Why can't I get diagnosed?

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I agree that having a diagnosis would bring a certain amount of closure. I also think that the sensory issues associated with AS and autism could still be helped with therapy. There are things that can be done to help one cope. I am 35 and feel strongly that getting some assistance with my sensory issues would help me overcome my "generalized anxiety". I have always had an issue with this diagnosis because my low level anxiety has triggers that are essentially different forms of "sensory overload". No one cares about your sensory issues if you don't have that AS or autism diagnosis. At least not in the part of Canada that I live in. I think that diagnosis likely depends on what your situation is, really.

Me? I have children who have symptoms. They need an advocate. Who better than a parent with the same diagnosis? Really? Those of you with children know how difficult it can be to get accomodations for your children. My oldest couldn't read until 3rd grade!! I couldn't read until 5th grade!! I knew what she needed to do to learn, but I had one heck of a time getting the school to go along with it. It would have been a lot easier with those "labels". However, I am a firm believer that labels should only come out when they are absolutely needed!! They should never, ever be used as a crutch.

Nora W:

If you recognize you have many AS traits, but are not sure if you have it or not, have you ever researched the idea of NLD? (I guess that´s: non-verbal-learning -disorder). There is a Sticky thread with information about it, in the Autism Forum I think. It seems that the traits are very similar to AS, but without the sensory problems and stimming. I may be way off base here- but since you said you have most of the other traits, but not those, I thought it might be worth a check. Maybe it would help to answer some of your questions. Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion. However, I actually do have some of the sensory integration stuff. I definately engaged in stimming when I was a kid and it seems that I still do. It is just different than the way children do.

I will have a look at that posty, however. Thank you again for you suggestion.

Whoops! It seems that I thought the comment that is for Nora W. was for me.....
Disregard......

I have personal experience with all three of your points here.

Honestly, (working backwards) I was known for mental illness in the whole first half of my twenties. For some, AS is like a luxury dx, especially if they are a female. If girls had been equally diagnosed from the start of AS research, then the discrimination that women who have it face everyday, wouldn't be so prevalent. It is a privilege to get it if it is correct and you aren't taken care of by systematic dx the way that boys and men have been. It's getting better for girls who have it, but with children as the priority, women are lagging behind in fair numbers which skews all the stats of who has it. I support evening the stats, male to female. I also attract other undiagnosed people on the Spectrum. They are coming out of the woodwork for me, and it's great. There needs to be more correctly observed and dx'd females...

Don't forget that people have developed different coping skills and abilities to plow through their symptoms and problems, or not to. I support the idea that people on the Spectrum, in particular, are individuals, who do need each other to share about their lives, but who are so diverse that the DSM needs to start including more information, especially about women who have it. Female vs. male behavior isn't a new concept, and there is no time like the present to acknowledge that they are different with Spectrum disorders, and that Spectrum disorders don't have to have all of the same set of criteria for each.

Slam the doctors. The good ones will survive it.

Here, here!

The psychologists I've approached have refused to evaluate me for Asperger's Syndrome because I'm female and adult. I don't feel right saying I have this when I don't have written proof. I just want to find a psychologist in my area who's open to evaluating female adults for Asperger's Syndrome, but it seems impossible.

Are there any tricks to approaching psychologists you've found works best?

I haven't a full dx either (I display 'Traits', apparently, which sounds more venereal and infectious rather than cerebral and genetic!) but it helped my sons dx to have a list of all the things I noticed with approx times, patterns etc.

That forms a good basis to have something to work on too to develop strategies to handle those more frequent situations- we're in middle England and the doc told me that he wouldn't consider a dx as I could make appropriate eye contact. Took me years to perfect....

You have to be severely autistic, have learning disabilities, be male and a child to get any help around here. Even so, it's all about reaching the bare social acceptablity and fulfilment of potential is something you mention to give the docs/ Ed Psycs/ Occ therapists a laff mostly. There's just not enough knowledge but when the adult aspie relationship group or the parents support group I'm in hold talks and put on presentations for profesionals, there's no show....

I am north of Seattle and have found a recommendation local to me, but I am scared to call for fear of the cost, and for fear that they will tell me there's nothing wrong (when I very well know there is!). I didn't have much luck finding resources in Seattle, either.

I took my son to the doctor in July as he was very ill. He was sent home with pink eye medication and remedies for croup. He was still very ill the next day so I took him back. He had an x-ray and lo and behold, he actually had pneumonia and was hospitalized for 3 days.

Just because a professional says you don't have something doesn't mean you don't.

There seems to be a lack of doctors and programs for adults (especially females) on the autism spectrum around here, and other places from what i hear as well.
I honestly don't think that a lot of doctors are that educated in it. They can make a diagnosis, yet when you talk to them it's clear they are not understanding me about things. I have bi-polar as well they say and sometimes i wonder if it's just Aspergers and not bi-polar. I'm not taking any biploar meds, i only take klonopin and ambien. I've been fine like this without bipolar meds for years now.


There seems to be a lack of knowledge in the mental health community when it comes to Aspergers, and especially females with it.
I'm not sure why that is...

Your attacks on someone who just wants some clarity and help in her life, someone who is a complete stranger to you makes me think 3 things:

1. Why are you even on this forum? If you truly feel this way about AS I don't see why you'd devote so much time and energy here.
2. It seems like your comments are more directed at yourself. You seem to have some issues to work through, of which I can only guess. However, unlike you i will not baselessly try to pretend I know you and then throw my soapbox at you.
3. I will suggest one thing though: you might want to check out BPD for yourself.


Also, AS is not a "mental illness" it is a cognitive and development disability.

Sorry if this was harsh at all, but really you don't know her, forum or not, i don't see where any one gets off telling people the whole "you are still the same" BS. Of course they are the same. Also you're assuming there aren't problems they would like help with. Just because someone might seem to cope with issues, doesn't mean in private they aren't suffering or near a breaking point.

Also AS is lifetime disorder, untreated, it CAN get worse in a sense, ask anyone on the spectrum who never sought help for skills they never acquired and ended up having epic breakdowns that ruined their lives for many years.