Advice wanted - mild AS or not:

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I’m in my early 20s and currently in the process of trying to get a clinical diagnosis for Aspergers Syndrome, but have been given a total head-f**k by the psychologist I was seeing and could do with some reassuring from the people who know about AS ( i.e. people who have the condition) whether I am right that I have AS or not.

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The best description of AS that I have heard is ‘social dyslexia’, which is basically what I have. However, it seems to me that the only people who manage to get a diagnosis for AS are in fact moderately – severely autistic.


A good description of how I get by is that I use my ability to memorise facts and rules to learn how I ought to behave – by reading books, observing behaviour and discussing it with trusted friends / family – none of it is intuitive and I am considerably less socially knowledgeable than my NT friends although I am a bit older and have had more ‘life experience’.

I have no emotional relationships, no romantic relationships, no job, but I am slowly working towards getting these things. I have many friends because I look normal and have learned how to keep myself tidy and wear whatever is fashionable – if I looked geeky or weird (like some of my true friends) I probably would have almost no friends – since NT people are pretty superficial (i.e. it doesn’t matter what I say to most of them / I don’t need to talk at all).

My obsessive interest used to be religion, linked with obsessive compulsive behaviour. I forced myself to overcome this which really messed me up for about a year. Now my traits are considerably less prominent than they were – since I have been trying for years to overcome them (before I knew about AS – my family and people around me would tell me to grow up, or treat me like an idiot whenever I was just being myself). I notice patterns, have a vague routine, and lesser obsessions with facts / particularly scientific facts.

I am not at all like a typical ‘autistic person’ – I don’t look particularly geeky and have excellent personal hygiene. However, inside my head – the way I see the world seems to be totally different from the NT and in keeping with AS. I also cannot really cope to NT standards especially in the work place. I don’t look or sound any different from an NT. I don’t stim, etc.

I have no empathy, I am totally emotionally detached from everyone and everything by NT standards, I basically have no clue when it comes to social rules. The limit of my ability to read people is to compare their expression to their baseline. I struggle to understand emotions and how they factor into people’s decisions. Facial expressions and body language can be/ are also baffling.

It occurs to me that since I have relatively mild / high functioning AS, I may never be able to get a diagnosis and may have to remain self-diagnosed.

It may be worth mentioning that the difficulties I have in everyday life, have nothing to do with the events of my life (childhood / school, etc) since I received plenty of emotional input – so there is no other reason why I should be the way I am.

I’ve done the AQ test etc and scored 44 / 50.

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Anyone with a similar situation or advice of any kind (whether you are clinically diagnosed / self diagnosed) I would be very grateful for your input.

Thanks.

I'm curious to know what your psychologist had to say.

You do seem to have AS traits. Whether they are strong enough for a diagnosis, whether there are enough of them, I don't know. But you have a lot in common with people who are officially diagnosed; so some of the same tricks we use could work for you. You've already taken advantage of what must be a good memory and ability to analyze things to learn social interaction--even though it may still take more effort for you than it does for most. If you don't need a diagnosis, either to get professional help or because you are desperate to know, then don't bother getting one. There aren't exactly meds you can take for it--well, you can take them for anxiety or depression or whatever, but there's nothing for Asperger's unless you have uncontrolled rage, in which case they'll put you on Riseperdal and you hope it doesn't turn you into a zombie!

You do have some AS traits.
Btw not all autistic people look geeky and have bad hygiene.

Is the psychologist familiar with development disorders such as AS, most are not. Most Psychiatrists have little experience in development disorders, they will give you a dx of anxiety or ADHD. Choose carfully for an AS assessment professional!

You can have mild to severe AS depending how your score regarding the criteria scale.

I found my assessment concentrated on early childhood and teenager years initially. Then there was discussion and more questions about my adult life. A good deal of cognitive and sensory issues were discussed.

I was assessed by a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in AS diagnoses.

Not sure people higher on the scale are more autistic. They appear to have more extreme responses to stress in my opinion, sensory intergration issues.

The psychologist held some random opinions (most of which turned out to be nonsense):

According to her:

Most men have AS mildly.
The is no point at all in a diagnosis for AS since there is no treatment / cure.
I liked my parents and grandparents as a child (therefore no AS) - apparently I would not have bonded with adults at all.
A diagnosis would make me worse.
I have friends therefore cannot have AS.
I must have had no emotional input as a child (completely incorrect).
I can make sporadic eye contact (forced) - therefore no AS.

I forgot to mention one of my main traits:

I get mentally exhausted when I'm around someone for more than a couple of hours and need to just recharge. This means if a lot is going on (e.g. work or university)- I tend to become a semi-recluse in my free time.

At the moment I think that realistically, I will probably not be able to get a diagnosis, although I may have AS or at least the AS genes to some degree.

Bah! The system sucks.

Cheers for the responses so far.

I also received that treatment from a professional since I looked normal and had good hygiene. they did want to push medication though which I refused, they like to place it on you and say you don't try hard enough or practice makes perfect. well eventually you can improve on certain things,(like I finally got my drivers license at the age of 33) but to completely dismiss it like the psych did shows just because your a professional doesn't mean ou are well trained in several areas. I say don't let it bother you, keep going and enjoy who you are and what you can accomplish.

Nothing you describe is inconsistent with your having AS. None of the reasons described are consistent with an evidence based approach to practice.

I have no idea what the law is in your jurisdiction, but it seems unlikely to me that the conduct of the physician, as it is described in this thread, would be legal in any modern 'first world' nation.

The two biggest features are the lack of appropriate two-way social interaction, and the all-encompassing interest where you devote an inordinate amount time to, neglecting things you should be doing compared to your peers. When you have both of these, most of the other features of verbal autism fall into place; the lack of nonverbal cues (the blank face, the lack of emotional inflection in your voice, a lack of eye contact, odd postures, and conversely, understanding the meaning of the same from other people). There's usually a desire for human relations, but they tend to fail more often than they succeed [due to the above problems]. A desire for routine and order is a possibility, as is sensory sensitivities, but these two are more pronounced/clinical in people with moderate to severe autism; the above description is for "mild" autism.

It's a common misconception that people with autism look like "geeks". They don't, unless they're geeks to begin with.

Daniel41149512, that "psychologist" has a lot to learn about Asperger's Syndrome. Don't even consider his/her opinion and seek out another psychologist to assess you.

I am not officially diagnosed AS; I have diagnosed myself and my husband, and our daughter is being considered for the Dx of AS by her psychiatrist. From what I've read and experienced, it does indeed sound to me like you are either AS or at the very least PDD-NOS.