aspergers diagnosis

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I'm new on this site and not much better with computers so I have no idea if I am doing this right. I'm a 34 year old man and was diagnosed with aspergers last fall. Mainly I am attempting to contact others with aspergers and compare my life and struggles with theirs. I somewhat question my diagnosis and figure this would be a good way to learn more. My local mental health thinks so. They said there is not a sure way to tell who has it or not. The psychologist gave me a test. I seen a book there on aspergers there and mentioned it to my therapist and it seems like he just ran with the idea. I definitely can relate to some aspects of aspergers-mainly intense interest in a small # of topics and not having friends and always feeling out of place, but I think I understand social cues,etc. but maybe I just think I do. Anyway I hope to get a response to see if I posted this right. Thanks.

Keep in mind that the descriptions in the Diagnostic Manual are written for diagnosing Asperger Syndrome in children. Adults may present somewhat differently. It stands to reason that you at 34 would pick up on social cues much more readily than a four, to even ten year-old kid - you've had many years to learn them the hard way, by trial-and-error. Also some of the descriptions may not seem to apply when you first read them, just because of the obtuse and often misleadingly dry language in which they're written. I use as an example one that perplexed me "May see lights and hear sounds that others do not", which I first took to mean some sort of hallucination, but actually only refers to a hypersensitivity to subtle sensory input that may go unnoticed by neurotypical people.

At the same time, I think those of us who do have AS and know we have it, sometimes have to be careful in becoming overly confident that we can recognize any social signal thrown our way. Sometimes just when one thinks one is fitting in most smoothly, others are smirking at each other behind our backs and we have no knowledge of it until much later. It can be quite embarrassing.

In any case, welcome to WP - you'll find plenty of people who will be happy to share their Aspie experiences. I think most of us take great delight in those little "ME, TOO!" epiphanies that come with recognizing yourself in another's experiences. We spend so much time feeling out of place, it's great to know we're not alone in our odd and awkward moments.

Welcome to WP! I am also a late diagnosed Aspie, and so are many others here. Just look on the name plate below the avatar when people post and it will give you their ages. do a little math and realize that Asperger's was 'discovered' in the States about 1994, so anyone with a few decades on them are, by default, the older later diagnosed people.

again, Welcome home!

Merle

Greetings, fellow-traveler jimmie906, and welcome to the WP neighborhood.

weLcome here

To WrongPlanet!! !

Welcome to WP!