I don't know about myself

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To try and make this short, I'm not sure if I have AS. I had MANY of its characteristics when I was a child, as young as 6-10.

I was reading on here and share very similar feelings to some posters from their stories and situations that they've shared. Its upset me pretty much.

Though about myself, when I was a child I could say I had narrow obsessive interests, however that is not the case at all with me now. I am interested in music, am learning an instrument, play video games, read literature, read about psychology, philosophy, political philosophy, etc. I am simply just not interested in Sports, because it doesn't appeal to me. However, when I was a child, I only wanted to play video games and wasn't interested in any other sh**.

This made me socially depleted because I only stayed inside and my world was limited to only gaming and watching anime. This all changed around when I hit 13-14 though and started 9th grade in High School.

Another thing I don't have is being incapable of reading body language/gestures/tone of voice etc. I don't recall ever having this issue, I'm pretty sure I can pick up on all the social cues too. I definitely do understand someone's mood, and am able to read their facial expressions.

I'm also completely independent with things like schoolwork, and I never needed help in High School and can understand things and read normally.

Two things I do have though are being bad at conversation, being socially awkward and having really bad anxiety. About two years ago, I started medicating myself with pills, mainly Vallium and painkillers to deal with the anxiety.

There is a chance where some people can "grow out" of AS at those ages, if they have it. I have been told by teachers once that knew me well that I don't have AS, when I was in middle school, two teachers in particular who knew me really well. Not AS, but that the problem was I had no father figure at all. I had no male role model to model after.

Assorted ideas - materials you might take a look at in the next five - ten years or so:

http://www.dalecarnegie.com/
http://www.sellingpower.com/
http://www.nightingale.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manners
http://www.dartnellcorp.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statement_of_purpose
http://www.dreambigcollection.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Town
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carousel_(musical)
http://www.daytimer.com/

(No cures at all - maybe small parts of an answer here an there every once in a while)

I'd suggest seeing a psychiatrist to see if you can get better medications to control your anxiety problems.

It seems to me that you just need more practice in good social settings--perhaps among people that share your interests. People can be really mean when you don't share their interests--or worse, accidentally say something that puts you in the "other camp."

Wow. I am a teacher and I can tell you that we do not receive training in diagnosing AS. It is possible that your teachers had had students with AS before and were comparing you to them, but as it manifests differently in different people, I would question the depth of their understanding. Teachers aren't qualified to diagnose, so I would continue to research AS if I were you - if you think it sounds like you. In that case, I would recommend Attwood's book on Asperger Syndrome and just about anything by Temple Grandin.

You can't grow out of AS - it is life long. You can learn how to cope with things though.

When you have time, maybe check out the Grandin presentation here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEAhMEgGOQ

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