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MindBlind
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Joined: 1 May 2009
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,341

18 Jan 2016, 2:27 pm

So I am an adult diagnosed with aspergers from childhood who is currently in the process of an adhd diagnosis and treatment.

I was very fortunate from a young age to recieve early intervention for autism and have had consistent treatment through speech and language therapy as well as support at school. I was enrolled in a special unit for individuals with autism and was gradually integrated into the mainstream.

In primary school, my teachers never seemed to have any concerns with my ability to pay attention. However I enjoyed school and it was not so hard for me because I wasn't in a typical school setting as the classroom sizes were smaller and everything was organized and regimented, meaning that i didn't have to do any of it myself. When I was in mainstream classes, I found it was a bit more of a challenge to keep up in class, often asking the teacher again and again what she just said because I wasn't sure if I heard her correctly. At home, I often would be easily distracted, which is normal for most children, but it wasn't age appropriate. even as an older child, I would hyperfocus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else in the environment. I also used to get veru frustrated if I couldn't figure out something, but I think that could just be an aspie thing That's just to describe a few things.

Secondary school was way harder because, while I was still getting therapy, there was more of an expectation to manage our own education. That's fine, because I loved learning, but I often struggled with frustration tolerance and paying attention when the teachers were essentially giving out lectures. When a class was broken down into segments, i.e, I had a maths teacher that was great at breaking down concepts and letting us try for ourselves after she briefly explained it. BTW, I hated maths. Even in classes I liked, i still had an issue with daydreaming. Couldn't really help it - it just sort of happened. usually it happened when we just had to sit and listen. Later on, I realized that I found it easier to listen when I was doing something, like taking notes or doodling.

My poor organisational skills, difficulty in prioritising tasks, difficulty paying attention, etc, were considered to be an aspergers problem rather than ADHD. I think my teacher were reluctant to call it ADHD, mostly because they believed that ADHD automatically came with behavioural problems. Plus, they didn't want me to have an excuse to do poorly, which is understandable. Still, that really bit me in the ass in 5th year when simply winging it and being enthusiastic and book smart wasn't enough. 5th year meant I had to thoroughly plan stuff, retain a lot of information all at once, know where to allocate my time and attention and generally be responsible and accountable for my learning. I was excited about this, but it turned out I was really bad at this. For the first time in my life, I was not a model student, but instead someone who was underachieving as my grades slipped. I didn't have the grades to go to uni, so I went to college.

At college, I will say I did a lot better. That's because there were no exams. It was a creative course, so it was project work. I did do well on many respects and got good grades, but I was still winging it. I started projects with such ambition and passion, putting my all into everything. There was nobody as passionate as I on the course. Model student and all that. But when it came to submissions, I couldn't get the final pieces together and I'd have to just settle for less. A bit embarrassing. I failed a year at college and had to redo it. I barely made through that year as well (it was also when I was first put on anti-depressants).

I miraculously got into uni and I didn't have a job while I was doing that. I received a bursary and got DLA and that's how I got by. Again, embarrassing. And like college, each semester started off great and ended with a lot of panic and struggling to get the final pieces together. I wouldn't have gotten through it without the disability support. They helped me tremendously. I got my degree (upper second class honors) but I still think if I got my s**t together, I could've done better.

So after graduation, I found a job and it started great. I liked being in the working environment, I liked the people I worked with and I epsecially loved the money. But my performance just hasn't been good enough, even though I worked damn hard. I stayed late when I was asked to (I even offered to stay late), I put all of my cognitive effort into each task and work became pretty much the centre of my life. Still, I am facing job termination very soon because, frankly, my best wasn't good enough.

I should let you know that I have a history of anxiety and depression as well. I have low self esteem mostly because I am ashamed that I don't ever reach my potential (if I even have potential, that is).

I guess I'm skimming the surface and none of you are really qualified to say whether I have ADD or not just from my message, but is this relatable? Could I have this and it just got missed or am I overreacting?