I think I'm an Aspie - now what?

Post Reply New Topic

A couple of years back, I was in an online discussion with some friends, and one brought up some of the symptoms of Aspergers. They were all symptoms with which I was intimately familiar, so I decided to research it more. It was a true "Holy crap, now everything makes sense!" moment for me. Which led me here.

So my question - is there any good reason to get an official diagnosis of Aspergers at the age of 40?

I'm asking, because I don't think anything in my life will change (I've learned to work around nearly all my social issues), but there might be something out there I'm unaware of that will help more.

Questions encouraged, and any help given appreciated!

You might enjoy my new interview with Aspergian author John Elder Robison, which is about the virtues of a midlife diagnosis and other things:

http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2011/ ... aspergian/

I was diagnosed in my mid-fifties.

Diagnosis can put things into a slightly different perspective: you're no longer the only one who thinks you are an Aspie; now a professional thinks you are too. It's official.

I still have some unusual sensory issues which interfere with social interaction, and I am getting help from the psychologist who diagnosed me. He is reasonably familiar with sensory issues, as he specialises in ASD. Along with sensory issues, there is anxiety, and some executive function issues I think. So the diagnosis explains the present as well as the past.

The diagnostic process also told me things about myself that I didn't know - feedback about how I interact with others (e.g. tone of voice, use of gestures, body language). And it was interesting to see that my wife had given me almost the same same score as I gave myself on the diagnostic test. It helped her to understand me a little more, I think.

But yes, whether self-diagnosed or officially diagnosed, discovering that you are an Aspie as an adult can throw a lot of light on your past and present.

You might find these articles helpful:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com/70133.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Autism/Pages/Diagnosisinadults.aspx

Acting Up Again,

I'm 42, and Monday I am going for a battery of tests my therapist wants me to take for a possible Aspergers diagnosis. I've been pretty sure that I'm an Aspie for at least a couple of years; it makes sense of a lot of things that have happened in my life and I definetly relate to other Aspies better than anyone else. I think what made me decide to get a diagnosis even though I, too, have adapted and compensated for a lot of my difficulties was talking to a co-worker whose 10 year old son has Aspergers. She was looking at some of the online tests I had taken and pointed out that she didn't think some of my answers were correct- answers to questions based on other people's perceptions of me,or things that I just might not notice about myself (speech, gait).It made me realize that I might have some misconceptions about how I come across to other people and that I might not have as many answers to the problems as I thought I did. So to make a long story a little shorter, I am hoping that by getting a dx I might get a chance for some input that will help me fill in a few blank spots. What can it hurt? Knowledge is always good!