Did your diagnosis match what you expected?

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This question is for anyone who identified as being on the spectrum, and then later got a diagnosis from a professional.


I've seen multiple people recently complaining because they expected to get a diagnosis of Asperger's while they got a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Personally, I expected a diagnosis of PDD-NOS at least as much as Asperger's, but got the diagnosis of Asperger's.

What did you expect to be diagnosed with, and what were you diagnosed with? Whether or not these were different, how did you react to that?

I was glad I was called Asperger's rather than PDD-NOS, because it felt like my parents would be able to understand more with the less general diagnosis.

If I had known what Asperger’s was, it wouldn’t have surprised me. My psychologist brought it up after I told him about lots of different traits of mine that I had no idea were common for a recognized and named disorder – the extreme sensitivity to sound, the tendency to speak and think literally, the social ineptness, the inability tor read people, the obsessive interests, the inability to express myself in words, the disdain for small talk and social formalities, the clumsiness, the lack of eye contact. I'm not sure what else I was expecting – I was in therapy to begin with to find out what the hell my problem was.

I think I was originaly diagnosed with PDD but eventualy got an AS diagnosis when I was seven or eight, despite not speaking until I was four. But then there wasn't so much hype about autism back then as there is now. I really had no idea what autism was or what AS was until I got older. I was too in my own world as a kid to notice anything not related to my special intrests.

My first diagnosis was in March, 2011--I expected Aspergers and that was the diagnosis I received.

Not knowing a lot about my childhood though, I was reevaluated by someone else the proper way. I expected classic autism, and that was the diagnosis I received just this month. (This is the one I put in the poll, because it is my current and correct diagnosis).

Nothing. I was 12 and knew nothing. I only knew I was there because I was sick and I was seeing him so I can go back to school. I do know that if I knew back then I was there for a label, I would be hoping they come back with nothing and say "You're normal, there is nothing wrong with you." Back then I despised being different and wanted to be normal so I was trying all I can be to be normal so having something wrong with me would be the last thing I would want.

My diagnosis came as no surprise to me once I'd actually researched Asperger's; this was mainly due to my circumstances, aged 47, never had a job or a girlfriend, no friends and very socially isolated...yet academically very bright.

My diagnosis was no surprise. I expected Asperger's and was diagnosed professionally with Asperger's.