instance, I found out about AS in 1999 when I was reading a Usenet group devoted to road signs and construction. There was a 13-year-old boy behaving in the same annoying manner I did when I was that age, and everybody was giving him hell for it. Then he disclosed that he had AS. That aroused my curiosity and I went to a search engine then I realised that I definitely had AS! I didn't get a formal diagnosis until last year though.

I'm sure many others here can share their experiences too.

--Brad

Well, I got referred by my shrink to Dr Tony Attwood, who diagnosed me.

(BTW, bt1978, nice picture of George Orwell)

In psychiatry. I described many things, and the doc looked it up and mentioned that I probably had AS.

I looked it up and it seemed to mention the criteria that I go through.

I was officially diagnosed, but I didn't really find out about AS until a few years ago when I looked it up in the library. The diagnostic criteria were really vague and although they applied to me, I didn't feel that definitely meant I had AS. So I looked up some more info, did some quizzes and so on. I don't think quizzes are really that useful either, since they generally ask questions that you can second-guess and maybe its even possible that people subconsiously choose 'right' or 'wrong' answers.

What sealed the deal was when I looked up some case studies that gave some really in depth info on AS, and some personal accounts. They showed completely unique perspectives, but ones that were very similar to my own. I think the one that I looked at first was Liane Holliday Willey's (her book), and then I looked up some research articles.

THanks everyone!

you could try this test, cherubfish:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Online quizzes might give you an idea to start looking, but they don't always work.

All the ASDs are on a spectrum. That means that there can be people who are mildly affected, or people who are so affected that they cannot function at all in everyday life. It's kind of like eyesight: people can be vision-impaired and have to wear glasses or they can be completely blind. (I've found this type of comparison helpful for explaining autism and AS and the varying degrees of severity to people who have no idea what autism is...)

A friend mentioned to me that they had been diagnosed with autism. I looked it up online and saw the traits associated with Asperger's. I knew right away that I fit the criteria for Asperger's syndrome. I was very relieved because this disorder seemed to explain all the difficulties I'd had throughout my life. After that I went to a psychologist who diagnosed me with Asperger's. The psychologist said there was no question that I fit the criteria.

A working Hypothesis. In otherwords they dont know jack of what the results show them and are taking a guess

Those guys honestly how much do we pay them for this sloppy work

well, here come a long post...

I started reaseaching more into AS about 7 weeks ago. For the first time ever i connected with someone. Now i met someone who could finnish my sentences and who seemed to understand me throught the smoke and mirrors i put up. then one day in casual conversation he mentioned he was AS, i knew that AS had been mentioned in regard to me several times but i was unsure, when and who by. This made me think about why he understood me and why e was able to speak through my mirrors. That made me start researching.

I live in fostercare and the people who i currently live with have no information on me at all, nothing was ever passed on. I moved from one county to the other and the social services never passed on the infomation.

anyway, i started reseaching more into it online and thought 'thats me!!' i tried to talk to my foster parensta bout it and they said i was wrong and looking for excuses. after much thinking and trying to figure stuff out i found out the number of a counseller i use to see.

i phoned him and asked him about asperger and he said to me it had been raised many many time and it was gennerally agreed that i was. this infomation shocked m, because i didn't think anyone had ever mentioned it to me. when i asked him about why no one had ever told me he said that my parenst had said i was not to be told. so he tried to tell me without telling me but i wasent intrested because i just saw it as a label.

anyway lots more thinking and figureing of stuff out and then lots of talking to the people around me (who were adamanet i was not AS) and then i moved foster placements.

I moved back to where i am now which is closer to where i use to live, and on friday just gone (the 5th) i went to see the counsleer person in person. and i had avery very intresting talk with him about AS and asscited thing, he was also able to tell me about all the assesents i had done and aout what he thought. anyway, he said that i did have an offcial DX and i infact had been DXed twice. they tried to give me help by my parents wouldn't allow it. also i was saying i did not want it. mind you i did not know what it was.

anyway, the last DX was buy a autism expert at a place in Taunton.and person said he thought that i was borderline AS / HFA and then i moved placement out to the other county. that was 2.5 / 3 years ago now and due to one thing or another (long story) i have very much built up an act. the me most peopel see that seems to be coping and doing well is not the real me bye far. I seemed to ha been able to be almost NT. many people still said i was starnge person and rather eccentric but in toitallity it was not much of a problem. however from hiding it for so long i stopped feelin what it was like to be me, and currently i am trying to relearn what it is like to be me. For the first time since i build my act up a few years ago i am trying to feel the world, i am also trying to be me. Intrestingly, since i have been doing this people have commented that i seem stranger than normal.

anyway, i am going to be seeking a formal DX again soon, and i am hoping that i will be able to find a way to get some help in the area i need it.

so in short that is how i found out that i am aspie.

jammie

I saw the term in a news paper article and went home and looked it up on the internet

My parents told me after I got diagnosed at the age of 10.