Brutal honesty regarding Aspergers Syndrome

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A little background first my diagnosis says Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I live in Ireland and as far as I know we are not subject to the American DSM.

I paid for a private assessment and diagnosis and the result was ASD and I was told it would have been Aspergers a couple of years ago.

The woman who diagnosed me is an expert in Autism and has studied it for many years.


Since I found out about my condition Autism has become one of my special interests.

I don't feel like dropping an information dump onto the board about everything I have learned however I feel 100% confident to state I believe my next sentence to be true.

Aspergers Syndrome is Autism it is not linked to Autism or a condition like autism it is Autism.

Some people have said the Aspergers diagnosis is part of their identity.

My identity is my sense of self and the individual choices that make me well ME.

I have Autism it is not something that I asked for and it is not something that I am ashamed of.

There is a spark inside me of never give up and fight to the last and that is not to say I don't get depressed the whole point of the spark is to soldier on.

I have tried to pass this message on here and some have mistaken it for emotional coldness.

I have leaned on people here for emotional support some with severe autism and I am happy to have people lean on me for motivational support.

Some people think Autistic means ret*d I think we should ALL stick together and claim the word.

The people on this board have supported me into employment in which I no longer get bullied and given me a confidence that I will no longer accept it.

My life is not a fairy tale but other people on the spectrum have shown me that I should push my strong points and not worry so much about my week points.

Well I am open in my job that I have autism and I am really good at my job.

I am carrying the flag on Autism in my own small way and my employe file states that I have autism.

Good on you! I am a proud Autistic as well.

I concur with all you have said but confused about the brutal part. It is what it is and those of us have it to varying degrees. While we are on different positions on the spectrum. I think knowing where one 'resides' on the spectrum is more for assessment and help. It helps those who treat and educate us more clearly knowing what individual needs are. It also lets us know as individuals where to concentrate efforts to fit in with society. Dependent upon the severity, this may or may not be feasible for a particular individual. But then a different environment may help.

I have had some jobs last less then a day or when I was really young a week before I gave up. Most of it was sensory overload. Factory jobs typically don't work well for me unless I am on a down turn where they are doing repairs and production is halted. Fewer and fewer factories that are left are this way anymore and due to sensory overload I can't handle them. I can't think, program, troubleshoot when everything is going full tilt on a production floor. I eventually get up and leave frustrated as I have all but shut down.

So why is this "Brutal"? Just because it is honest doesn't make it brutal. I feel first thing is we have to accept for who we are and then learn to deal with. Once we do that, then coping strategies such that can feel productive doing something in life where we fit. NT or not, all anyone wants to do is have a life and try enjoy it. Dwelling on what isn't or thinking it is BRUTAL will NOT help anything...

The brutal part is that I know some people have an attachment to the Aspergers diagnosis.

It's AUTISM.

It's brutal to them but realism the rest of us.

Like somebody wise once said we can not move forward until be admit where we are or something like that.

Sharkattack, I'm with you and I support you. I've always appreciated your comments and the way you try to motivate people to avoid using Aspergers as an excuse to lay down and die. And yes, it is autism. I know I'm autistic. I know my brain works differently. And knowing this is useful because now I know how to best make use of my talents and to live my life happily.

Autism, despite its many disadvantages, also grants us many strengths. I wouldn't trade being autistic any day. I love my strange brain.

The only real difference between Aspergers Syndrome and High Functioning Autism is the degree of severity. People classified as HFA have more obvious deficits, while people classified as AS are a little less "obvious". They are really just two different terms for the same thing however. Whenever I discuss it with people, I just say I have Aspergers, because "autism" is a really loaded term which to many NTs would imply that I'm a few fries short of a happy meal, so to speak. Not that that implication has any truth to it, though...

Well here is Autistic or aspie honesty whatever people want to call it.

I am enjoying a few beers tonight.

Correct European spelling by the way.


But as regards what NT's think let them go get F****D.

This is not a response to you SharkAttack but to the general situation

Aspergers is a form or sub category of Autism. I am diagnosed as "Moderately Severe Aspergers" under the DSM IV and "Autism Spectrum Disorder" under the DSM 5 . I identify as "Aspie", "Autistic" "Aspie-Autistic" . From what I see while most members agree Aspergers is Autism I think I am the only one on here that identifies as "Aspie-Autistic". I don't understand why it can't be both. I assume if nobody thinks it is weird or strange if you are from Dublin, Ireland and you identify both as a Dubliner and Irish. You are not expected to choose between the two. I do not expect the Irish government is going to pass a law saying Dublin you officially do not exist anymore. If I am wrong and such a law is passed I do not expect the people of Dublin to say they are ok with it since the word Dubliner got a bad reputation because some people from Dublin were elitists and thought they were better and different then the rest of Ireland. The scenario I just wrote about is preposterous. It would be preposterous if I changed the scenario to New York (where some New Yorkers do think they are better and try and separate themselves from the rest of America), it would be preposterous if I changed the scenario to Moscow or anyplace. But this is exactly what happened to Aspergers and Aspie. Why should I just accept it and move on? And why has most of our community accepted this?