Do you ever wonder if you DON'T have AS?

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AmberEyes
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07 May 2009, 2:24 am

millie wrote:
As Inventor says - it is not the label one has, but the course of the life that makes one autistic. and my life reeks of autism through and through....Rigid, routined, special interests, obsessive, unflinching commitment to own goals, disconnected from others in an emotional sense and social sense. There is not an aspect of it that is not drenched in an autistic way of being, thinking, seeing, living and doing.


Maybe in my case, but people still don't want me associated with this label. They want me to be treated like a person, not a walking diagnosis.

Without the label, they didn't think I was AS.
They treated me more like a capable human being and gave me chances.
This didn't change who I was as a person, but it did change fundamentally how others treated me.

With the label, people didn't see beyond it or want to give me a chance. They automatically assumed negative things about me because of the label.

I still have a lot of social difficulties, which are hard to deal with in some environments, but people who care about me would far rather that I didn't label or draw attention to myself.



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07 May 2009, 2:33 am

fiddlerpianist wrote:
Professionals can't agree on who has AS and who hasn't. So if they can't even figure it out, why should you? :).


Maybe because now people are starting to ask awkward questions about why I behave a certain way?

Maybe because ever since I was little, professionals, family and schools have been arguing about it?

Because they were all messing about with these ideas, the label and "treatment" severely impacted my life and may have even stunted me socially.


If professionals can't agree on who has AS and who hasn't, it doesn't sound like a very objective or medically measurable diagnosis.

This is why an objective test is so desperately needed.

These are people's lives we're talking about here.
People should have clear answers when they're assessed and not be messed about or given misinformed or contradictory information like this.



AmberEyes
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07 May 2009, 2:54 am

Quote:
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.


As an analogy, I feel as though I've been thrown fish all my life by helpers as though I was some kind of performing sea-lion.

I just wonder if some are really in the business of helping AS kids or keeping them down for as long as possible, making these kids dependent, unable to figure things out for themselves because they've been mollycoddled all their lives.



Woodpeace
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07 May 2009, 3:48 am

I self-diagnosed and at one time I was sure I was on the autism spectrum, now I am not sure, but don't really mind either way. I regard myself as being borderline autistic or borderline Aspie.



1234
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07 May 2009, 4:14 am

I swing form 'yes, I may have it' to 'don't be ridiculous, I don't have it'.

The last part is also keeping me from getting diagnosed, 'cause if it's not AS, then what the hell is making my life so messed up? I think I'll feel even more lost.
I'm going to try and muster some courage this week though, to make an appointment with the GP (shrink's out of town this month so it makes it easier to talk to my GP about this and see if she can make an appointment at the Autism Center for me).

I mean, if I don't have it, it's not the end of the world. It just means that one more thing has been eliminated, making it easier to focus on other disorders/etc.
If I do have it, then that's good too 'cause I can focus on dealing with it.



Redbus
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07 May 2009, 6:36 am

Quote:
Do you ever wonder if you DON'T have AS?


All the time.

Has
-Social Anxiety Disorder/Phobia etc (Or something Similar), becomes extremely uncomfortable in certain social situations
-Sub par social skills, although this could be linked with aforementioned SAD, as social skills are often(always?) fine if theres no cause of SAD effects in proximity
-'Different' intelligence to others (Although I don't actually know for sure if its different, could easily be that most the people I've met have just been idiots)

Does not have
-Need for / love of routine or repetition
-'Special Interests', although I do have obscure interests, I do not obsess about them
-Sensitivity to glare (thought I did, until I realised that when I had to squint/shield my eyes, so did everyone else around me) or loud noise etc out of the ordinary
-Lack of understanding of body language
-Mental Overloads/Breakdowns etc
-Aspie traits on the rdos test
-Anything else aspie that I can think of...



fiddlerpianist
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07 May 2009, 9:50 am

Woodpeace wrote:
I self-diagnosed and at one time I was sure I was on the autism spectrum, now I am not sure, but don't really mind either way. I regard myself as being borderline autistic or borderline Aspie.


Yup, me too. It doesn't really matter to me. I'm thinking about just calling myself "slightly autistic" and calling it a day.



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07 May 2009, 10:31 am

I think these forums are flooded with people between 20-30 who are having their quarter life crisis and mistake being indecisive, and clueless as to why their lives aren't on track, with AS.

As I said earlier I still think there are quite a few undiagnosed aspies in the high functioning grey zone, but knowing myself I would never have pursued a diagnosis if it hadn't been forced on me. I think a lot of the grey zone aspies are reluctant to think of themselves as having a disorder so instead they develop psychopathic abilities.

People in a quarter life crisis however, will search anywhere for an answer to why they can't get on with their lives and just feel happy no matter what education or work they aim for. My sister is like that and she's 110% sure not an aspie or even remotely within the spectrum.



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07 May 2009, 10:34 am

Dx Syndrome topic

Does someone want to be undiagnosed?

Being diagnosed for me did not mean that I would become my Dx. I am still the same person. Having a formal Dx means I can research further, be aware and understand that I am not mentally ill. I am proud I am not alone, though I would not like to be part of a groupthink exercise, or to make excuses. But I will not compromise or apologize for my Autism. No one should have to do this.


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Zoonic
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07 May 2009, 10:40 am

sartresue wrote:
Dx Syndrome topic

Does someone want to be undiagnosed?

Being diagnosed for me did not mean that I would become my Dx. I am still the same person. Having a formal Dx means I can research further, be aware and understand that I am not mentally ill. I am proud I am not alone, though I would not like to be part of a groupthink exercise, or to make excuses. But I will not compromise or apologize for my Autism. No one should have to do this.


I would scrap and deny my diagnosis if I wasn't dependant on government support. What keeps me on support is that where I live, compared to what normal wages are here, I actually get more in welfare than I would get from a standard job and even if some half decent jobs pay more I'm not willing to do something I don't enjoy full time just for average income. I get almost twice as much as what most neurotypical 25 year olds on unemployment support get. I'm really laid-back, kind of lazy even and care mostly about my own vanity and myself, until I can win the lottery or become truly economically independant I'm stuck with having to accept my AS.



twix93
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07 May 2009, 11:26 am

I am completely confused about whether I have it and how much - If anybody has an idea then please tell me

I have...
The intense/obsessive special interests and I am an expert in some areas
Trouble with eye contact
Slight tendency to interrupt
Some motor problems - E.g. delayed in tying shoelaces
Awkward posture? - I have been told my posture doesn't look confident
Slight difficulty knowing how to respond to other people
Quite a good rote memory
Anxiety at school
Slight tendency to taking things literally that I shouldn't do - But I can sometimes avoid that - E.g. I can usually tell sarcasm from tone of voice, and I understand a metaphor once I know the meaning.
Sensitivity to unexpected touch
Very slight stimming
I can be a little sensitive to criticism
I don't enjoy fiction
Not very good at "read between the lines"
I like letters and symbols
I am good at maths
Daydream and my mind is often elsewhere - I sometimes loose concentration when the teacher is talking
I hate "let's pretend"

I don't have...
Talk to others about my special interests
Preference to sameness routine - I hate it when people mess up my plans though!
Sensitivity to sound, sight, smell, taste
I don't have a monotone voice as far as I know
Excellent vocabulary - I even frequently find I don't know the meaning of commonly used words but I do have special interest related vocabulary and good spelling



fiddlerpianist
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07 May 2009, 11:51 am

twix93 wrote:
I am completely confused about whether I have it and how much - If anybody has an idea then please tell me

I have...
The intense/obsessive special interests and I am an expert in some areas
Trouble with eye contact
Slight tendency to interrupt
Some motor problems - E.g. delayed in tying shoelaces
Awkward posture? - I have been told my posture doesn't look confident
Slight difficulty knowing how to respond to other people
Quite a good rote memory
Anxiety at school
Slight tendency to taking things literally that I shouldn't do - But I can sometimes avoid that - E.g. I can usually tell sarcasm from tone of voice, and I understand a metaphor once I know the meaning.
Sensitivity to unexpected touch
Very slight stimming
I can be a little sensitive to criticism
I don't enjoy fiction
Not very good at "read between the lines"
I like letters and symbols
I am good at maths
Daydream and my mind is often elsewhere - I sometimes loose concentration when the teacher is talking
I hate "let's pretend"

I don't have...
Talk to others about my special interests
Preference to sameness routine - I hate it when people mess up my plans though!
Sensitivity to sound, sight, smell, taste
I don't have a monotone voice as far as I know
Excellent vocabulary - I even frequently find I don't know the meaning of commonly used words but I do have special interest related vocabulary and good spelling


Sounds a lot like me. I think I'm a bit more obsessive than you are, but I could be wrong.

Do you find that having a conversation with others requires very deliberate thought on your part, for instance exactly when to try and speak, when to make eye contact, etc? For instance, here's what goes on in my head almost every time I'm in a social situation:

wait, wait, wait, wait... (pause in conversation), okay try to talk... whoops got interrupted... wait, wait, wait, look at person talking, wait, wait... (pause) try to talk again, okay go! blurt, blurt, blurt... wait, wait, wait...



Amicitia
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07 May 2009, 3:46 pm

marshall wrote:
I also wonder how much my lack of social skills is merely due to lack of motivation and practice. I also had friends back when I lived in a dorm. I had frequent contact with the people who lived in the same building as me and I naturally began doing things with them and became friends.

It's different now that I live in an apartment by myself. I just don't have the tenacity or will power to go out looking to make friends. When I don't see people putting any effort to reach out to me I tend not to bother with them. I give up quickly whenever I have to make any extended effort to connect. I'll try to call someone once and if they don't return my call or invite me to join them on their own initiative I'll subconsciously assume the person doesn't like me and never try to talk to them again.


I met people mostly through classes and organizations. The housing system then allowed my group of friends to "coalesce" until we were mostly living in the same building. There was one person, however, who always lived in a different building, and I know I would have been closer with her if this hadn't been the case.

On the other hand, there was a downside to the proximity effect - I was never really sure whether my friends actually liked me, or if they just tolerated my frequent presence because they were too mature to tell me I couldn't eat lunch with them.

I also have to say, if it weren't for the internet, I would've heard almost nothing from my friends after graduation. We're scattered geographically and phone conversations are just too hard for me.

Now that I'm back in my boring suburban town, I have no idea how to meet people. :(



Godzilla
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07 May 2009, 4:16 pm

I don't know, I mean, I feel like I have some degree of autism. I get these weird urges in my arms when excited (and sometimes I do move them a little, but I don't do it in front of company). I used to be bullied when I was in middle school, but not anymore. That caused me to feel consistently shy, so I never really looked people in the eye. Now I'm a sociable, friendly, upbeat fellow with a good sense of humor (and I always look people in the eye, now).

I took an online autism quotient test, and I got a 20, with 23 being "above average".



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07 May 2009, 8:28 pm

I was assessed as having Aspergers but this happened after I had already been somewhat obsessed with Aspergers for a couple of years. I was also diagnosed with having ADD, after I had been obsessed with ADD for several years...and that happened before I had ever heard of AS...I responded badly to the ADD meds after a while (at first they really seemed to help...but my meltdowns became really severe and I eventually had a pretty severe nervous breakdown )

The AS specialist seemed pretty certain/enthusiastic with her assessment of me, which was based on a brief interview, and she said that I did not need to have the actual testing done, which would cost a couple of thousand dollars....So I guess I am still not diagnosed...so I guess I will always have at least some shadow of a doubt as to exactly where I might fall on the spectrum.

I am an odd-seeming person..I have a funny voice and unusual mannerisms. I especially stand out around very normal main-stream people....but I don't regularly spend a lot of time around people like that...so among my very small group of "abnormal" friends, I seem pretty "normal"...I guess...where "abnormal" is the status quo. Maybe if I spent more time among 'mainstream" NT's then I would not doubt myself so much....but I also don't fit in so well with the adult aspies who used to hang out at my place....I am non-technical-mathematical-scientific...I am not an OCD neat freak or a computer genius..I have a relatively high IQ, but I did badly in school..I am VERY messy and disorganized...which would bother me a lot more if I did not have such severe executive dysfunction....So since I cannot BE tidy and organized..I tend not to let it bother me as much as it should..but it is not that I don't care..I am just swamped and overwhelmed..

I definitely have issues which have affected me since I was a small child. I suspect that I have dyspraxia and dyscalulea. I am a toe-walker...I have the digit ratio thingy where my ring fingers are signifigantly longer than my index fingers...no eye contact...which goes well with mild face blindness...um....I was bullied a lot and never fit in...i could never keep up with the rest of the class because I didn't understand what was going on around me and had trouble following directions and the sensory overload was too much..but my test scores were always in the very top percentile.

I don't drive a car, and I have never held a normal job where I was not treated like the oddball.
I also have traits that run in the family on both sides...without any formal diagnoses that I am aware of...though there might be some that I am not aware of...

BUT

Though I MUST have lots in common with people on the spectrum...I have frequent doubts that I am an aspie.

I sometimes think I might be a particularly dysfunctional ADDer with AS traits....maybe PDD-NOS...dunnow

If I am not an aspie...I wouldn't mind knowing what it is I have....probably a bunch of little things....that could get chunked under PDD-NOS....

I think one of my biggest problems is that I spend too much time hyperfixating on my dysfunctions...instead of fighting tooth and nail against them



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08 May 2009, 1:18 am

Amicitia wrote:
marshall wrote:
I also wonder how much my lack of social skills is merely due to lack of motivation and practice. I also had friends back when I lived in a dorm. I had frequent contact with the people who lived in the same building as me and I naturally began doing things with them and became friends.

It's different now that I live in an apartment by myself. I just don't have the tenacity or will power to go out looking to make friends. When I don't see people putting any effort to reach out to me I tend not to bother with them. I give up quickly whenever I have to make any extended effort to connect. I'll try to call someone once and if they don't return my call or invite me to join them on their own initiative I'll subconsciously assume the person doesn't like me and never try to talk to them again.


I met people mostly through classes and organizations. The housing system then allowed my group of friends to "coalesce" until we were mostly living in the same building. There was one person, however, who always lived in a different building, and I know I would have been closer with her if this hadn't been the case.

On the other hand, there was a downside to the proximity effect - I was never really sure whether my friends actually liked me, or if they just tolerated my frequent presence because they were too mature to tell me I couldn't eat lunch with them.

I also have to say, if it weren't for the internet, I would've heard almost nothing from my friends after graduation. We're scattered geographically and phone conversations are just too hard for me.

Now that I'm back in my boring suburban town, I have no idea how to meet people. :(


Similar here. My problem's never been that I annoy people or that people don't like me. Intelligent people at least seem to like me. They eventually accept the fact that I don't do a lot of small talk or banter and then things are cool. I just have this tendency to drift to a mindset of very low social motivation whenever I'm not in continuous contact with friends.

I can't make friends with people who I don't see every day on a routine bases. If I don't socialize at all for several days I tend to get "stuck" out of the loop with people to the point where it's hard to motivate myself to talk to anyone. This quickly became a permanent state for me in graduate school because I never have the energy to put effort into study and social life at the same time. It's always either one or the other so the natural tendency for me is to drift towards zero social interaction over time.