How many on WP do you think really have some form of autism?

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It's not for me to say or even speculate. Not my business.

What did your diagnosis consist of?, if you don't mind me asking....

My assessment didn't cost me a dime...but it has always left the lingering shadow of a doubt because it was just an assessment...not a formal diagnosis...but I was advised by the woman who assessed me that I could treat it as a diagnosis and not bother with the prohibitively expensive battery of tests....so I guess it is better than nothing....but I still have no paperwork. She did seem to be quite certain that I was an aspie, and I did bring up my history with ADD and also the possibility that I was more of a PDD-NOS...but she was dead set that I was either Aspie or HFA if I had a speech delay..(which I cannot recall one way or the other)

I would not have been able to get that free assessment if it weren't for the nice folks at the FOCUS initiative...a center for Autistic and HFA adults and children in a suburb of my city....
But I don't think they offer those assessments anymore, and a lot of people don't know where to go....

Yup. Where to go and what to do if you manage to find somewhere to go. I tried today-- looking for somewhere to go. All I found was an article about some lady in New York. She sounded good. Too bad I live in the Midwest. Too bad I'm too broke to go that far.

I'm tired. I'm tired of people telling me I have AS, not because they're wrong, but because they aren't enough. I'm tired of knowing that there is something different about me and that all the diagnoses I've been given over the years don't complete the puzzle. And honestly, I'm smart and well-read enough that I could pretty accurately self-diagnose (and my educational background fits), but the last time I self-diagnosed myself with something and tried to treat it, I ended up in the Emergency Room covered in hives.

How do people get a diagnosis? Where do they go? Who do they talk to? It seems like this isn't like the diagnosis for ADHD or GAD, or any of the other things I've been diagnosed with in the past. ADHD was a checklist. I was diagnosed bipolar because the doctor said that adopted kids who don't respond to antidepressants are almost always bipolar (yeah, not going back there!). How does this work?

I went through my insurance list, and called different kinds of doctors and asked.

I also found this place in central PA called Philhaven, and considered going there for more information. However, I'm always wary of places without reviews from adults on the spectrum.

Please tell me what services that autistics can receive as an adult? My diagnosis was disclosed to the M.I.B. (Medical Information Bureau). This private company is to medical insurance what Experion is to creditors. I am ineligible for just about any form of health insurance outside that provided by employers. As far as diagnostic costs are concerned, in some areas, you are correct. My last neurologist who who gave me my second diagnosis charged me $250 for the initial visit (for another problem).

I know of many cases where people who are diagnosed autistic (autistic disorder) as adults have been denied disability pronouncement by the "Social Security" agency. Since I am not been pronounced by the "Social Security" agency as "disabled," I am not eligible for Medicaid or any form of monetary payment. In my state, to be eligible for government subsidized housing or any other government assistance requires the pronouncement of being "disabled" by the "Social Security" agency. In fact, in Maryland (and possibly other states), any official autism diagnosis is required to be disclosed on drivers license applications and could in cases be used to deny a person their right to drive. An autism diagnosis will in most cases prevent people from being allowed to serve in the military. Even the agency for Vocational Rehabilitation will not pay for a college education. The only thing it will pay for is one time vocational training. Vocational jobs are subject to offshoring. The only benefit I have from being "officially autistic" is being a C.A.R.D. client, and that gives me the privilege of checking out books from the C.A.R.D. library.

Now, as a child, an autism diagnosis can bring about numerous benefits. It can bring about accommodations in elementary and high school. It will allows early intensive intervention, and so on. I agree with you when it comes to being diagnosed as a child. Being diagnosed as a child may very well bring in benefits that carry on into adulthood depending upon which state you are in. However, if you don't have an active diagnosis as a child and receive services already, there is a very likely chance that you will not receive services as an adult. I was diagnosed at three years of age, but when my family moved to another state, the diagnosis was pretty much buried and at the time useless. Fortunately, this is not the case any more at least with children.

However, my opinion regarding diagnosis in adulthood still stands. You can call it "Malarky" if you want to, but if you continue to do so, please point out what services are available to adults with autism in most states, because I cannot find any that are available to any of the people that I know.

Willard, while I respect the validity of your experience - that is not the case for many others elsewhere. Without insurance, I am faced with costs in the hundreds of dollars - if not more - to get a diagnosis. It is great that it did not cost you anything personally, but nothing is without cost somewhere in this world, at some level. A diagnosis -can- be detrimental, especially to those who are subject to specific state laws, stigma, insurance limitations, and discrimination. It -can- also make available certain essential services, but this decision is relative to the person and is not governed by a single rule of effect. Lastly, remember that you do not control the opinions of others or their expression on these forums; you are welcome to having your opinion.



That was disappointing to read. While self-assessment is not an exact science, neither is the process of official diagnosis, as can be evidenced by the number of conflicting diagnoses many have received over the years. To hate someone for going through the process of self-discovery is... well, disappointing.


M.

250 sounds cheap compared to all the people I found. Does anybody know of anything near the NYC tri-state area, or anywhere in connecticut or lower new york? Send me a message if you do, I cannot find anything cheaper than 800.

I understand you guys.

I recognize that you can't just claim what are seen as the positive traits without understanding the downsides aren't just an excuse for awkwardness.

If I'm not an Aspie... I'm obviously a highly mutated housecat with a surprisingly human body.


I get what the OP is saying about (what I only learned when I mentioned it to someone else) the "I have aspergers because I'm unique and smart and shy" type of claims. It is somewhat irritating, I admit, but it is better to explain that you can be shy, or obssessed with obscure topics, that no one is exactly like everyone else, and still be NT.

You can't have Asperger's if you're not on the autism spectrum. The difference between disliking social functions, and being so overloaded by your inability to read people particularly in a crowded, sensation flooded environment... well, it's a big difference.

I don't mind it if someone thinks they have Asperger's, and are willing to explore it further in order to understand whether they fit the criteria or not. What is really annoying is when people convince themselves that they have Asperger's from reading a webpage and then walk around and tell random people that they have it. It's not self-discovery... it's just self-labelling.

I know for a fact that I do. And I'm proud of it!

There's really no way to tell.

I've had people accusing me, since I was diagnosed, of not actually having AS. These people didn't know me as a kid, when I far more resembled a Kanner autistic than an aspie, and they don't know me well enough to see into my head or what happens outwardly when I'm stressed out. Basically, they don't know ME, so their opinion isn't worth a damn. Just because someone is either higher-functioning, and/or has learnt to compensate, doesn't mean they don't have AS. As someone said earlier, if you've seen one Aspie....you've seen ONE Aspie. We're no easier to put in boxes than any other people are.

That's true. Childhood plays a huge role in determining whether one has AS or not. Someone who did not exhibit autistic traits as a child and only began having social anxiety after high school, never had sensory issues and problems with eye contact and nonverbal communication, however, does not have AS. There's nothing autistic about them, yet they claim they have AS and nothing can stop them. The guy I am talking about clearly has an anxiety disorder, but not AS. I made him buy a book about AS, but he does not want to read it.
I've learned enough skills myself to be able to come across as a neurotypical for a period of time. However, these skills are learned. I wasn't like that 5 years ago, and whether I'm tired/anxious, I lose my ability to exhibit these skills. People who haven't known me for a long time would never guess that there's something different about the way my brain works.

i think you are wondering how many people actually meet the diagnostic criterion... and that is a subtly but significantly different question than how many of us have the traits and tendencies that distinguish us from naturally and spontaneously thinking, feeling, behaving, communicating, and socializing like the vast majority of people do. Many of us, and I am most definitely one of them, can pass for NT for a very long time, i have built up my stamina, insight, and strategies very well. However, people who really know me, eventually start to catch on that there is something different about me. Sadly I did not figure out what was going on until I got into graduate school. Oddly enough, one of the professors who knew me best (we are both psychologists) would probably disagree that I have Asperger's, but that is because I work so hard at "holding it together" around him.

I often think of high-functioning people with ASD's like someone who is from a different culture trying to fit in, they may learn to lose an accent and speak the native language well, they may learn local phrases, idioms, and customs, but if you observe them long enough, they will do subtle things that indicate they are not local. Many of us are similar, we can fake it really well, but that does not change the natural tendencies. I still forget that other people would rather be happy and ignorant than accurate or correct!

I would very much prefer to not talk directly with my coworkers, I would prefer to work entirely by myself in a diagnostic capacity. However, I have to do the things I do not like to do in order to do the things I do want to do... So I work hard.

As I look at childhood videos, I would see myself as a hyper child. As a toddler/preschooler, I was calmer, and more interested in stacking, and putting toys together. I cannot hear the language, as there was no sound on those videos.

As a child of 9-10, the fact that I have no inhibitions is apparent. I hadn't yet learned that my oddities were "wrong" and was showing off for the camera, but in a bossy manner. I was angry at my sister for not doing things correctly, because we had to be a certain way in front of the camera. I was the same when playing. I would pretend, but only a certain way. I was obsessed with wolves, and would let others join me, but only if they used the correct wolf body language. I would have a complete meltdown if they ruined my pack.

I spent most of my time fixing up my pet cemetery in the yard, and studying about being a chiropractor, wolves, and then meteorology. I was 9-12 in that time period.

I see a lot of the same behaviors in my son, who was also diagnosed with Aspergers. People are often confused because he wants to make contact with others, and engage others, but does so inappropriately.

yes when i read head line i was like : lol?