why are self-diagnosed aspies considered "posers?"

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Well, I am not self-diagnosed, even though it says so on my profile. I was diagnosed by two separate friends, both whom have extensive experience with autism, Asperger's and a few other such brain functions. I, of course, doubted this, till I did a lot of research. I then came to this forum where I actually got an even better understanding of Asperger's, I asked some questions and slowly realized that my "symptoms" fit Asperger's perfect.

So why don't I get an official diagnosis? I have been trying, there is only one professional in my area who is able to legally diagnosis adult's with Asperger's, and she is over an hour away. So it's not like going down to the local store for a diagnosis. I might be able to get a diagnosis through the school I will be attending, but I don't know for sure.

My wife tells her friends I'm an Aspie and they agree with her--I think they are relieved when they see the incredible array of stuff I've designed and built--not to mention the fabulous flowering plants in our yard. Neither of us considers my form of Aspergers to be a disability.

Last edited by BTDT on 30 Oct 2010, 2:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.

There actually is a legitimate argument there, and some folks have already mentioned it. Personally, and at least in principle, I have seen it many, many times in A.A. settings where a mere "certain type of hard drinker" ("Alcoholics Anonymous", the book, page 20 (bottom)) either believes or has at least been told (even "professionally") s/he is a "real alcoholic" (page 21) ... and then his or her continued presence and/or "free-speech opinion" or whatever has proved to be quite troublesome in relation to the real alcoholic the remainder of us are trying to actually help. So in reality, and even if specific issues are different, I do understand at least some of the complaints of people suffering needlessly because an occasional "pretender" (self-deceived or whatever else) actually is inevitable.

Heh.

I agree. Personally, I have a "professional diagnosis," but it was by a lowly military psychologist. I never went to a neurologist, or took a bunch of silly tests. I have niether the time, nor the money, nor the interest to hop from doctor to doctor, spending thousands of dollars, just so I can prove that there's something really "wrong" with me.

Seriously, if your mommy and daddy were so well-off that they could drag you to specialist after specialist, great, but some of us grew up broke. If that means I'm not allowed to hang out with the "cool kids".........I'll live. I've never seen the value of "fitting-in" anyway.

Self-diagnosed people don't threaten me. I have larger concerns, like nuclear winter. Or vampires.

yes, the tables can definitely be turned... i'm not sure this is what you mean, but what about those people who have a professional DX, but who seem to actually be misdiagnosed? i've seen a few here on WP that gave me pause. those people could also be a drain on resources, just like a misdiagnosed person with a self-diagnosis. mistakes or differences of opinion are sort of inevitable when dealing with disabilities. but we approach the doctor's and shrink's opinions with total reverence.

yes, the professionals have the educational and experiential background. but nobody can really ever get inside anyone else's head, and i think that the professionals probably make as many errors in judgement as could be seen within a group of self-diagnosed aspies.

When I told my mother I had Asperger's, she was in denial at first - related to the fact that she never knew what Asperger's was and the fact that where I live autism is usually viewed as a kind of mental retardation.
Then, after she had some time for the news to sink in and a friend of mine, who is a psychologist with a degree, specialised in autism, confirmed the diagnosis, she said: 'Well I know you've been odd from, like, birth - you've had trouble with people ever since - well now you tell me that it has a name to it. Fine with me anyway'. But then if there wasn't for my friend, I strongly suspect she'd write my self-diagnosis off as one of the 'medical things' I've been saying since I learned how to talk.

Last edited by Severus on 30 Oct 2010, 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Within this particular realm, my concern there would be for the misdiagnosed individual not getting the kind of help or support s/he *truly* needs.


Yes, and possibly even more ... and all of that makes for one more reason for all of us here to be on our very-best behaviours amongst ourselves.

Against exclusion!

I'm sorry but I don't see any reason to mistrust self-diagnosed people, as most doctors who diagnose us are NTs who without a doubt can't understand us fully. Why refuse the assessment of a person who knows themselves well and probably knows better, and accept the assessment of an external NT doctor who doesn't know what the person lives/thinks, and won't ever know better than that person because the number of hours allowed for a diagnosis are limited? Let alone the difficulties AS people sometimes have with verbally communicating their thoughts and experiences.

Even though I was diagnosed, I didn't need that to know how I was and what I was going through daily. If one of the doctors who helped through the diagnosis wasn't AS (and therefore I suspect can recognize AS people by a simple look), I probably wouldn't trust the diagnosis much.

And even if some self-diagnosed actually don't have it? Usually when someone has AS it shows through their posts.

Also, some diagnosed people might actually not have AS at all, because the criteria used for diagnosis may vary from doctor to doctor, as well as the interpretation of those criteria - quite vague if you'll only have a look at the DSM IV.

Anyway, one should never have to feel obliged to keep justifying whether one has AS or not.

my own experience says anyone going for a diagnosis that doesn't really need it - ie is not desperate to get help with housing, ssi etc. should stay away from doctors. whats the point in being labelled defective if theres nothing in it for you? some of us though, couldn't possibly avoid one - whether we like it or not (and i dont)

Hello there. I see no reason why the self-diagnosed should not be taken seriously. I myself am a self-diagnosed teenager, which would make me susceptible to a lot of mistrust from many of this community, but I have done my research. What I don't like is people who did a days worth of research, looked up no other likely conditions, then are sure they have a condition. I myself have been doing research since I was 12, taken every single quiz/test going, looked up all other conditions, did field research (talking to people with Asperger's/HFA), talked to friends about my 'aspie' traits, etc etc, and have therefore come to a conclusion, which, as I am sure, is pretty concise.
Don't be put off!

At the moment I am self-diagnosed, let me restate. I believe I have Asperger's based on the information I have gathered. However, that soon may change, because we just had a referral sent in from our doctor. A date should be set soon.

i will post the answer to this, plain and simple. I started out on opiates thanks to a doctor, i was mis-diagnosed all together will all my ailments, maybe 40 times. I take kung fu, and the one thing that i am really learning from it, form your own opinion on everything. Yea that includes doctors, ever see commercials for chantix and blah blah causing this and that illness. Who do you think tests these drugs? do you think they are all tested for 10 years at a time and we just lag behind. No, they give them to small groups of desperate people for short term and test the long term after those tests are cleared..on...well on the rest of us. You have to go to multiple sources, doctors, internet, other peoples experiences, therapist and then form your own opinion. If the shoe fits wear it, it does not change in this circumstance, a degree in teaching doesn't mean s**t if you can't teach but can pass the tests, that is usually where doctors reside..in that category. How the hell is someone else going to tell you how you feel, they can tell you general symptoms they see in others, they have no experience in actually dealing with it, experience is everything is it not?

It's a false assumption that no dx equals "life is easy and fine." Some may be dependent on their spouse or partner, and so have unofficial, unrecognized help, but help nonetheless. Some people (like me) are on disability for other reasons, which covers what they need well enough. And some may have found some rare niche where they can survive without official help.

And there are also those who simply can't afford it, or find a qualified professional within their traveling range, or are afraid of problems with child protective services, or been mis-diagnosed with 50 things and maybe been locked up and abused and want nothing to do with the psych system ever again.


It's not as if there is a lot of help generally available for AS adults. AS is not an automatic qualification for social security disability. People who aren't in school or working have no need for accommodations. A therapist who listens well enough may not need to know about ASC's to do the right thing. People with ASC's do tend to react idiosyncratically to drugs, but not in a consistent or remotely understood way. It's not like having an infection, where there's some simple thing, like an anti-biotic, that will suddenly make life 95% better for everyone who has the condition.

Is the label homosexual (or gay, or lesbian) illegitimate because people give it to themselves rather than being given it by a professional of some sort? There's some truth to the idea that Asperger's is a difference. Why can't people assert this difference about themselves?



To me, it's no big deal if someone says "I'm likely autistic" versus "I'm self diagnosed with autism". Either way, they are making clear that it's not based on an official professional assessment. Let them word it either way they like. I'm more inclined to go with the less black and white description, but I'm not going to be bothered because someone else chooses to call themselves a self-diagnosed autistic or aspie.

I have recently been made aware of a phenomenon which apparently occurs in some locations on the Internet wherein someone will be a total jackass online, rudely ignoring any and all rules of netiquette and flaming everyone in sight, then attempting to excuse the behavior by claiming to have AS.

That being said, presuming that everyone who can't wave a piece of paper with a neuropsychologist's signature must be faking seems rather - well - "painting with a broad brush" is a commonly-used expression. For myself, before I could ever suspect I had AS, I was "diagnosed" by at least three family members. I then researched the topic as thoroughly as possible, including reading the DSM-IV entry, seeking my wife's input after having her read the entry, and accessing a large number of websites for further information, before coming to the conclusion that AS explains me better than anything else I've found so far. If this fact offends anyone, well, I'm sorry that you're offended, but I'm not sorry for trying to find out why I've been so different from everyone else for all these decades.

Incidentally, referral from a doctor sounds a wonderful way to get a diagnosis - except that I don't have a doctor, I don't have medical insurance, and I don't have a job as such to pay for any of the above. I'd love to - I suspect that my age and level of functioning would combine to qualify me for financial assistance, which would come as an enormous relief - but what I want and what I can accomplish are not congruent sets in the real world.

Amen to that - frm what I have seen of physicians and psychers, what my mother was like and what happened with my sister, I am just glad that the early attempt at evaluation was too early to label me. I had a hard enough time and little enough family encouragement / support without primitive remediation attempts.