asperger diagnosis (counselor doubtful)

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First post.I'm glad to have found this sight.It feels like home.Here's my question.I've taken some of the online tests,and though I think there's alot of room for error or interpretation I score 151 of 200 on the Rdos test,32 of 50on the Baron/cohen etc.It seems to indicate that I'm fairly medium to high on the spectrum.My counselor who has been very helpful in other ways,is kind of sceptical about this subject.Has anyone else had this type of experience?Thanks

You need to get a diagnosis by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.

Why do you want a diagnosis? Unless you KNOW you'll never hold a sucessful job and have no intentions of amounting to a damn thing, don't do it. Why? You'll be promptly destroying your future.

Exactly. Unless you are looking for a way to get some form of assistance and then live your life on welfare there is little reason to get an offocial dx. If you are AS then in all likliehood you are smart and truthful enough to do the dx yourself. You jnow who you are. You can develop workarounds for your AS. And keep it to a small circle of friends and WP!

How is that? Please explain. I believe there are many other reasons to obtain one and choosing to do so will not "destroy your future".

Children with AS are often thrown into Special Ed classes, regardless of how intelligent or functional they may be. AS is looked down upon and treated no differantly than any individual with autism. Adults applying for jobs or colleges that require medical backgrounds will be declined due to AS. The ONLY time it is acceptable to seek a diagnoses is when you already have a sucessful career and tenure.

I was placed in spec ed and I HATED it. I was constintly thought of as stupid. It was damaging to my self esteem. But I cant stress enough the importance of knowing who you are and what makes you tick/work. It is a life long process but one that I personally find very rewarding.
Good luck and welcome home to WP!

hmm, I"m not so sure about that ramsus. I think you may be right in some cases but I would like to see a little bit more information to back up that claim. I think a lot of it depends on where you live and the resources available.
It would make sense if you were trying to do something such as join the military. Perhaps you can give us more examples?

Doctor.
Professor.
Teacher.

Meh, basically all government jobs.. also impacts making it into colleges.. and really any job you could make a career out of.

Ramsus: I think your sadly mistaken. Half of the crowd in Silicon Valley has mild to severe forms of aspergers, I personally know 3 university professors and a douzen research scientists that are international masters in their fields, that have aspergers and there are plenty more people with aspergers in high places.

If you get diagnosed and LET them put you away or choose to live on welfare, then your right, but its not because of aspergers, but because you let it happen.

With every job I ever applied for I was always initially blown of because of my problems taking interviews, but I was persistent to the point of being annoying to the company (with help from my parents) and had old teachers and ex-employers calling them as references, up to the point each and every one agreed to let me take an IQ and skill test.

I was hired for each and every one of those jobs too.

I was fired from most of them due to the problems arising from what I now (since a few weeks) know to be directly related to my aspergers and since I and the companies were oblivious to that at the time, they assumed I was lazy when it came to paperwork and am not stress resistant.

If they had known that I'm not lazy but mostly just forget about things like paperwork and procedures and am actually very stress resistant as long as I'm not sucked into company politics where I have half a douzen different "bosses" telling me different things to do and using me as a tool in their politics AND I had the backing of a government institution to council both me and the companies, things would've been very different.

Now that I'm diagnosed with Aspergers, I won't only have 3 different IQ tests that show I have a mensa normalized IQ of over 140, but will also have legal backing and government help in getting jobs and keeping them. Over here, companies pay less social contributions and get goverment help and guidance to deal with my problems while fully benefiting from my skills and intelligence.

If I had been diagnosed sooner (a decade or so) I would probably still be at one of those previous jobs, since the problems between us would've been resolved by the government institutions that are created for the soul purpose of letting aspergers and autistic people work and live and function and if possible thrive in society.

That sounds wonderful. Humane, and it would actually pay for itself! Here in the United States, I think our closest equivalent is the Department of Angry Mobs with Pitchforks.

Thanks for your input.To be more specific,I don't need the diagnosis as much as I just need to find coping skills,I can get them from a counselor or from you folks or wherever I can find them.I just wondered if others had met some opposition when telling someone in the medical profession about their Asperger suspicions.She's been helpful about my ADD-type problems,(I now now see that the Asperger framework fits better than theADD thing,which I never felt wholehearted about).It doesn't matter what you call this stuff.I don't have any vested interest in a diagnosis other than to make sure I know what I'm dealing with.I just want to improve my skills and make day to day life a little easier.I'm a musician in Nashville doing what I love to do ,so I'm happy that I've been able to accomplish that.,but I could be farther along career-wise if I'd had a better grip on social situations.Networking is a BIG part of what I do.Not to mention my personal life and relationships.The wreckage is strewn throughout my past.I'm coming to this late(I'm 47) so there's a bit of sadness at the lost time and possibilities,but I look at my dad and see all the behavior and problems he had and I realize that at least I know now.He never got a chance.Thanks,I'll be bugging you people with more stuff as I go along,and I'll be watching for the great information and general input I find here.I'm really enjoying this sight.

University professors and research scientists have tenure.

Considering Aspergers is something you have from Birth to Death, it shows that someone with Aspergers can get into that position.

What does tenure matter if you aren't able to get into the position?

Granted that some symptoms grow worse over time due to social problems (usually isolation problems).

But considering as a professor or researcher, your likely to find people around you who DO share the same interests as you do and respect and honor you because you can take the interest to new levels, academic jobs seem to be perfect for aspies.

I was DXed last year(43 years old now).I was having questions about why I wasnt "growing up" and thought this might be a possible explaination and if so,might offer me some insight and "help" in becoming higher functioning.....My biggest problems seem to be social contact/phobia,mmisunderstandings and driving phobia.

I received the DX after several visits and asked about help with career options and social problems and was told...."We dont have anything like that".What they offered was just a person to go to to talk to when I was having trouble in my daily life,especially,relationships with my SO.....that wasnt the problem.I am sick to death of "talk therepy"...been there,waste of time.
So now I have the DX and am back working the manuel labor,crap paying jobs I have always had with managers half my age and a body that will eventually get worn out trying to do the same labor as early 20'somethings.

How much "help" you can get may depend on how effected you are,I can tolerate very little human contact(work over nights and mostly with animals,not people).I was a psych maje in college and understand some of the NVL based on reading but when in human contact it is of little help.I still dont know how to respond to people and they still dont like me,seem perplexed by my attempts at communication(writting is much easier then speaking for me).

I dont think the response of your therepist is that unussual.They tend to stress what they are more informed and interested in.ADD is more "treatable" the AS and more familiar.If you are interested in getting a DX,you will need to find a specialist who DX's adults(most only treat children)and have some good info about your childhood from family.

What ever you decide,I wish you luck.Perhaps you will find more assistance where you live.Sometimes the hardest thing to except is that the "dream" you projected as your future is not compatable with your particular traits.I found it easier to adapt my work to my traits then my traits to my work(I was going to go into counseling... ).I have a desire to help people but cant "fake" I like or care about someone I dont,am a black and white thinker,cant naturally read non-verbal communication and wouldnt be able to talk any one out of suicide as I often think of it as an opption myself....not exactly counsler material.

I've never stated someone with AS wouldn't ordinarily be capable of reaching said positions. I said someone with a positive AS diagnoses cannot, due to discrimination against AS. With tenure, you are unable to be fired once diagnosed.