Do I have Asperger's?

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Hello,
I am new to this site, which I was led to in my research into what may be going on with me. I have had more than one person of the few who know me well remark that I may be autistic. Asperger's seems like a possibility, but am unsure how to proceed. A diagnosis means little to me, as it will not change how I am--though a reason for the way I have always been would be nice--but I have a son who exhibits a lot of the same mannerisms as I have, and would like to spare him the years of confusion and alienation I have felt and continue to feel.
I don't know if I have Asperger's Syndrome, but the more I look into it the more it seems likely. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to proceed with investigating a diagnosis?

Don't thats a doctor's job.

I think thats what he means.

I got mine through a work rehabilitation place. Thus, the unemployment program funded my diagnosis.

When I was a kid, my parents noticed that I was different, so they took me to an assortment psychologists and psychiatrists. It showed that they cared, and I appreciated that, but the diagnosis-es I got back didn't tell me anything useful. They identified my character traits, but that doesn't tell me who I am.

I had a really shy and awkward childhood, and it was NOT the psychologists who got me out of it: It was drawing. That's why I always tell people: Find something you do well, and seek out people who share the same interests. In the case of your son, I would focus on encouraging his talents and hobbies first, and worry about his psychological conditions second. I know that a lot of kids resent their parents' involvement in their personal life, but my mom was studying landscape architecture, so she showed me a lot of drawing techniques, and that helped get me started.

I agree with Fatal Noogie, great advice!

i was watching nbc's "dateline" back in 2000 when they showed a report on aspergers. i was barely watching it really..but it caught my eye.

watching the kid on tv, he seemed a little familiar....

he was obsessed when it came to orchids. its all he knew and talked about...
he was also misunderstood by his peers and lonely. "now that is really familiar..." i thought to myself.

my obsession? (the very random) bigfoot. it was all i talked about to anyone who would listen...
and doing my research it really did all add up. the clumsiness, the hooting, the awkwardness, the aloofness...
but my obsession with sasquatch it what seals it for me. (and you may notice my odd sentence structure too- i only realized this recently)

the reason i am posting this, is because i do well socially now. i can make friends, and know not to expound on random subjects to strangers. and if i can do it theres hope for anyone...

i actually give credit to my mother. she never crushed my spirit, and she let me be me. i think this allowed me to blossom later on. it took me until my early 20s, but i did.

Diagnosed late in Life my journey, hope helps you on your journey...

First getting diagnosed is not easy, you have to revaluate yourself. I could not help but wonder, how could I have not know for so long, did I want to know, would it change me, make a difference – I could be wrong. That’s when I knew I had to find out, I needed to know. Because if I was I had to know, if it was real it had to be fact. I did not want to have to keep just presuming, and having to try and convince everyone else. Also the fact knowing it could be genetic felt owed it to my boys to find out, could not bare the thought of them having to feel as lost and misunderstood as I had to growing up.

When you most want the help, it can be hard. It’s not something people tend to talk about, or know about. I feel too many professionals (doctors, psychologists, teachers etc) still are not well enough informed on Autistic Spectrum Disorders. But with more awareness than ever, this is beginning to change. If you decide to be diagnosed it really is your choice, this is something you have to decide for yourself. Take time to find out as much as you can, as soon as I did there was no choice for me, I knew at last this could be away of really being able to be me.

Far too often, it’s left to you, or someone else in your life to recognise the symptoms. If not diagnosed it often leads to being wrongly diagnosed. I did try and get help about 10 years ago, had no idea what if anything was wrong, just knew I was different, and had problems dealing with certain issues unlike everyone else. It was suggested I was depressed, but knowing this was not the case decide not to push the issue, as did not want to be put on anti-depressants, lucky for me never like to take any drugs. So still feeling confused and misunderstood, carried on dealing with my differences alone.

Anyway, once realized you may have ASD or similar condition is to find a doctor or someone who will listen. But before that I would advise read as much as you can about Aspergers and associated conditions, and write down all the reasons you feel you have Aspergers. I also put down differences as far back as childhood, because as we get older we change. The more understanding and supporting evidence you collect the better, as will make the next step so much easier.

Once decided on a doctor, arrive armed with as much knowledge and information as possible, as this will not only prepare you, but make the whole process a lot easier. Make sure you write down as much as you can, because as it may all be new to you, can be quite hard explaining to someone else. I was lucky my doctor did agree to refer me to a psychologist for an assessment first time. But I was very well prepared, as knew would be lots of little things I would have forgotten to mention otherwise.

When I arrived to see the psychologist was very nervous, as never been to one before and was not sure what to except. But defiantly did not expect what happen next. I was asked why I thought I had aspergers, thought they would be asking me the questions. Just as well I was well prepared, but 1 hour is not a long time. But she did agree it was quite possible I had all the symptoms! But once her draft report arrive at my home, which clearly stated I had aspergers. I just stood there, I was all alone and it’s a lot to take in at first.

After reading the first draft did not know if I should cry or jump for joy, to be honest I think I already knew at that stage and really it was a big relief, everything just seem to make sense and others would really have to believe me now. I was not making it all up, or crazy. I really was simply just different, and the strange thing was I had come to that conclusion a while ago. Use to say to one of my friends here in NZ “I do not know why but I’m different for everyone else” but I did not know then there are lots more just like me. It was strange when first reading the words I have aspergers – it’s like, all of a sudden after being one person all your life, you find out your someone else.

I had to send the draft report back 4 times before I was happy with it, not sure if wanted to delay a little longer or just needed more time before sent to doctors and official. The strange thing is the letter did go to my doctors, but they never called me. I guess after all there is none thing wrong with me. Except for years of conscious effort trying to be someone other than what I should be, has at times been extremely stressful. Still find it hard at times, knowing I suffered for so long unnecessarily, growing up and continually being told your wrong. Brainwashed by society and the media, to be someone you are not.

But now I’m so proud to say I’m an aspie, and to me it is now just a fact like everything else. But one good point being diagnosed later in life was that I really got to study how society and the world really works, not like the norm where there knowledge is acquired unconsciously. If you have never heard of Aspergers before, then please do not try and stereotype me or institutionalize what you do not understand. I have had to spend a life time trying to understand the norm, just try and see things through my eyes for a short time.

Greetings,

I'm also new here. I just recently learned about the existence of AS. Reading up on the topic was an interesting experience to me. On one hand I can fully identify with generic descriptions of personality and behavior of AS children as well as adults (I'm 26 now) but on the other hand certain things, like markedly repetitive behavior, sticking to rituals, very narrow and very peculiar interests, encyclopedic memory, motor clumsiness in everyday tasks (I'm bad in sports though, particularly ball games), or oversensitivity to light, sounds, etc. (I tend to avoid harsh lights and very noisy places but that's just a matter of preference) are missing or at least aren't easy to recognize. I've always been weird since my early childhood but managed to avoid the kind of problems that could've ended me up at a psychiatrist or similar. So I was never diagnosed having a mental disorder. I recall however friends and colleagues occasionally comparing me to Mr. Spock (hence the username) and other similar fictional characters because of my strange ways.

I'm now wondering whether I qualify as someone having AS or not. I guess I'm probably somewhere near the lower end of the spectrum. I don't feel like spending much time and money on getting an official diagnosis since it wouldn't change much. But my curiosity makes me analyzing the issue over and over again and it'd be nice to know if referring to AS is correct usage of the term in my case. I don't expect to receive a proper diagnosis here (I agree that's the job of a professional) but if anyone has some hints to share that'd be great.

Anyway, I take this opportunity to say hello to the community.

Welcome here, duncansbass.

My 14-year-old son and I both have diagnoses, his from a specialist paediatrician, and mine from a consulting psychiatrist. But this was only formal confirmation of what we have suspected for a very long time.

I just got dxed about 2 months ago at the age of 23. It was an interesting experience for me, because it explained many of the problems that I've had in life that I haven't been able to fix. And now that I understand these problems better, things are going better.

You might be interested in my last thread: The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria. It focuses on the positive aspects of Aspergers, as opposed to the negative. It really is a good article.