Confusing AS discussion with counselor

Post Reply New Topic

So I was talking to the school counselor because I'm meant to, and I told her last session that I think I'm 'on the spectrum' as she says, but that some people I've told don't believe me that I am. Today she asked me why I think i have it, so I told her I examples of when I have different symptoms, and she said:
'You make a convincing case'.
I don't understand what this means, because comparing me describing my AS to a case and calling it convincing implies that I'm lying. However, maybe this was just a figure of speech and she means she thinks I seem like I have AS. Does anyone understand?

Also, after I listed my symptoms she said it seems my primary problem is lack of empathy. I thought this was really odd as I feel like I DO have empathy, so I doubt I said anything that implied I have no empathy. (In real life I honestly do feel lots of emapthy, easily as much as an NT, just in different situations). Was she just projecting her ideas of ASC onto me? Or what?

Finally, she said people may not believe me about having aspergers because I seem to have developed coping strategies eg not letting myself talk about my special interest more than 3 times per day. Am I right to think her saying this means she DOES believe me?

No it doesn't.

'You make a Convincing case' - Your idea is a serious one and would probably be taken seriously because it meets all/many of the parameters of Asperger's.

School Counselors have many areas of expertise. One may not be Aspergers / Autism.
?
Are. You on an I. E. P.
Does your school have a Social Worker or PHD testing person.

As far as belief, I would ask her.
Some schools won't use acomadations if it is belief versus documentation.

She believes you.

You made a "case" in the sense that you have proposed something and given arguments for them.
The arguments were "convincing", so she agrees that someone with those symptoms will (likely) be on the spectrum.

The problem is that your counselor is not qualified to give a diagnosis, so she is not allowed to say "indeed you are on the spectrum". You will need to go to a professional that is allowed to diagnose you.

Izzame

You wrote much better than I did

Thanks.
Less is often more

I agree with other posters. I think the counselor believes you. Also, I wouldn't read too much into her comment about empathy if I were you. It's an ambiguous word with several meanings so that a person could have a lot of empathy but still hear that comment. I would ask her next time: "The word 'empathy' has different meanings, so what do you really mean when you say I have trouble with empathy?"

Thank you so much everyone! I am relieved you think she believes me

Also thank you for the help on the empathy comment. I'll ask her that question next time.