why I self-diagnose

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One reason is that I feel I've read enough, including here at WrongPlanet, that I feel I understand Autism Spectrum pretty well. For example, if someone had asked me ten years ago if I had sensory issues, I probably would have answered no. But now, I realize I do have texture issues, sound issues, smell issues, much more so than the average person.

And then, secondly, I just have not had the best of success with so-called mental health "professionals." I realize other people here at WP have. And I just ask that we try and respect each other both ways. Those of us who have, and those of us who haven't, and try to be open to learning from each other.

And I've read the DSM-4 definition of autism and most of the DSM-5 definition, and I'm just not that impressed. I mean, this is what's supposed to be the gold standard? It looks like just a bunch of generalities to me. And it emphasizes the social dimension and gives scant attention to sensory issues. Well, of course, it's just autism from the outside looking in. It's not a description of autism as a lived human experience.

At this point, I'm fairly certain I'm Spectrum and am ready for the next step. Which is, what are some skills and methods which have a fairly good chance of working out which I can experiment with in my own life? And this next chapter is what I've been interested in for quite some time.

I agree.

I can't remember how many Wrong Planet users (with and without official diagnoses) have described their diagnostics evaluations and mentioned such things as "the diagnostician ignored my previous factor diagnoses," "the doctor doubted my notes about my lifelong characteristics" and "the clinician had me complete a test that had nothing to do with ASDs." On the other hand, some WP users have had great diagnoses with professionals who respected their clients' descriptions and opinions, and agreed generally with them. Clearly, there is a huge disparity of quality between professionals. So, why does this disparity exist? Well, I have written before that, for every professional who graduated first in his or her class, there is another professional who graduated last. But, both are considered valid practitioners regardless of their skill levels.

So, it should surprise no one that clients who do their own research (see parents teaching themselves about cancer and doing what it takes to save their children who were diagnosed as terminal) are often able to do abetter job at diagnosing themselves or their children better than some of these professionals-in-name-only do. An accurate self-diagnosis of an ASD isn't that difficult if the individual can read research papers and diagnostic criteria, learn the definitions of some new terms quickly, and know how to compare and contrast the information that they glean. After all, if professionals were simply required to study just one precise subject like ASD diagnosis, they could quickly come to understand it fluently, too. Why should it be so surprising that non-professionals are just as capable?

Still, I believe that any self-diagnosis should include a full survey of an individual's lifelong characteristics, ASD-factor diagnoses (if any) and, hopefully, at least one or two self-administered screening-test scores. No single online test is enough evidence for a self-diagnosis, in my opinion. And, I have read of professional diagnoses which included less evidence.

As for your questions about "what next," what are some of the skills or methods that you wish to adopt?

Count me in too.

Whether someone feels compelled to seek an official diagnosis depends on the following question:

Will a diagnosis provide access to resources and aids that assist the individual with one of more concrete challenges in life?

If someone has managed to become an independent adult without significant self confidence issues, a diagnosis may offer no benefit in life, even if autistic symptoms are experienced on a regular basis.

What certainly helps is the construction of an autism friendly personal environment, for example by being self-employed, working remotely, and by being very selective in choosing life partners and friends. Some people may need a diagnosis to be prompted to leave a toxic job or make other changes, others may do so entirely on their own.

The boundary between being an Aspie or being BAP is fluid. The difference is not one of symptoms but one of environmental context. A toxic job and family environment at the right place and time in life will make you an Aspie, and a bit of luck at the right place and time in life will make you BAP, but you can easily run out of luck again ...

I also agree.

There was once a time I was critical about self-diagnosis but after I was diagnosed and started reading about it (and then it became a Special Interest), it isn't hard to recognise if you have similar experiences to those who are self/diagnosed. After all, who knows you better than yourself. Now I believe in self-diagnosis and if it helps you to cope with the issues you're struggling with, then that's all that really matters.

My 2¢ worth.

A male gynecologist sure the hell doesn't know what it like to be a woman, now does he?. Then what make you think that an NT psychiatrist knows what it's like to be on the spectrum. Now granted, external observation is important since one on the outside, looking in can see things that you may not notice from the inside. So yes. I am all for self diagnoses and think it's the best choice. But it also doesn't hurt to get a second opinion from a psychiatrist as well.

Hiring a certified public accountant (CPA), tax preparer or even a tax lawyer to settle the status of your IRS Schedule K-1 would probably be affordable for you. Any one of these professionals could also help you catch up on your tax returns for the last 3 to 7 years. Doing this might even yield enough residual savings to pay for the professional help. If this is how you choose to resolve the K-1 and tax-returns matter, your immediate problems with both matters would likely be settled. In the future, hiring a tax preparer (like H&R Block) annually to complete your upcoming returns is also affordable and protects you legally from any mistakes that the tax-preparer makes.

If I were you, I would make an appointment with a professional to ask questions, and see if moving forward is something you could do. Get the financial and legal matters settled, and the social and career matters might seem less daunting to you.

Good luck!

As I understand it, you have 3 years to get a refund. Past that, you can still file but the refund is lost.

PS This whole thing is real embarrassing because I've worked for H&R Block for several tax seasons! I took it seriously and focused on the big ticket items of children, college tuition, and home mortgage. And a very important non-tax issue is this: If the client allows Block to set up a temporary bank account, the bank will use this occasion to potentially grab the client's entire refund for purposes of third-party debt collection. I think this is way unethical, and I didn't see any other choice other than to inform my client. I even developed my theory that my primary loyalty is to my clients and my immediate co-workers, and not so much the company hierarchy. So, I developed a method in which I would underline in blue ink this part of the loan application and try and explain this. If I had to do it all over again, I would have underlined it and not said anything. That is, I would have played poker a little bit. I would have underlined it as if I'm required to by the company, hoping the client would ask me about it and we might get some conversation going. And/or, I would have experimented with this method and see how it worked. Working at Block and this other place for four years, 1 year out of four I was fired, in my judgment because I did try and communicate honestly with clients regarding the bank and loan products. But that means 3 years out of four I wasn't fired! And besides the job typically is for only five weeks. Yes, 5 weeks, that's it, that's the rush season. I might as well be ethical according to my own lights.

All this, I still have a difficult time calling up, making appointments, dealing with professionals. This includes doctors, too. Sometimes the doctor is a poor listener and/or rushed, the whole appointment is crappy. Maybe there's some benefit to it. But I'm kind of wiped out for hours, the best part of the day.

re the validity of self-diagnosis:

http://abnormaldiversity.blogspot.co.nz ... nosis.html

There are some really interesting observations in the statistical analysis that this ASD person carried out.

I disagree to an extent. The next step is an actual diagnosis.

I actually covered that HERE