How many self diagnosed turned out to be correct?

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I know it is widely acceptable in the Asperger's "community" for people to self diagnose themselves (most notably older adults), and I am curious to know how many of you who self diagnosed went on to eventually get a professional diagnosis of Asperger's?

Also, I am curious as to how many parents or other family members have diagnosed or at least strongly recognized Asperger's in their family members, especially children, and it turned out to be a correct diagnosis/recognition?

I knew I had a PDD (and that it was probably Asperger type) before I saw a specialist (who diagnosed me with Asperger Syndrome).

I'll be finding out soon.

It made sense to me instantly, but it took four more years to confirm the diagnosis. The psych industry is heavily focussed towards children, which makes sense because there's a chance of helping them.

I self diagnosed after my son was diagnosed. Then I discovered I'd been diagnosed auty as a child, but nobody'd told me.

I don't come across so "bad" to most people, apparently. My mum did a lot of work with me when I was younger, which helped me fit in. I remember she made a game of things like practising eye contact, getting me to walk around with books on my head to correct my posture (it sounds silly, but I loved that one) and learning body language. (She would act something, and I'd have to guess or mimic, then I'd "do one", and she'd guess or mimic.) I loved our "mirror" games, and I think they've helped me "seem normal"... or at least nearer normal. Of course, at the time I didn't know why we played these games, but I'm very grateful that she took the time to research it, and teach me.

But yes, my self diagnoses turned out to be correct.

I immediately went to diagnosis after reading about classical autism because I was pretty sure I had a PDD, most likely HFA or AS.

For 20 years, I had been filing away bits and bobs about autism - a topic that always strongly attracted my attention. Being a person who doesn't do "fuzzy matching" well, preferring unambiguousness, despite sharing many characteristics with the subjects of these stories, I hadn't yet "connected" myself to autism. Finally, I hit on an article about an autistic woman that said "this is SO totally me!" I immediately began more intensive reading, and became more and more certain that I was either AS or HFA. For the first time ever, life made sense. At that point, I sought a professional assessment, just to be sure that I wasn't seeing something that wasn't there (something I am not prone to doing). I HAD to know. I was diagnosed at 45 as autistic, without a doubt. For completeness, we called it AS, not HFA, tipping the balance because I had no recollection of late speech, but we saw that a technical and unimportant distinction (the DSM IV expanded text points out other tendencies that differ between the Asperger's and Kanner's variety, and I lean toward HFA on those).

I was at one point self-diagnosed, but that was not when I sought a professional diagnosis. I did eventually get professional evaluation several years later, but that was suggested by someone else. I then did get the official AS diagnosis.

I read the book 'Born on a Blue Day' and realised my son had AS. The more I read about it the more I began to see myself in it too. I took my son for testing and he was diagnosed as AS. I didn't see the point in getting myself tested but when I asked my sons psychologist if it could be genetic she looked at me, smiled and said "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." To start with I was confused as to why we were suddenly discussing horticulture then I realized she meant he got it from me so I take that as my diagnosis. Not formal but it's from someone who I respect and trust. She has been really great for my son. Possibly a life saver.

Me, too. I heard about it on National Public Radio and instantly identified. Two years later I finally found someone that could diagnose it in the backwoods where I live (I had to move 200 miles closer to civilization to do it, too) and was officially DXed last year.

after being on WrongPlanet.net for three years, I have lost count of the adults that are here that have completed the mysteries of their lives by self diagnosing and later being DXed.

I diagnosed myself a year ago using the online tests, and went on to have that diagnosis confirmed by a private diagnostician in July.

I self-diagnosed at the age of 23 after reading about Aspergers on the internet and realising that the symptoms described me. A year later I decided to get a professional diagnosis so I could get help at university, and after a year on a waiting list to see a specialist my diagnosis was confirmed. Soon after my brother was diagnosed as well.

I'm going to see what they say to me in a couple of months.

I diagnosed myself several months before I went for a professional evaluation. If I remember correctly, the psychologist who evaluated me used terms like "without a doubt" when he gave me my diagnosis.

Prior to diagnosing myself, I had been thinking about the possibility for a number of years. I just had to convince myself that knowing was better than not knowing, before I was ready to do some serious research on the subject.

Once I started to look into it, all the puzzle pieces started to fall into place. I quickly saw that the description of Asperger's Syndrome fit me exactly. It explained the difficulties I had fitting in at school, my sensory sensitivities, my need to rock, my difficulty following conversations in a group of people, my seeming inability to make & keep friends, etc.

I think that anyone who actually has Asperger's Syndrome should be able to see the characteristics in themselves by the time they become an adult (and most likely, in adolescence.) By that time, a person has had a chance to observe the way other people are & compare themselves to the "norm."

Nevertheless, I think it really helped me to have the validation of a professional Dx. I don't need to wonder anymore - and I now have a context in which to examine my life.

My experience, and I suspect that of most of our contemporaries, was different. All we saw is that we were different. We didn't understand the differences, and couldn't actually understand what normal was - just that we were something else. We couldn't possibly name the difference. Asperger's Syndrome hadn't yet been named; Rain Man was still years away, and autism was much less common than it is today. It took repeated exposure through articles, TV clips, etc. for the matching light to finally go off. There are a lot of us who don't make the connection until we're north of 40. And some of us had multiple "differences", further muddying the already turbulent waters.

I somehow managed a quadruple whammy! I said long before I was diagnosed... well about 2 years before... That I almost certainly had AS. I then went on to add AD/HD, Tourette syndrome and OCD to the list. Amazingly all 4 were diagnosed those 2 years later! I think a lot of people with undiagnosed AS 'find themselves' eventually!