seeking a diagnosis didn't go so well

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One thing I learned about truth after I got diagnosed and subsequently medicated, was that I didn't have anymore insight into it than anybody else. The naked emperor - I leaned in grade school never to mention and I still don't. Makes me sad too.

It wasn't that I saw a different "version" of the truth that others. It's just that I felt morally obligated to talk about it and raise issues with it (as it seemed dishonest to simply ignore it). For some reason, neurotypicals prefer to ignore it and pretend it does not exist. I'll never get it.

As a note, when I learned about the naked emperor in grade school, I always figured the little boy was a hero. So, I thought emulating him was the honest thing to do. Go wonder.

In any event, you're approach is probably more appropriate. To not mention it.

Well, I dunno. If something struck me as morally unacceptable, I would say something (I think) But I wouldn't bother with the everyday insincerity of our society. It would depend on the situation and if someone was being hurt.

When the emperor is telling the story, he is the hero.

I've gotten mixed reviews from my detail focus and insistence with honesty. Some bosses like that I caught and resolved so many mistakes and other times I think I came off as intense and nitpicking. Honesty has been a good thing overall except when I take it too far. But I'm not sure what dishonesty is ok and what should I avoid. So I just try to avoid coworkers (I don't kno who to trust anyway) and keep everything I do correct. Problem is that my current job is the worst when it comes to honesty. They don't value it at all!

Same here.

Regarding detail focus…My intense focus on the details combined with a bottoms-up thinking style compels me to capture, organize and classify a lot of information. I am never satisfied until I know everything I can. Because of this, I am able to put the pieces together and form a “view” that others do not see (mostly due to the fact that they are not inclined towards collecting these details). I have been lauded for “identifying and managing risk”. The bosses love this (e.g. “Thanks for bringing this up, we need to...”). The co-workers hate it, as it represents more work for everyone to do.

Regarding honesty… This has been a big issue. As it seems, that there are many activities within the working world that cross the boundary of what I consider ethical. For example, I worked at a well known hardware manufacturer known for high quality products. I discovered that some on the team were planning to put a compliance label on a product that hadn’t passed compliance. While some people were bothered by this, no one was willing to “step up” and say it was wrong. So, I launched a mini-crusade. It didn’t win me any points.

The same happened when working at a software company. It is not uncommon for software companies to knowingly sell software that that does not work. Likewise, it is not uncommon for engineering management to release buggy software (to recognize revenue). Invariably, I was always the first to speak up when the software was not ready for release. Again, this didn’t win me any points (as it impacted people’s bonuses).

My perfectionist, inflexible, moralistic, rule-following, black and white, all or nothing thinking is a curse when working (or dealing with others) in a neurotypical world. I suppose I could change, but then I would no longer be me.

I sought out a professional diagnosis only after a great deal of soul searching. I had found occupational difficulties after changing assignments in the company I was working for. I was a finding a great deal of problems in making a successful adjustment to the new demands. I simply could not modify my old routines enough to make the new adjustments in a timely manner. It was not a competence issue but more a social adjustment problem, I was simply dazed and confused. I live in a very brittle world and my routine made it possible not only to survive but even flourish there.

I had become suspicious about my fathers side of the family and the number of extremely eccentric people, I would latter evaluate 6 out of 8 of these aunts and uncles to be on the autistic spectrum including my father. This is a important clue as a I will explain shortly.

I became aware of the Asperger's diagnosis along with other ASD variations as well. I became convinced that this explained a number of things concerning my family and self. This was enough for sometime, probably about three years. I saw little reason for pursuing an official diagnosis at the time. But when adjustments at my work and career begin to suffer I began to reconsider.

I went through a great deal of clinicians with little encouragement of even getting an accurate diagnosis. Most admitted that they did not have the specific expertise to accurately access ASD's in a child must less an adult. What was even more frightning the few I found, willing to test me also offered treatments in the event of a positive diagnosis, and none were board certified. I finally talked to my EAP councleor at work about my quest for a responsible ASD evaluation.

EAP organizations is most companies will not accept a clinician services that are not "board certified". Board certified clinicians rarely offer treatment after testing, regardless of results. As a result of these inquires EAP found me a "board certified clinician" with experience with ASD's in adults and children, and who eplained that regardless of the diagnosis that he would not provide treatment options, as this was not his field. It took serveral long interviews and about ten ours of intense psychological testing, over two months to produce a result. I diagnosed with Aspergers. It took about six months of adjustment to get my head around it, but it has provided me with answers to a lifelong condition that would have otherwise not have ever be validated by a third party.

I had to reveal the results to my employer as they paid a role in the diagnosis and since have tried to make every accomidation possible in a work enviorment that I could expect. Sometimes as in my case you are forced to come of of the closet. I do not recommend this approach to everyone. But have some keen advice if you have a need for a diagnosis.

Use only "board certificed clinicians" with extensive background in ASD's

Make shure there is no conflict of interest for the clinician to benifit either directly or indirectly by offering treatments in case of a positive diagnosis.

If you are fortunate to work for a large cooperation, try to use there EAP program to get the test done, as this will guarentee insurance acceptance and payment and significatly lower your cost. Not only that the company will be less likely to challenge the findings.

Reveal only to your management only what the medical department at your company advices, management has neither the right or need to see the whole report.

And as promised above if your are truely Autistic, there should be other family members especially on your fathers side of the family with these traits if not outright Autism, so look at your family close and objectively.

That's a lot of tests!

Before my AS assessments I had the WAIS which incorporated 13 subtests, and during my last assessment at which I was diagnosed using the AAA (AQ & EQ), I was also given:

*the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) the results of which stated that my profile closely resembles those found in the Ozonoff study (the clinical picture of ASD [Asperger Syndrome], as reflected in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV” (Ozonoff, Garcia, Clark, & Lainhart, 2005, p. 90);
*the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) Adult Self-Report;
*Asperger Syndrome Lifespan Patient Questionnaire;
*the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE).


...with the aim of ruling out any other psychological conditions and being more sure on my psychological profile. I thought that was very thorough (the clinician was very pedantic and took some time to complete the assessment, interviewing me 3 or 4 times, interviewing my mum and my husband also - and your battery of tests makes mine look like the poor man's version!

Yes. It was a lot of tests. More than half of the tests were questionnaires (my wife also completed 3 questionnaires). The diagnosis itself took 6 hours (divided into 3 sessions).

Some of the non-questionnaires tests seemed to go rather quickly. The WAIS-IV test took a bit under 2 hours. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test seemed to take less than 20 minutes (it was done on a computer, in the Psychologist's office). The Rorschach Test took about an hour.

Going in, I identified a list of "conditions" (based upon a set of documented symptoms) that I "could" be "diagnosed" and provided to the Psychologist (including: Aspergers, Extreme Introversion, Shyness, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety, Avoidant Personality, Schizoid). My goal was to determine what was causing those symptoms.

As a note, the psychologist doing my testing was not too friendly. Very matter of fact.

Maybe they had Aspergers.

ROTFLMAO – My wife (who works in the mental health field) accompanied me to the “final session” (following the 3 diagnosis sessions) where the psychologist presented the findings. The psychologist (a woman) was much friendlier with my wife.

My wife suspects that the psychologist was quite terse with me, because “she knew how to deal with me”. I have this tendency to ask a LOT of questions. In fact, my communication style is based upon questioning. It’s not uncommon for me to simply ask question after question of someone else - especially if I am interested in the topic. I could have prolonged this thing by hours or days, if I was given the chance.

hi all

I only decided to get the diagnosis 3 years after my niece was diagnosed. I began to experience major anxiety every time I went to work after an incident which was unrelated to work. It was so bad I thought I would have to quit my job. I had to seek help and get answers. Quitting work was not an option as I have a mortgage and no where to go.

My GP basically dismissed me as well. He thought I may of had fragile x instead. He eventually gave me the referral when his tests were negative for fragile x. I got referred to a clinic and was diagnosed. I had to fill in surveys and my mum filled put psychological history of our family. We provided teacher assessments that labelled me a loner, etc.

It was the fact I had a real issue, I could no longer function that I sort the diagnosis, otherwise I was content to let things be at the time. With medication my anxiety has subsided for me to once again function at work without issues.

The diagnosis gave me answers and I knew I was on the right track.

Before the diagnosis and even before my niece was diagnosed I always knew I was different. I didn't need a diagnosis, didn't even know about Asperger's and I felt this is my lot in the world and I lived with it. I knew I didn't have the gift of the gab. I think if you need help with social interaction look at the tips provided on the threads on the wrong planet site. Your psychologist is not likely to give you therapy that can assist. There is a CD Rom from Cambridge University that may help you pick up on social cues. It's called mind reading. So I hope this helps.

It was the same with me. I was in total self-destruct mode and my doctor just shook her hands and sent me to the psychiatrist. The diagnosis led to effective medication and I feel like I've been granted a second chance.

I had a similarI had a serious breakdown after a big relationship breakup, and my doctor referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with AS. The diagnosis helped explain traits quite a bit, and I subsequently saw a couple other psychiatrists to make sure the original diagnosis was correct and not influenced by emotional issues after the breakup. The second re-diagnosed me within our first 2-hour visit, but the third didn't think I had AS and said she would give me an indepenent evaluation. I saw her for nearly a month before she interjected in one session that I did have AS.

Most of the bizarre contradictions in my life suddenly make good sense with the diagnosis, and I finally feel like I'm making progress handling some of my more bothersome traits.