why are self-diagnosed aspies considered "posers?"

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I would be 'self diagnosed' but it's not like I spent 10 minutes on Google and figured it out. In fact, when I first heard the term it sounded like my brother (since he has a sky high IQ, zero common sense and works in an niche industry notorious for having a large % of Aspies). It was only later that I stumbled upon this http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_sign ... s_Syndrome when researching my mother's health issues. It literally described me perfectly but I wanted to seek some professional opinions not some unreliable wiki. Bottom line I checked the library and was shocked that I was literally reading my own autobiography. Literally everything suddenly made sense! I honestly thought there was NOBODY like me in the world.

So, while I've never received a formal diagnosis I do know several people who deal with Mental disorders for their career and all have told me it's very likely I have it and mentioned behaviors I never even considered. Since there's no 'cure' (I've already adjusted most of my behavior) and Doctors have been consistently wrong throughout my life, it seems pointless to get a diagnosis. If I'm offered one great but it's not worth the time and money since I know even if I don't have AS I have almost all the symptoms and forums like this have helped a lot.

One thing I would like to point out. For a professional guideline, the DSM IV is incredibly subjective and open to interpretation. Therefore it's possible that I might not be diagnosed now even though as a child I was a textbook example of an Aspie and you obviously don't outgrow it.

I've been using this thread to help me think about whether I should get professionally diagnosed. My final answer is no, never, under no circumstances. I think most high functioning Autistics would feel the same way. Here's why:

1. I have a job and my future job prospects look very good. I worked hard for this. What would happen to my job prospects if I were to be diagnosed with a mental illness?

I appreciate that some people on here believe that Asperger’s has positive aspects. But let’s not get carried away, you can attach famous names and achivements to just about any disorder. However, this does not matter. To most people DSM means crazy and I doubt trying to highlight the positive aspects of AS to employers and potential clients would in any way offset that. People are not eager to trust important matters to those who are diagnosed with a condition like AS. Perhaps there are exceptions for the more common ones like depression or bipolar - but I doubt Autism would fall under that category

2. Today people mostly seem to think I’m a nice, normal, (albeit quiet, private) person. This is very, very good. Growing up and into my higher education, I was consistently called weird and crazy and avoided by most people. I have worked very, very hard, and continue to work very hard to get things to where people see me as mostly normal. Now I’m supposed to just give this u get professionally diagnosed with a mental disorder? Why would I want that label permanently attached by a mental health professional? No way. I will not go back to the way things were. For all outside intents and purposes, I am an NT and that is exactly what people around me will see.

I don't want outside Help - I don't want to be treated different - I want people to treat me like I'm a normal person!! ! I don't know if some people on here have noticed - but there's a social stigma attached to being in the spectrum.

I like that I can come here and find a place where I can relate, and find people who seem to have similar experiences to mine. I’m even interested in advocacy and community meetings so long as people I know or work for don’t ever find out about it. That being said, this self-diagnosis is staying as private as possible.

I can't imagine many other high functioning Aspies feeling any different. So - if you limit functioning in the community and advocacy only to those with a professional diagnosis, you will get rid of many of us high functioning ones who have little to gain and lot to lose. It will unrealistically schew the spectrum and perpetuate a flawed image of all Autism. Consider what losing most of the high functionings leaves us with in terms of Autism self-advocacy? It leaves us with an advoacy dominated largely by families of low functing Autistics and mental health professionals (which to my eyes looks alot like the situation now - Autism Speaks anyone). Any notion that families and mental health professionals will act and advocate in the best interests of the Autistic is completely contrary to what we seen in the history of mental illness.

If I do tell someone about it I'd say I'm pretty sure I have it. That certainty came from talking to a coworker who has a background in psychology. She asked if I had AS. I didn't know what it was at the time.
I talked to a friend who has a doctorate in occupational therapy and who used to do behavioral therapy for autistic kids. I've known her for 6 years and she said she thought for many years that I was on the spectrum.

After that I spent nearly all of my free time for a week reading about ASD.

I sent my mom an eamil about all this and she agreed that I have many of the symptoms of AS.

I do want to get a professional assessment to get some conformation. My big obstacle at the moment is money.

Not knowing "for sure" is driving me insane!
My OT friend is the closest to a professional with a background in ASD that I've talked to and she's pretty sure I'm an aspie.