Need diagnosis guidence

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I have begun to doubt my diagnosis, because compared to the other people I know with Aspergers, I am vastly different compared to them. Otherwise, I find it easier to relate with those with HFA. I was diagnosed with Aspergers when I was 12, but I'm not sure that it was the right call.

How should I respond to my doubts?

high functioning autism is aspergers,unless are refering to classic autism,there is no 'one way' to be classic autistic though we are all unique in how we present no matter what level of functioning we have,some high functioning classic autistics need twenty four hour support whilst some are no different to NTs and are running major organisations in the country-am aware of one who runs part of the NHS in wales.

if it is because had had significant speech and language delays,they woudnt have rediagnosed with classic autism if the DSM hadnt changed because have 'caught up' and they woud consider it a more damaging label.
it doesnt matter what label have got,we all relate to some groups more than others,putting a name on it,officialy doesnt help in own view.

I don't understand, are you doubting you have ASD at all, or doubting Aspergers?

Because in official diagnostic terms anyway, everyone has been folded into ASD for now in the US.

Not sure about this experiment in relabeling but that's what's happening in this country, anyway. Though personally I see high functioning autism and Aspergers as different. But they have been muddied so much recently with so many people who learn to talk relabeled Aspergers from autism that I kind of see why the official descriptions are now combined. Doctors were doing it anyway, it's less confusing I suppose to change the rules to correspond to what's happening.

I had the same trouble as you and the whole US reclassification system also caused so much turmoil for a week or two for me. I became obsessed with the same idea you had along with comparing myself to others were more severe autism. At times I still struggle with the idea that maybe I just don't have Autism Spectrum Disorder and maybe I am just a little different than other people. Then I have a melt down because a coder didn't comment the way they should on a patients encounter the way they should and everyone looks at me like what is the big deal? I get flustered because it is a big deal. It is in fact the end of all civilization and we have now all reverted back to savages who cannot put a single comment according a very structured set of rules. At that point i once again realize maybe my psychologist is correct. If you are still having trouble I would suggest calling your psychologist's office and leaving a message with your issue. I have done that from time to time and her call back usually helps me get over the issue which keeps repeating in my head. I hope that helps for you too.

I have been going intermittently to GRASP meetings in New York and have seen a lot of Aspies in the last year and one thing that strikes me is that we are a very diverse, very heterogenous group.

Some seem outwardly "normal" -- hard to tell from NTs. Some have body language that is so far from NT, that they immediately seem different. Some move in a certain energetic way and others are very still.

Aspergers was a spectrum before it was merged into the spectrum.

I am not quite sure where I fit in this part of the autistic spectrum. My self image is of someone very high functioning and mostly able to pass for NT. But over the last year I have been recalling things I overheard that in retrospect and in the light of what I know now, were comments about me as not normal... I think I may lack the ability to perceive the ways that my aspergers/ASD shows.

Is there a meaningful distinction between HFA and Aspergers? I thought the only difference was speech delay.

So what does this question mean to you? Does labelling it one way or another change any of your symptoms? Your reactions? What difference do you think a change in diagnosis would make?

As I understand it, Asperger's IS High Functioning Autism, the main difference being that people with Asperger's didn't have problems with developing language when they were kids.

I've also heard (here, most likely) a simple reminder-
"If you've met one person with Asperger's, you've met ONE person with Asperger's."

People on the spectrum, whatever their specific diagnosis, are individuals and are all over the place with regards to their "strengths" and "weaknesses" (compared to NTs).

You're different from other people with Asperger's? Yeah, you are. You're you. That doesn't mean you don't have Asperger's.

You seem willing to accept the idea you're on the autism spectrum, so let me ask you this-

Did you have language developement problems as a child?

No? Then most likely the form of autism you have is Asperger's.

Keep in mind there's language development problems and language development problems. Even with that, there's a spectrum. If you use words on time but functionally your overall communication was delayed, then arguably, that's a delay. But there are certainly many people who are more delayed with even simple words. I think the best guide is, it's a spectrum. If you feel you are more HFA, this is about you, if it can be justified, be nice if you could have the label you want.

Be better still if people didn't have to label every difference as defect, but reality is, NTs often do and that creates disability even without other problems you may have.

Last edited by Waterfalls on 11 Jan 2014, 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

As Adam mentioned there are a wide variety of "Aspies" . Why was it decided that language development is the dividing line between people who are Aspies and those that are autistic? The original meaning by Dr. Asperger himself was a "dash of Autism" not one one particular trait of it.

HFA and aspergers are subtly different. Theres a virtually non existent line between the two