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Auguste
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09 Oct 2012, 4:59 pm

My brother is 30 years old and I suspect that he may have Aspergers. But I don't know whether to tell him.

There are a lot of traits and indications over many years that have led me to believe that he might have Aspergers but it only fully clicked with me recently. The more I look into it, the more obvious it becomes. The thing is, he is married now and working as an engineer and has sorted out a life for himself. I'm afraid of rocking the boat if I suggest that he get a diagnosis. Especially as he and his wife both seem happy whereas I am just the sister that lives overseas. I'm worried he might react badly, or that his wife might react badly and I'm not entirely sure he has even heard of Aspergers.

On this site and in a podcast I recently heard, I've come across more and more people who say that it was a real relief to get a diagnosis because suddenly they understood how their brain worked. This got me thinking that I might owe it to him to tell him what I think, bad reaction or not.

I wanted to find out what your opinions are on this.
Is it always better to get a diagnosis? Or should I leave it up to him and his wife to do what's right for them? Is it clear cut?

Thanks in advance!



BorgPrince
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09 Oct 2012, 5:22 pm

If someone told me years ago that I had AS, I would've been eternally grateful to them...



onks
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09 Oct 2012, 5:26 pm

Auguste wrote:
My brother is 30 years old and I suspect that he may have Aspergers. But I don't know whether to tell him.

There are a lot of traits and indications over many years that have led me to believe that he might have Aspergers but it only fully clicked with me recently. The more I look into it, the more obvious it becomes. The thing is, he is married now and working as an engineer and has sorted out a life for himself. I'm afraid of rocking the boat if I suggest that he get a diagnosis. Especially as he and his wife both seem happy whereas I am just the sister that lives overseas. I'm worried he might react badly, or that his wife might react badly and I'm not entirely sure he has even heard of Aspergers.

On this site and in a podcast I recently heard, I've come across more and more people who say that it was a real relief to get a diagnosis because suddenly they understood how their brain worked. This got me thinking that I might owe it to him to tell him what I think, bad reaction or not.

I wanted to find out what your opinions are on this.
Is it always better to get a diagnosis? Or should I leave it up to him and his wife to do what's right for them? Is it clear cut?

Thanks in advance!


There is not only relief from finding out you're an aspie. Or at least there is some not so low possibility that you feel bad after you realised that it is nothing easy to deal with.

If your brother has it you might have some weak symptoms, too. And one of your parents. (That's for genetically acquired autism).

If he has trouble with his wife then it is good to tell him, anyhow and try to convince him that this is nothing to just ignore.
An aspie-NT relationship is not easy. And works much better when you know where to start to understand each other.



FishStickNick
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09 Oct 2012, 5:26 pm

I don't know what to tell you, but... last month, I told one of my older sisters about how I thought I had Asperger's. Her response was basically, "I knew that for a while." Personally, I would've liked it if someone brought it up with me sooner than have me stumble upon it in my late 20s.



onks
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09 Oct 2012, 5:27 pm

BorgPrince wrote:
If someone told me years ago that I had AS, I would've been eternally grateful to them...


Yes, me too.



onks
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09 Oct 2012, 5:28 pm

FishStickNick wrote:
I don't know what to tell you, but... last month, I told one of my older sisters about how I thought I had Asperger's. Her response was basically, "I knew that for a while." Personally, I would've liked it if someone brought it up with me sooner than have me stumble upon it in my late 20s.


Exactly that.



AutisticBelle
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09 Oct 2012, 5:40 pm

I cried when my mother finally told me she thought I had Autism. They were tears of relief.
My only advice is that if you do decide to bring it up, treat it casually. Don't make a huge production out of it, cause it would likely just make him feel self conciousness.
Good luck!



emimeni
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09 Oct 2012, 6:05 pm

If you told me that I was autistic when I was a teenager, I would've been quite persistent at denying it. There's was no way to get me to acknowledge I was autistic. I had to do it all by myself.


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daydreamer84
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09 Oct 2012, 9:44 pm

I think you should tell him what you think.



Auguste
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13 Oct 2012, 2:32 am

Thanks a lot for all your advice.

"If your brother has it you might have some weak symptoms, too. And one of your parents. (That's for genetically acquired autism)."

I just took a few tests myself and score 120 to 130. Funny that I'd never thought of it in those terms and always focused on my brother...



Oodain
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13 Oct 2012, 2:43 am

onks wrote:
FishStickNick wrote:
I don't know what to tell you, but... last month, I told one of my older sisters about how I thought I had Asperger's. Her response was basically, "I knew that for a while." Personally, I would've liked it if someone brought it up with me sooner than have me stumble upon it in my late 20s.


Exactly that.


that people actually have the nerve to keep it a secret if they know,

now mind you some people, like it seems with the above, only has a suspicion, in that case i can understand it.


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Moondust
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13 Oct 2012, 9:14 am

I think it depends enormeously first and foremost on the kind of relationship you have with your brother. So much so, that not knowing that, I can't even begin to answer your question.


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