Is there anything to gain from getting diagnosed with AS...?

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im 100 percent sure i have AS and i was just wondering if i should go out and get diagnosed...like is there any point? its just a big waste of time and money isnt it?
am i wrong here??

There is one definite thing to be gained: The not having to constantly wonder whether it is or isn't. Plus, in some areas, if you sought treatment, having a formal diagnosis can help get funds from insurance or social programs to pay for it.

EDIT: and by treatment, I mean things like therapies, sessions to help you figure out how you can improve, whatever.

I got a diagnosis in 2007 (and am actually still waiting on some neurological testing) because of an inability to keep jobs. It's a long story, but the state insists that I must (in fact, it's illegal for me not to) earn nearly twice as much annually as I have for the past 8 years. That's the reason for the neurological testing. If you're not having similar issues, then it may be easier for you to just not bother with the diagnosis. I've heard that it's a lot easier to get health insurance if you don't have an official dx.

I tried once to get a diagnosis (a few weeks ago) and the doctor instantly shot me down and then didn't ask me any questions about why I thought I had it. Then he sent a letter to my family doctor telling me he didn't think I have Asperger's. ( I would find it interesting to find out how exactly he came to that conclusion without asking me anything). So, after that experience, I don't think I'm going to bother. Although I'm confident that the diagnosis fits, the label is relatively unimportant at this point in my life because my problems aren't with Asperger's itself, but more with things like Anxiety. I would have liked the diagnosis if for no other reason than it would have been easier to stop doubting myself, but if you aren't having doubts about it at all, and you aren't seeking 'treatment' (as far as Asperger's groups and such), then i don't see why it would be worth your time and money. I forget that these things cost money in other countries. My 5 second rejection was free lol

would i be able to to go to support groups if i ever wanted to but i didnt have an official diagnoses?

I'm wondering the same thing about whether to get tested. I'm sure I have AS. My new therapist admits she doesn't know much about AS and said testing might be useful. She said for me to think about whether I want to be tested. I think, for me it comes down to one thing. I have one degree and half of another in two fields that I can't work in because the social aspects of them are beyond me. The degree I have is absolutely useless to me as it does not translate into any other field of work. Now after many years I'm thinking of going back to school in a totally different field, one that I think might be a better fit. I'm wondering if testing would be at all helpful in deciding whether this is a good idea.

I got an official diagnosis because I needed a doctor to see me and hear me and believe me. I didn't get the Dx in order to get any kind of financial support or accommodation from the state. I just needed the mirorring and the validation. Some people don't need that at all. If you don't, self-diagnosing is a perfectly legitimate approach, in my opinion.

I had a therapist who insisted I didn't have AS because I could make eye contact with her and carry on a conversation. She had told me a few weeks before that she knew nothing about Asperger's, but all of a sudden she became an expert. It's very important to see someone who is a specialist in ASD. So many people on this website have had terrible experiences with doctors and therapists telling them ridiculous, incorrect things. Also, if you decide to go to a therapist in order to deal with the emotional co-morbid aspects of having AS, make sure you see someone who knows about AS. The advice given by therapists who don't understand our neurological strengths and weaknesses is worse than useless.

the knowledge that your horrific childhood/teen years weren't your fault...AND (in the UK at least) a free 5 year national bus pass and a load of cash ^.^ x