AS or not??

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I have 2 little sisters 6 and 8 and both IMO show some Aspie traits (of course they are young and most NT's show them anyway) but I thought I'd list them and see WP's opinion. Thanks


6 year old (Sensory)-She constantly thinks stuff stinks when others smell nothing and she doesn't eat fruits etc. (texture) of course her teeth did come in late.) Interest) She was dead SET on getting Roller Skates since LAST CHRISTMAS (just got a pair yesterday) she is also focus on talking about going to Tennessee which is months away. She also doesn't socialize much (but this is IMO expected I think since she is just going into 1st grade this year) She talks about friends though. She isn't active much usually just sits and watches t.v. She is real emotional tell her no or yell at her she cries and whines ALOT! Plus my dad said she's like me (she's adopted but as you know I think I have AS myself.) and I was just curious about them


8 year old Talks about having friends but again she's only going into 3rd grade this year so. She doesn't like getting interuppted like myself and had an obsessive interest in ghost shows then my mom made her stop watching them. Like me she doesn't understand some stuff. (example last night she had her head out the car window and said WOAH! a man grabbed his crotch and starred at my mom who was driving. (WOAH is sexual like thinking someone is cute.)


I dout ethier of them have it. Although I'm sure they have something mentally (we all do 1 out of 4 people have a Mental Illness according to my Psychology teacher. If I had to narrow it down based off what I know I'd say the 6 year old although I'm not sure if you can talk about socializing at only 1st/3rd grade they might blossom in a couple years or not.


Thanks fellow WP members.

It is possible they may be somewhere on the spectrum. I would have them checked out by a professional though. No need in making assumptions so soon.

That isn't enough info to say anything.

So what? My young cousin doesn´t like fruits, too. So do many children. Fast food tastes better to many. Nothing special



Most children are that enthusiastic about something. Girls want a pony, boys a PS3 or an electric guitar...so that´s not related to Autism!



Many children are watching TV the whole day. That´s why this generation is prone to overweight. And you may THINK, that you have AS, but I would leave others out of that, it´s your cup of tea. Get a diagnosis for yourself, before you look at others.



That´s no diagnostically relevant obsessive interest, she´s fan of a TV series, so what´s the big deal? If somebody buys a Simpsons DVD-Collection, is he obsessive?



Who doesn´t?


So all in all, don´t get me wrong! I do not want to insult you, really! But from my view as a diagnosed AS, I really don´t get your point. What you write does not imply any autistic disorder. If so, about 90% of all children would have Aspergers. Are you sure, that you really know what you´re talking about? Those criteria are rubbish. Nothing against you, just my opinion

Yeah, people that are diagnosed AS and, really, others as well, should give thought to giving more, and more definitive, information when making such a request, etc... To do otherwise makes it seem fake, etc.... I'm sure that the whole idea of AS sounds stupid and fake to most people. It is like SCI-FI!

The very IDEA that some "disease" or "disorder" could make people like "Johnny Five", and LOVE the idea of "input", be zealous, want to help, be good technically, yet be like IDIOTS on social matters and not the best with coordination, is so unusual that SCI-FI movies HAVE been made about things like it.

And people are sometimes against people like ME, that diagnose themselves. I, for one, certainly waited until I had more evidence, etc... BTW my mother said I shouldn't even TRY to get diagnosed, as it can affect people's opinions of me. She is right. I have TONS of evidence and I understand most of you guys. That is good enough for ME!

Never mind that so many, including some that are respected, have said THEY have had it, and many others are suspected for good reason.

Yeah, that´s true! But threads like this show a lack of knowldedge about autism. I mean, if you really have AS, you should know that the initial posting is not related to anything autiscic. And even if there´s a reason for suspecting autism, at least for me, it´s careless to ignore differential diagnosis, because different disorders need specific treatment. I could not ignore that

BTT:
@zeldapsychology

Can you write some characteristics of the kids which are really relevant for an AS-diagnosis? Maybe you missed something important.

And programming is hard even for "experienced professionals", yet I have no degree in THAT and even THEY admit I do better! So what is your point there!?!?!?

Name ONE other diagnosis that covers what AS does! COME ON! The closest one is HFA, but AS is a better match. So either I am some sort of odd creature that happens to LOOK AS, and we need yet ANOTHER entry, or I am. In any event, if something looks like, smells like, and in every sense seems like and is compatible with a rose, does it really matter if it is something different?



????



Well, at this point, the only thing a diagnosis would do is give me credibility if I DID tell someone. It isn't like if I thought I had arthritus, and it could be lyme disease. EACH could present with the same symptoms, but they are DIFFERENT. They have different treatments, and either could become much worse.



NOPE! If I knew about the potential 20 years ago, or if it didn't potentially cost so much(2 years ago), I would have ALREADY done it. After all, if it wasn't AS, how would it be any worse or better?



Funny, I was telling a taxi driver just an hour ago about how I haven't found a way to fit in HERE, or in the town where I spent most of my life. "serious enough"? How could any diagnosis help?



No offense taken, even if I do feel your concerns are very misplaced.



HEY, I was trying to be NICE! I knew the original posting didn't talk about ASDs. When I feel it does, I SAY SO!

Re different treatments:

Yeah, but I TRIED to attack my social problems every way possible. I just haven't found a real way.

As for sensitivities, the world should change for ME! I am not going to endanger my hearing, etc... to make OTHERS feel more comfortable.

As for physical coordination, the best way would be with another person, and that isn't really an option now, and I can hide it pretty well.

As for preferences? NOPE! I would rather starve, like I am NOW!

I am working on weak mental areas even as I am enforcing strong ones. Considering I am middle aged, I am doing VERY well.

My problems have been OFFICIALLY recognized since I was 6! That was DECADES ago! I was clearly different even before I was 1! Things really haven't changed. I STILL have the "preferences", STILL have a sensitivity to sound and light, and an insensitivity to cold, STILL have the social difficulties, STILL have the stims, STILL have the physical coordination problems, etc... Of course, I ALSO have some good things ALSO, even if I can't really be called a savant.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with this topic. As I said I'm sure they have something LOL! (1 in 4 people have a Mental Illness which is what my Pscyhology teacher said) AS or not or whatever disorder I find there behaviors funny and interesting and it makes them who they are. The same goes to everyone here on WP are behaviors make US US AS or whatever your diagnosis.

My point is, that when it comes to diagnosing disorders related to mental or neurological issues, it´s a pretty big stretch to me to conclude "I have AS" from self-observation only. It´s not my business what others do, the point was only that I don´t feel comfortable to diagnose myself. That´s a general statement and not related to your post. Just my opinion.



Hey, I did not talk about YOUR self-diagnosis, don´t get me wrong

But as you don´t need every symptom to have AS, there are possible alternative-diagnoses. You´re right, no other disorder covers ALL the symptoms, but as many don´t have them all, a differential diagnosis is important.




Hey didn´t want to disrespect you You don´t have to show that you´re serious about these things. Hope you didn´t get me wrong. The things I´ve answered to were more meant in general than specifically towards you!

OK, you just quoted what I said, and spoke of my mother. As for defending my position, I wouldn't care what I have. AS is just a nice descriptive label. I wish some things weren't so vague though.(Even PROFESSIONALS see them as vague, and that is why so many have redefined the symptoms.)

I seem somewhat normal(I think), and am right in the middle of AS. If I tell the average person about my suspecting AS, they may lump me with people that are FAR worse off than I am.

Still, I can tell a group of people like the people here, about my having AS, and you already know pretty much where I am coming from. That is neat.

Are you sure you didn't get that BACKWARDS!?!?!? I think probably 1 in 4 DON'T have a "mental illness"!

Yeah, sorry ´bout that!

I think the figure makes more sense as "1 in 4 have a diagnosed mental illness". Lifetime risk is probably above half, what with postpartum depression, complicated grief, the stress and hormonal craziness of the teenage years, the fact that it's very common for women to be sexually abused, the way people can get addicted to everything from cocaine to chat rooms, the milder cases of depression, OCD, bipolar, etc. that interfere with your life but not enough to drive you to look for medical help, the dementias associated with head injury, illness, and age, the 1 in 100 schizophrenia risk, ADHD in 1 in 20 kids and autism in 1 in 150, the 1 in 8 teenagers who will try cutting themselves and the 1 in 80 who will do so habitually by college, the disordered eating (if not full-blown eating disorders) in at least half of women (and most female athletes, models, etc.), not to mention the extremes of personality such as borderline or OCPD; you can even fall into that category just for scoring too low on an IQ test, presenting as cultural/familial MR...

Umm... I guess what I'm trying to say is "mental illness" doesn't mean you're hospitalized or even in therapy; it's a common part of the human experience. I'm using a broad definition for "mental illness" that just includes anything a psychiatrist might treat.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,158742,00.html


Here's a quick article I clicked one of the first on Google and I beleive the Psychology teacher.

It only says that 1/4 experiences some kind of mental illness AT SOME POINT during their lifetime. That´s no inherent autistic disorder which stays a lifetime. You are misunderstanding what the topic´s about. I mean, many people suffer depression at some point in their lives. And as depression is defined as an illness,well, your teacher may be right about the number, but to relate this to autism (again: it´s inherent) is nothing but wrong. You say, the 2 kids have "something"...I mean do you know what you´re talking about? Mixing up Autism and mental illnesses?

In case you didn´t know: AUTISM IS NO MENTAL ILLNESS, IT´S A DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER!! !

Yeah, that´s right. I guess almost everyone is prone to mental illnesses given certain circumstances. That doens´t mean it has to be serious or diagnostically relevant. I mean things like depression or anxiety are things everyone knows, it´s the intensity which makes it relevant in terms of labeling it an "illness".

All Zelda is doing is what we are all trying to do. She's trying to make logical sense out of an illogical disorder. We have ALL asked questions that in retrospective, seem naive.

cut her some slack