Maybe I am an aspie

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My son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. For the past 17 years I have learned a lot about the autism spectrum. As I was learning this, I started to discover me. So, I finally took an on-line test.

http://aspergerstest.net

I scored 34. My suspicions have been confirmed. Growing up there was no autism or any testing to see why you are socially awkward. I was(and still am) just shy and weird to anyone that meets me. Also, when I was growing up going to a therapist was taboo.

So, now I have 1 child diagnosed with autism. My daughters were diagnosed with depression and anxiety, just like me. I did this to my children. Just knowing I was weird should of kept me from having children. In my mind back then, I will have a children and I will give them a healthy, loving, supporive environment to grow up in. This will make up for the miserable childhood I had. This will bring me the happiness I never experienced, seeing them living a happy, productive life. My life will not be in vain.

How selfish and naïve that sounds now.

Parents often find out they are autistic as a result of their children being diagnosed.

One test and having some traits does not make one autistic. Autism is a syndrome. You have to have most of the traits and have them be severe enough to be impairing.

Adults often have learned to cope or workaround their autistic traits enough to appear "normal".

Aspienwomen: Adult Women with Asperger Syndrome…Moving towards a female profile of Asperger Syndrome

No it is not your fault your kids have conditions. You had little knowkedge of what was going on then. Also while they have problems they are not defective or lesser people, but individual people with thier own strengths and disabilities. If you have an attitude of guilt they will pick up on that, so the best thing you can do is to do is find their strenghts and encourage those.

Wrong Planet Parents
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Autistic Patents post there also.