Gender and State of Diagnosis

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Some of the other questions have made me interested. You can explain if you want, but I'm interested if there's a difference between genders and dxs here.

Please answer completely honestly. If you're self-diagnosed, please put that, not professionally diagnosed because you think you will/would be. If you're professionally (by a doctor, psychologist, etc) diagnosed now, put that, even if you were self-diagnosed originally.

who do you consider qualified to dx?
I'm dx'd by my therapist and my shrink and family doc concur, but I'm going to see a neuropsychologist next month for a full-on assessment.

also, some people are dx'd in school as kids, which makes it easier to get a dx in the first place, so it would be interesting to split the groups up by over/under 18 at time of dx.

im self dxed I guess but im self dxd as being on the spectrum, I couldnt predict whether I fulfil the entire AS criteria. I did go to 2 different autism centres. I spoke to counsellors at both centres and both said I looked to be on the spectrum to them and they recommended I go see a psych for dx. Also my current counsellor said the same thing. All 3 said I seemed at the mild end so I dont know whether PDD-NOS would be the outcome or AS. Or perhaps ADHD, or even Get Lost.... not sure what will happen.

I have a verbal diagnosis from an AS specialist, and my psychologist said I had features of AS but I have not had a full-on assessment yet. I am also getting DSA for my university course and I am having an assessment for that in a few weeks.

Male, professionally diagnosed.

Curiously more females have answered so far. Maybe because more males are on the board and when gender is brought up it attracts females more? Just guessing.

^^Or because females don't get diagnosed as much, leaving a bunch of them to find out about AS for themselves.

Well, I can't answer as there is not an answer that accurately aligns with my situation - I have two doctors who agree that it is an "Occam's Diagnosis" but do not consider themselves qualified to diagnosis ASDs in adults. So where does that fit?


M.

I should have been clearer, sorry.

By professionally dxed, I meant that a doctor of some sort (or therapist or counsellor) has said that they believe you have it, even if they didn't officially write it down. I'd consider everyone who's explained here (makuranososhi, kissmyarrtichoke, zen_mistress, and bhetti) to be professionally dxed, at least for this poll. I specified professionally instead of simply diagnosed because I didn't want something like, "Well, my parent/sibling/best friend said I fit it" or "Well, I just know" to be counted as a professional dx for this.

Buryuntime - yeah, I suspect that's what's happening, because there's an obvious skew showing. There's also a pretty obvious skew towards professionally, to the point where I wonder if people who are self-dxed are choosing not to respond. Of course, polls here are going to be far from accurate, but still.

Bhetti, I don't know how schools work. Our "mental health" cousellor was very into the new age crystals and lunches where you had to sit with other students in her office (to "get to know each other better") and whatnot, and everyone considered her to be a joke; that was the closest thing we had to mental support in school. I was officially diagnosed at 17, but that wasn't connected to the school. It'd be interesting to find out the percentages done in and out of school, but it's not something I know anything about.

Well it took me years before I ever got a professional diagnosis.

Through those years no one ever brought up the issue of autism or aspergers with me until my mom and uncle found out about it on a website.

Anyway just thought I'd share my piece after having been a lab rat from childhood up to adulthood.

No one knew what was wrong with me or could pinpoint "it'. Always great to look this stuff up since it is still not a very well know condition....at least around these here parts...