What is the best way to get a diagnosis?

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From what I was told I "scored" 6/16 (or 6/18, maybe) on the DSMIII-R in 1993 when they tested me for autism. They said I had an "unspecified condition of the brain" and that learning about asperger's would help my parents understand me. When I went into high school, I was given the label of "autism" for the benefits I'd get with social skills classes and such, even though I had never actually been tested to have it.

Now, most of the AQ/online tests I find show me to be pretty solidly "NT." I think part of that is because I know what they answers they are looking for and desire to score as "NT."

I also looked over the DSM-IV with my psychologist about a year ago and he and I concluded that I didn't really have any of the traits listed there, but he's not a specialist in autism either.

I guess one way would be to take one of the online tests but have a friend/family member look over the answers with me to see if they disagree, since I tend to think too highly of myself.

Or I could officially get tested again, but that seems like it's not worth the money it'd cost.

It sounds to me like you have been assessed, you just don't like the answer.

There are some big psychological battery / inventory tests that should show what, if anything, is a helpful diagnostic category for you. It is worth the money if you have ongoing difficulties in your life that you could do something about if you knew more about them.

IMHO, the doctor doing the Dx should be well-versed in the potential disorders a Dx is being sought for.

Then the doctor should observe you doing what you do, with instruction that you do what comes naturally, and he should ask you regularly to articulate 9to him) why you do what you do and how you choose to handle things. I think someone with AS who has learned to cope very well would not appear to be AS in an evaluation, but observed in normal situations would show themselves to be AS because they are just doing what comes naturally, not "acting" for an evaluation...which might cause them to mask symptoms that normally would be more apparent.

Perhaps you are undiagnosable - there's not a word for everything that can occur in the brain. I can imagine many things could share characteristics of autism, partly because there are so many characteristics of autism.

Probably you only had it mildly, and overcame it with the help of social skills lessons and what not.

That's probably the best case. I always have felt "different" somehow, though. What I officially have at this point is a "nonverbal learning disability" which has some of the traits of asperger's syndrome, but more the issue with things like arts/crafts/fine motor skills than social issues/stims/tics/etc

I was diagnosed with a Nonverbal Learning Disability as well. But that doctor told my Mother he did not feel like he could handle my case and I was referred to someone who worked with autistic teenagers and solidified my diagnosis. When I spoke with him during sessions, I did not fake anything. I did exactly what my brain told me to do, and what it tells me to do is... well... my Aspie traits, unfortunately. I am not in the school as autistic though, and I prefer as little evidence as possible of it (of course the Psychiatry office I went to has the records, as does the hospital), so I could have a better chance of military enlistment, should I choose that path.

Is there a correlation between NVLDs and Aspies?

and hyperlexia as well.