Faking autism and Faking aspergers

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dodging the issue again. you only wish I was ignoring you.

How easy would it be for someone with an unspecified ASD to pose as an Aspie?

Not easy at all, I wouldn't think. I know you can't fake it for a psychologist. They run too many physical/cognitive tests that the average layman wouldn't even know was a way to look for symptoms. I suppose if they had a degree in psychology and studied people with AS for a prolonged period of time, they would know how to do it, but then this begs the question: why bother?
The easiest way to tell might be to accuse someone of being an NT. If they protest too much, the accusation might have merit. If they could care less what you think, they're probably aspie.

They're more so than us, and they always will be; it's how objectivity is made. They've seen many people with these disorders, they have a far clearer view of how it'll manifest in most cases; this is how it is. Them viewing us, how we interact, and with our history attached, is how these disorders are diagnosed, and no matter how objective one thinks they are, we'll never know how we "appear" to others; how we "appear" is everything (and I'm not talking about how we appear to family members as people with higher-functioning ASDs usually interact well with family and close friends they've known for a long time). No, they're not all right, and I never said they were; I've needed to see multiple professionals before someone brought up AS with me, and I chalk that up to the fact that I'm so high-functioning in "appearance". In my case, I was wrong with schizophrenia, but I was right with the ASD, but even then, which ASD can be contended by the professionals, depending on who sees me (so I wasn't right there either). Taking the test, comparing yourself to the list of symptoms, and then seeking out your developmental history; yeah, this can all point towards certain disorders, but one lacks an opinion of people who know more about these than we do--they might not know every fact, but they know how it "appears" far more than we do (generally speaking).

Depending on where you live, it shouldn't cost thousands of dollars; time seems to be the biggest hurdle. People get a diagnosis, people research these things for it's affecting their life in some negative way, if not, it's not a disorder then; a diagnosis allows one help (if this is the disorder they have). Social training, academic/vocational allowances due to problems at school/work, social services for those who cannot do the former (which is the majority of people with ASDs), housing, etcetera.

If one isn't completely sure of their self-diagnosis (a formal diagnosis attached), it's erroneous to speak under the guise that your experience is that of someone with Asperger's, that's all. No one said you cannot talk with your so called "real" aspies, and doing such can aid you in your own search, but saying you have the disorder when you haven't been formally assessed by professionals is a lie (I'm not saying you do such, but people do), and it does those who face the real challenges that these disorders place on people an injustice.

This lie is what irks me.

Daniel,

"professionals" are not necessarily more objective than patients. HECK, many people nearly DIE because the doctor won't believe them.

Many older people may seem more normal, etc... My personality has changed a LOT in the past couple decades. Who knows though. Today, a coworker I invited to dinner TOUCHED THE BUN on my sandwich!! !! !! WHY!?!?!? I would LOVE to know! I casually moved the sandwich farther out of her reach, through away the bun, and ate the insides. I never reminded her about how my respect for her plummeted, etc... by such a stupid act. Still, how often would such things happen in a doctors office?

Somehow, near as I can figure, she must make comments, and touch anything, that is within her reach, that she is speaking about.

As for my history, it is hidden. There may be vague references about odd behavior, being a teachers pet, being a loner, and seeing psychiatrists almost 40 years ago(Two regarding social issues.).

Yeah, I will never know how I have appeared to people. Psychiatrists may ALSO never know. They don't get to see a lot of the stuff.

Daniel, In the US it DOES cost a lot, and more time means MORE money!

It would be nice to find a key part that makes AS AS, and narrow it down to, perhaps, even a blood test. I would REALLY love it if they did that. It could change the whole personality of these "talks" overnight. Until then, we only have a set of symptoms, that may decide to bundle up and describe with a label. Even if everyone here chose the label of AS, the mosaic of the symptoms would be drastically different. Maybe, to appease you, we should just have long lists of symptoms. So many here DO ask a lot of questions, and listing such criteria would make such things unnecessary.

I was reading through the DSM-IV a few weeks ago (thank god for university libraries) and there actually is a mental disorder where someone imitates mental disorders. In many cases this person knows they don't have the disorder/illness but they do the research and decide to imitate it. it's often for attention or some other reason.

I am still undiagnosed as of today, and I do beleive, wholeheartedly, that fall within the spectrum, but the fear is always there that it could be something else, and its horrible. I cannot see, therefor, how faking it could be of any positive use

Claiming one is highly sure they have it based on all of the research while admitting they have no formal Dx is not a lie or a guise. A lie is intended to decieve and make someone believe something they know to be false. If someone wants to know that all they need to do is look in their profile to see what option they chose. There is no deception in that, unless they claimed they were officially dxed when they weren't. I think it's kind of funny that your argument actually proves how unreliable an official Dx can be, or how easily it can be missed when it's mild. How do people know for sure they weren't misdiagnosed? I don't consider them liars, even if all of their doctors had conflicting opinions. Suppose several doctors were sure you weren't, but you found one that thought mabe you were. Does that one opinion now make you official enough, or do you take the majority vote? What if they were all wrong? Just because you listened to and believed the last guy who saw you doesn't make you so much more of an honest Abe or your condition more real than someone who carefully self diagnosed and admitted to it.

Where many of us live, yes medical care is both lazy and expensive. And not only that, dealing with all the buerocracies to try and get aide is a nightmare even for people who are obviously profoundly disabled. Just because some have been forced to adapt and grow up without help and have weighed the options and decided to stay that way does not mean they lack a disorder. Telling anyone that they think they may have it for whatever reason is not a lie. That accusation is going a bit far, don't you think?

I definitely agree with you.

I disagree. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone accuses me of lying when I'm not, I can't stand it. I'm sure many people on here wouldn't like being called a liar either, especially over something so serious.

if you're that interested in finding out whether i'm aspie or no.. there be a fee for room and board..... oh and don't bother me while i work... or eat... or play wow. and definitely dont wake me up in the morning.

have to agree with an earlier post. For heaven's sake, Why? Land sakes, if I was normal, I wouldn't be here on Saturday night, I'd be...well, doing something with other people. I'd have a better job, a better life, and more security. I can't help I'm the way I am, but I can learn to adjust to life with what it is. Not looking for sympathy, but it's like saying I'm a Lesbian trapped in a man's body... sheesh.

What a brilliant answer. I've had people who've never met me accuse me of not being aspie (message boards), (I guess it's a compliment in a way, but it's also a stupid thing to say) and it certainly would shut them up if they had to be with me 24 hrs a day 7 days a week to see how my life really works.

I work with other people that are not on the Autism Spectrum and they didn't 'have a better job' or 'get a better life' because they were not Aspie. They have the same job I do. So maybe that isn't an Aspie sort of thing.

Merle

Saying you have the disorder, but you haven't been formally diagnosed is a lie; no matter how sure you think you are (this is exactly what I said--perhaps you're projecting yourself?). I'm sure I'm a duck because I can quack like one, I have webbed feet, I can even paddle! If you look at me funny it might appear that I have feathers; I can also waddle like a duck. I'm not a duck, no matter how much I think I am one.

Well, I wasn't being assessed for any specific disorder at the time other than knowing that I had a psychotic episode which led to a psychiatric hospital; they were kinda treating acute anxiety, but the point still stands: I saw a psychiatrist for the disorders I was diagnosed with, and he noticed I had AS, and then I went to an autism clinic, and they found out I had AS too. I'm not being biased towards anyone here for I know what misdiagnosis feels like, and that's my point.

When I thought I had schizophrenia, and I was assessed for such, I was happy that I didn't have it (I never said I had it before seeing someone, no matter how high I scored on the tests, how many symptoms I experience, no matter if I meet the diagnostic criteria, and it fits my history).

I didn't say "may", I said "have". Well, considering that the majority of individuals with an ASD would be homeless in the least if it wasn't for family or social services, a diagnosis is quite important if one wishes to move away from home (this allows help with finding work and housing).

2ukenkerl,

If doctors cannot be trusted to diagnose people correctly in the majority of cases, can't that logic follow that the disorder itself doesn't exist? After all, professionals are the ones who define these disorders, and they teach other professionals how to diagnose and treat them. And if one cannot trust a doctor in diagnosis, how can one trust Dr. Asperger or Dr. Kanner?

I can only speak for myself, I would consider myself to be an Oscar award winning faker - not so much as a conscious skill but as a means to survive in a world I find it difficult to relate to.
On the whole I feel ashamed to have aspergers not because I think it is bad - its all I know- but because I know in the eyes of the majority of the world I am seen as less and at times as a freak.
The acid test in my opinion is the social isolation it is unfakeable , the only people I have ever told I have aspergers to are people that I think may have it too and I do so because it hurts me to watch them suffer and because unless you realise what is wrong its easy to spiral into self hatred and lose all your self confidence until you stop trying all together.