So my parents and school were given the ASAS to do

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Australian Scale for Asperger's Syndrome, link here to it (but our's was paper)
http://www.aspennj.org/pdf/information/ ... ndrome.pdf

I am 17 and 18 in a month. That can't be right they told us to do that, right? Reasons:
1. Not in Australia (not important)
2. Asperger's was removed in DSM5 (again not really what bothers me, still relevant to look for HFA)
3. It said for primary school children. I may look like a primary school child amd also probably act like one but it can't be right to give us that, right? I have developed a bit since then.

So anyway, any similar experiences? My parent's one scored high but the school's one scored low (mainly because it was probably intended for, well, a child so they guessed). So I might not even be tested for autism because of this.

Advice?

I'm not qualified to make any clinical diagnosis whatsoever, but I am a teacher of very young children who are often on the spectrum, so I'll offer you my own personal opinion and educated guess: perhaps the doctor recommended using the ASAS as just a part of an assessment, and/or to help get your parents' minds attuned to what they might look for. The the doctor may have instructed your parents to reflect on your behavior when you were younger, not just what you are or aren't doing today--thus the assessment originally intended for elementary-aged kids.

Is this the first sort of assessment you've ever gotten, or is this another step in a process that began a while ago?

I'll fill it in a bit.

I did the strengths and difficulties questionnaire
My parents did the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, the ASAS and the social communication questionnaire
My school did the ASAS

This is recent and started in march. They are compiling the results of this. The low on the school's ASAS is what they're going to decide whether I am going to be evaluated or not. This is a prescreening process after I was in the hospital. That's another story as to why I was there and god damn it was scary. They weren't going to let me out because I couldn't answer their questions. I couldn't fill in the suicide action plan because I had no idea what to do. I couldn't answer their questions, they convinced my parents I was going to kill myself because of that and so my parents wouldn't help me and I was on my own. They were going to put me in some psychiatric ward or something and he got a second opinion from the psychiatrist who changed it from "you're going to die if you leave this room" to "I think you're autistic". I'm still confused. No idea.

They never said anything about doing this about when I was younger. They would have asked to give the ASAS to my primary school if that were to be the case. The teachers that did this, one only sees me going to lesson occasionally and only since 16. The other teacher who did it has known me since 14, but only sees me in class.

Has that cleared things up?

It has cleared things up a little, but it does truly sound like you're in a very confusing situation, so I can't really offer you more specific advice if that's all they're telling you. I can say that sometimes people who are barely on the ASD spectrum aren't diagnosed or don't figure it out until much later. Sometimes parents know something's different about their child but don't think it's going to affect them much, or don't want to consider that it's more than just quirkiness. In some instances (like yours, perhaps?), they think their loved one is dealing with something else altogether. Other times, people just don't know how to tell their family members that they may be on the spectrum because they don't want to upset them--though some people are relieved to find out that there may be a concrete reason that they're struggling with certain things and that they are not alone.

As far as the different ASAS scores go, it could be that, because your parents have known you better all your life, and in many different circumstances, they see many more signs of Asperger's than the teachers who only see you a few hours a week, and only in school. Of course, one of the biggest challenges to accurately identifying anyone who might be on the spectrum is that it's hard to be totally objective...plus sometimes it's just nearly impossible to completely pinpoint something that can be so complex--within a species that is so complex, as well!

I'm sorry about what you went through in the hospital; hopefully, you've already seen the worst of days and things will improve from here. I think this forum is a good resource, whether you're on the spectrum or not--and overall, the people here are nice to talk with.

Besides that, there are many, many people here who can offer way more information, advice, and support than this one tiny NT......I invite you to speak up, people!

Yeah, points 1 and 2 appear to be irrelevant because the use of the descriptors "Australian" and "Asperger's" can simply be changed without effecting the results.

But, the use of a "primary school" test might be wrong unless the use of the word "primary" was meant to include all ages younger than college/adult? I don't know, but I would ask.

Good luck!

Tell me about it

Other than the speech delay, I have shown all the symptoms since a toddler. It's just all my cousins on my dad's side have severe autism so the fact I had no language delay meant my parents never considered anything wrong. Just thought it was a personality. And another thing is that my mum works with people with very high functioning asperger's so while she probably knew she probably didn't think it was worth noting to anyone - as far as she can see, they get better. Only now has she seen I'm not as happy as she thought and that I do need help. Also because I'm a girl and girls don't have autism as much I guess.

But I do think you're right.

Hi Sorry to hear about your confusion being generated in the pursuit of a diagnosis. Can I please recommend you maybe getting some reading of your own about female-AS & living with it because there is a lot available; you mention less girls than boys are AS-affected & myths like this are busted in the writing of, for example, Rudy Simone. There is a lot of info about testing available; there is self-testing for Asperger's online also.

I got assessed as a mature adult & apart from a preliminary checklist of possible identifiers beforehand, the assessment I did was mainly practical tasks based; number stuff, word definitions, memory stuff, jigsaw puzzle, general knowledge quiz. It lasted quite a long time.

Good Luck with it; accessing Forums like this is really useful too in learning about As too

All I can find is books she's written, is that what you mean?

Yes, her books mainly although she has a website also; I just read Aspergirls by her & found it about the most accessible book I've read on AS so far.

Anything that's not a book? They're long and you have to pay for them.

Hmmm...
http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2010/10/27/im-right-here-rudy-simone-on-life-as-an-aspergirl/

- maybe that link might suit better???

"traditional gender roles "

Is this woman a feminist? She sounds like a feminist.

Edit: read it, but more interested in the mention of Temple Grandin. Looked her up and watching some videos, I prefer videos. Thanks for making me find out, I watched The world needs all kind of minds and it was really cool. You indirectly helped.

I definitely recommend watching the film Temple Grandin 110%

Her lectures are amazing, it's late but I just wanna keep watching her videos on YouTube, making me realise a lot about myself Tomorrow I'll look up the film, gonna finish this one called "my experience with autism" and sleep. I can't thank you enough, I'd go as far as saying I'm inspired.

Hey, glad that came good for you & also Massive Thanks for the tips about her other films, which I will now check for myself

I wish it was longer, I watched it online (which was hard to find, most links are "unavailable" in my country ) probably the most interesting film I've watched, worrying how autism was seen in the past though I think it loops because she was going to say how she would tell everyone her story at the end and if you replayed it you'd have it.

This has gone so off topic, sorry I like when I like things