I may have Aspgerger's Syndrome-- please, post an opinion.

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Hello, throughout my life I have been subjected to riddicule for numerous reasons: Inclimicable difficulty in social situations, resulting in depression and anxieties; my speach patterns, that have a tendency to be 'asotaic'; organizational behavior, by my grade 11 chemistry teacher and other; and abnormal body language, to name a few.

Recently, my chemistry teacher assurted that he belives that I have Aspgerger's, later contacting my parents, but not infroming them of the assumption, merely showing them how I organized my chemistry work; my parents diden't find out until three months later because I was worried about how they would respond. After prompted by this, I proceeded to the internet to research information pertaining to A.S. and found that I possess nearly all of the behaviors described in the DSM4. In addition, I choose to search out an online screening test, mulling that a large test would minimilize any potencial biases. It was positive: 83/100, reduced from 166/200. I have even observed teachers scribing notes on me durring class; this inadvertably causes anxiety..

My social behavior has been "abnormal": I usualy confine myself to my room, dwelving into books or drawing or writing; or restrict myself to one active friendship at any given time. This one active friend no longer exists; I fail to recipropate friendships, regardless of my desire to have them..

My comments in english class are also "very unique" ( english teacher ); later, my english teacher commented: " I think that you're one of the most unique students I've ever taught. That's a good thing". When I speak to the class , however, I usualy word my contribution prior to expressing it, which results in a 'asotaic' phrase or an extended , one sided, disscusion; ocassionaly I am overwhelmed with anxiety and my speach is severed and incoherenat. I really do detest being inarticulate. The effects also linger for several hours after.


Yet, I belive my personal behavior might be , arguably, non-autistic: I have the ability to discern social ques with high accuracy although, I have devoloped this.

What do you think?

Please respond.

P.S. I aplogize for any granimatical or typographical errors; errors occure when you don't sleep for 4 days.

Welcome to WP!

It sounds as if you may indeed be an Aspie. You don't have to fit every DSM criteria to win, lol Like you, I am fairly accurate at reading social cues most of the time. There are a few I routinely miss. I do tend to talk over people, cause awkward silences, and I struggle painfully with small talk. Otherwise I do okay. Did you ask your teacher how they know of Asperger's?

I'm a bit alarmed by what your chemistry teacher said. Legally, he had no right to tell you in that fashion, because he's not qualified to informally "diagnose" his students - he's only qualified to teach you chemistry. In most schools that's a serious breach in conduct because it can make a student feel more isolated and confused than helped or understood. Judging by your anxiety and hyperviligance about how your teachers now react to you, seems he did just that. Ideally he should have taken his concerns to your school consulor, who is properly trained to handle these things.

And frankly, I think you should go see your school consulor. Just tell him/her what you chem teacher said, and say you'd like to talk about it. There's no reason for you to feel like everyone's watching you and taking notes, yet not discussing this with you. Talk to your consulor about that. Really, that's pretty awful of your chem teacher to do that seeing for most of us, finding out we have AS is an life-changing event, and we need the right support and safe outlets for us to discuss our concerns and feelings as we come to terms with it.

I can't say you have AS or not, but what you describe sounds very much like want many Aspies experience. You don't have to be "100% autistic" to have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder like AS. Each person varies in the groupings of autistic traits they experiences and the severity of those traits. Some of us can more or less "pass" as normal in most cases - that doesn't mean, however, they aren't as affected by their condition. Someone who doesn't appear outwardly to have AS can be struggling just as must internally with their AS traits as someone more obviously an "Aspie."

Hopefully, the counselor wasn't like mine which only helped you with your college choices. I knew of someone who clearly developed anorexia and her friends went to the counselor, and all he said was "Well, maybe she wants to lose some weight."

But yeah, for me teachers pointed out my behavior a bit. I even had at least three teachers I remember make fun of me because of it. Others said that I was "abnormally behaved." Just as I was graduating some teacher were pointing out when I was a freshman and they found my notebook and all of my well organized notes and how it weirded them out. When I take notes, I HAVE to do it a certain way. If I take notes during class, I just end up starting over reading on my own and taking notes my way and in the right order. When I was younger a few teachers thougth that my parents abused me or something becaues of how I acted or didn't act.

Of course if that actually happened to me I would totally freak out of course I get alot of anxiety when I know that I will have to talk to people eventually or to a certain person. But I think this chem teacher means well. To him, he is helping you find a reason you are the way you are and help you be more comfortable. It is interesting that your chem teacher thought of it when I have heard that a few people with AS are getting counseling and they are trying to figure out how to tell their counselor that they have AS, I know I am. You would think it is the other way around; you hearing from a counselor that you probably have AS, and telling a teacher so that they can understand you better.

I think you are lucky that you have teachers who want to understand you even though it brings on anxiety for you. Looking back, I wish I had teachers like that.

Welcome to WP!

Tim

I am a full-time college professor, and I could never imagine suggesting a diagnosis to one of my students. I agree completely that this person's behavior was unethical, and that someone should speak with him. He may have "meant" well, but he is not qualified to diagnose his students.

Of course, as a professor, I am in a different situation from an elementary or secondary school teacher. I have no access to the private records of students. I only know what students happen to tell me.

Welcome funnycow,

Few know, but your chemistry teacher steered you right. You can learn everything you need on your own.

When the profession is not sure about AS, a school consulor is going to be the last to know. This is a self help situation, unless you want to become a pill head too. Stick with AS, it is cheaper.

Sounds like a normal aspie to me. WP is the only approved teatment.

I seem to have the opposite problem; it often takes me so long to get a word into a group conversation that the topic has shifted...

As for the original poster, yeah you don't need all of the DSM-IV criteria. Two of 'A' and one of 'B' is the "main" part.

I've also come across an annotated DSM-IV reference for Autism (rather than AS, but most of it is the same anyway). It actually explains in much more detail what each criteria is looking for.

http://groups.msn.com/TheAutismHomePage ... dsmiv.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/TheAutismHomePage ... dsmiv.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/TheAutismHomePage ... dsmiv.msnw

To a degree, so sound lke you are like I am. Frankly, I think you're AS also!

Well, from what you wrote you probably have AS but there's nothing to beat a professional diagnosis (not one from your chemistry teacher). Talk it over with either your school councilor if you have one or your doctor.

In any event, welcome to Wrong Planet from one chemist to another (degree in chemistry, Edinburgh University 1979).

Ed Almos

Apologies, but I get a bit confused when American's say "school". Do you mean school or after school college or university?

Reason I ask is because I saw a documentary the other day (might have been YouTube or TV, I can't remember) where a school in America is creating a different learning space for AS spectrum and the young Aspies they interviewed said they thought this new system "was heaven" in comparison to the old. So maybe your teachers are considering a similar programme at your school? Could be a good thing?

The only way to really tell is to visit a mental health professional.

School in the US could mean anything, but USUALLY means lower grades(nursery school to 12th, or basically 3-18yo). It can also be something like tradeschool which is a special school for certain trades that require some skill/knowledge, but not necessarily college type instruction. Trade schools may be for medical assistants, heating/airconditioning specialists, car mechanics, cosmotologists(sp?), etc....

Agreed. Only a psychologist or psychiatrist, or possibly a neurologist, is qualified to diagnosis Asperger's. If he had a concern, he should have mentioned it to the school psychologist.