How can I know?

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Hi.
My name is Anita, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Brasil.
I'm quite sure there are many other topics about that, but I just couldn't be patient enough to search for them. I heard about Asperger Syndrom a few months ago and it really made me think about my condition. I'm diagnosed with a mild form of dyslexia since I was 11, but even though I had some difficulties when I was groing up, I've never had any issues with reading or learning. Actually, I start reading books by the age of 3 and, when I was 10, I could speak foreign without even taking classes or living abroad. I've got what people call eidetic memory and picture thinking, my social skills are a mess (among other weird conditions such as mild OCD). I'd like to know how can I find out more about Asperger Syndrom and what's the diagnosis.
Thank you.

Eidetic memory, picture thinking, hyperlexia (reading early, as you mentioned you did), poor social skills, and OCD like behavior are all, in particular, traits found in people with Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Good sources of information on AS include a Wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger%27s_syndrome ), the articles on this site, and this page that contains the official US diagnosis criteria (DSM-IV): http://ani.autistics.org/dsm4-aspergers.html . Some say that this online quiz can shed light on where you fall on the autism spectrum, if at all: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html . I hope these resources help in your study of AS. As for whether you have AS, the only way to know for sure in my opinion is to get a Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis from a doctor. Beyond the peace of mind that step may bring, one might also receive official recognition by government and employers as having a disability, and receive social services or special work arrangements as a result.

I suggest buying the book "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome," by Tony Attwood. You can order it from Amazon.com for a reasonable price. It is very thorough and well organized. This is really the best source that I know of.

Mademoiselle,

I think you've come to the right place. I'm not familiar with the medical system in your area or how reliable a Dx anybody there can offer, but have you tried entering just the term, asperger's into your favorite search engine?

Is there a library in your area that you can search for the subject?

From reading your post above, although there isn't much info to base any conclusions, I get the impression you might have the tic.

Good luck in your search. I'm sure you'll find the answer soon.

Welcome to WP!

Tim

Thank you all very much for all the information and warm welcome.
I'll look up to read more about the subject. The book alphacent mentioned should be in my University's Medicine library. I'm not familiar with that library since I'm a History major, but I'll search for it or maybe I'll just buy it. ^_^.

Neuromancer is from Rio de Janeiro. That link is to his profile.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... le&u=10592

Thanks.
I'll try to get in touch with him.