Five Years Since Diagnosis of Asperger's

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This month on the 20th February will mark the five year anniversary of the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome that changed my life and perception of myself forever. I always knew I was different and suffered greatly in school and within my family with bullying and lack of friendships but never thought of myself as being disabled. Being diagnosed happened one week before my 23rd birthday I was just over a year out of university having graduated from a Bachelor of Social Science in December 2001. I had been unemployed since university having applied for hundreds of jobs and being knocked back on a continual basis more than likely due to what I now know is AS. Mum kept hassling and saying I was lazy etc that it noemally only takes four months to get a job etc. I was beginning to question if I had some sort of condition my first thought was ADHD or ADD. I had previously been DX with OCD but never took this overly seriously because whilst I had some of the symptoms for a short while they subsided.

The diagnosis came about because one day I was talking to a girl who was a long-term friend of mine at the time sadly we have since gone our seperate ways. She was talking about her uncle who had what Elisa called autism. Having met the uncle and seen he could talk I said to her I thought autism was people who couldn't talk or could talk very little she said no and went on to explain the symptoms of Asperger's. I said "that sounds like me" and Elisa said yeah my mum thinks you have a disability (she works with autistic kids) do you want me to talk to her for you. At first I got very defensive and said I am not disabled however after about five minutes I said sure despite the fact I felt embarrased at this given I knew Elisa and her mum really well. I didn't want them to think I was "weird" or think what I thought was badly of me.

A week later I met Mrs. T. we discussed what she told me was called Asperger's Syndrome and the characteristics of it I became convinced this was what I had it would explain a lot. I went to tell John my step-dad. John told me he had always thought that having seen something on AS on the internet in 1996. I was never diagnosed then because mum rang the psychologist I was seeing at the time and asked her directly M.N claimed that I didn't have Asperger's I just "had social issues". Mum didn't tell me this until after diagnosis. On February 20th 2003 I went for an appointment with Dr. Richard Eisenmajer a clinical Psychologist specialising in Asperger's here in Melbourne did a number of tests and was promptly diagnosed with Asperger's. I found him to be very understanding and helpful he told me a little more about AS.

After diagnosis I did and still do a lot of research on the internet about the condition this has helped me to understand myself as well as to explain it to other people. It has also made me realise where my AS comes from given it is genetic. My dad, grandad and some cousins display characteristics. I find it frustrating at times that organisations such as the police and Vicroads do not know what AS is as they should. However through my own advocasy and pushing these kinds of organisations are now getting a better understanding. Since diagnosis I have been very open about my AS because I beleive that knowledge brings understanding even in five years I have noticed that public awareness of the condition has dramatically improved but more needs to be done.

I will always have a sadness at the ruined and misunderstood childhood I had as a result of being undiagnosed and strongly beleive that M.N should have picked up my condition when I was 16 and that Mrs. T. should have told my mum of her suspicions that she told me she had always had. Part of my knowledge push is that if it can help a child be correctly diagnosed I have done a good thing.

hope to start up a support group in the Werribee area where I now live. I have called Asperger Syndrome Support Network and am waiting to hear back from them as they need to auspice me to get the go ahead once they do I am going to meet the local council and hopefully start from there. I will have it as an adult (18+) group in Australia those under 18 are treated as "children" for most purposes and there would be legal ramifications if I were to have them in my group.

I think everyone wants to be understood and there's understanding in knowledge.

...Hi , I'm 48 , i WAS DIAGNOSED ABOUT A YEAR BACK...
i'M PRETTY MUCH A MATERIAL FAILURE , OBJECTIVELY SPEAKING , MY PARENTS ARE DEAD , i DON'T HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE ( I just saw that I pushed the switch button and typed this all-capitals . I apologize , letting myself out like this , I just don't feel like typing that again , self-indulgent as that may be . ) .
I'm not a " trained " typist , I have to look at the keyboard , so , that happens to me , at times .