AS diagnosis doubts

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Hi,

I was diagnosed with mild AS 6 years ago. However, since then, I've had a lot of doubts about the diagnosis, largely because I just can't relate to most other aspies. They seem to have a lot more communication problems than I do and have ever had...

Now, that doesn't mean that my diagnosis was just made out of thin air or that I never had problems. I was bullied a lot for several years in primary school and high school and I suffered a lot because of it. I also have several other symptoms of AS like the obsessiveness about a particular topic, a lot of stimming etc but when it comes to actual communication issues I don't seem to have those nearly as bad as most do. I make eye contact perfectly, read body language and emotions perfectly as well, don't have a big issue with getting touched or anything. On the outside, I'm sure I seem like a very high functioning individual.

Is there anyone else here who doubts their diagnosis and finds it hard to relate to other aspies...?

You're definitely not the only one. And I can tell you then I've seen a lot of people posting similar questions far more recently that the similar topics listed above.

It's extremely common for people with High Functioning Autism to question their own diagnosis, particularly when things are going well. When things are going well, you actually tend to feel normal. The diagnostic criteria for ASD actually states, "...deficits may not become fully manifest until social communication demands exceed limited capacities...". People around us can be quite certain of the diagnosis, and yet we ourselves question it.

I have often found myself questioning my own diagnosis (less so recently, probably because I've been having some real difficulties at work lately), but one reason that I've questioned my diagnosis is because I can't recall an incident that I can conclusively say is definitely a meltdown or shutdown.

It's important to keep in mind that, not only is ASD a spectrum, it's also not even a linear spectrum. I belong to an Asperger's support group, and I can tell you that there is a lot more variance within that group in personalities, talkativeness, etc. than there is in an NT group. You'll have one person in the group who can't stop talking, and another person who won't ever say a word. You've got half the group stimming constantly, and the other half, as far as I can tell, doesn't stim at all.

Here's an interesting comic about how no two people with ASD are alike, and how not everyone on the spectrum has every autistic trait.
http://the-art-of-autism.com/understand ... planation/

Of course, I can't diagnose or undiagnosed you based on one post. Did you always not have these communications issues. Do you think it is possible you have the communications issues and do not realize it?

If you feel the diagnosis is wrong you have the right to get a second opinion, to get reassessed.