Do you ever question your diagnosis?

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Do you ever question your diagnosis? I read things from other autistic people and think 'but I'm not like that/that doesn't apply to me ,so how can I be autistic? Yet obviously someone thought I was for me to get the diagnosis(social communication = classical autism level, social interaction=Asperger's level).

I don't question mine. It makes sense of a lifetime's frictions. I have no interest in reviewing it or revising it.

But psychology and psychiatry being what they are - ever-changing disciplines - it makes sense to question one's diagnosis if things don't seem to fit, or if treatments aren't working.

I used to always question the possibility that I could be autistic, even though there have been concerns since I was a small child, I was assessed twice (and told it was very likely the second time), and have been told by my brother with Asperger's that he does think I am autistic. I've looked up things about autism since I was 11 (first out of interest and then because I realized I do kind of fit it), but still couldn't decide if I had significant enough sensory and communication issues to have it.

That's actually one of the reasons I signed up here, I figured that if I interacted with more autistic people I'd be able to figure out if I actually related to any of them, and thus could be autistic or not. I obviously came to the conclusion that I most likely am, since I'm still here almost a year later.

I learned a lot more about the different experiences and symptoms involved in being autistic since I've been here, and realized that I have been masking all my life and am a lot more affected by my issues than I thought. I used to think that my ability to mask immediately disqualified me from possibly being autistic, since everyone acted like I was just too good at figuring out how to socialize, but I learned that's a normal coping mechanism and that the masking is actually a huge source of stress for me, and is why I never felt like I could "keep up" with any of the social demands that are on me.

^ I think most of all it's the sensory processing side of things that instils doubt.

From a form I was given re sensory challenges.

Tactile

Disliking certain textures

Vision

Squinting
Poor eye contact
Difficulty with eye-hand coordination
Distracted by bright light
Poor ball skills
Easily overloaded by crowded visual fields

Vestibular/balance

Being clumsy/moving awkwardly
Heavy footed
Rocking

Auditory

Disturbed by repetitive sounds
Speaking with a very loud voice
Process information more easily in one to one situations

Proprioception

Bumping into people and things
Poor handwriting
Accidentally spilling things
Dropping items on floor

Behaviour, learning and social issues

Repetitive behaviours
Standing too close to others
Difficulty joining group activities
Struggling with sequencing activities
Poor organisation
Easily overwhelmed

All those apply to me.

Yes, that was why I stopped attending my local autism group.

Yes I question whether or not I am autistic but the people i relate to most usually have autism.

Whilst they are not always exactly the same as me they have difficulties that I understand and experience myself.

Autism is not personality or a personality disorder, nor is it behavioural to my mind...it is mostly developmental and I am non judgemental about that (hey we all develop differently, why should all humans develop the same? Societal expectation? phfff). I hate the way this society sees autism and personality as the same. Each autistic person, is in that sense, individual but they may have difficulties that are similar.

Maybe I am just weird.

I was more autistic when I was younger though and the tests for an adult are the same as the ones for a child.

If autism is developmental then it makes sense that the tests they have today would not work for an adult if you are diagnosed late. Many are misdiagnosed because autism is misunderstood.

All I know is I am not neurotypical and I don't think or feel the same as they do.

On the other side of the coin, I am not a fan of the field of psychology anymore...their labels separate people, make them feel there is something wrong with them when really there is nothing much wrong with them at all other than being different.

Different is fine by me...

Do NOT use your autism label (and this goes to everyone not just the OP) to think less of yourself. You are fine as you are.

Society, however, is messed up.

In the meantime I seem to have been adopted by a cat whom thinks he lives with me...belongs to the lady over the road but appears to think I am his mummy!

He keeps trying to suckle me...anyone know why cats do that other than just feeling secure around you? Or is that all it is?

I have been adopted and if there are typos in my posts its his fault...adorable as he is.

I am, it seems, a cat magnet and I just had an, err, not so...errr, claw massage

Part of it, for me, is due to how intensely people say they experience things . Very intensely would be an understatement.

I question my diagnosis all the time. I sometimes wonder if I just have ADHD, OCD and anxiety. Those 3 disorders put together can look like ASD but take away all 3 and I'll be NT. That's how I feel about it.

But I was too 'autistic' between the ages of 11 and 15 to not have an ASD. During them ages I lacked self-awareness, had impulsive obsessions, didn't care about my appearance, had very little or no friends, often acted babyish, was a burden on my mum, and basically my 'best friend' was my school teacher's assistant.

I know life is hard for teenagers with ADHD too but people with that have other difficulties that may overlap some of what I mentioned but to a different extent. My difficulties seemed typical for an Aspie teenager.

I know I have a developmental disorder. I know I don't have Asperger's.

Anything more descriptive or precise than that seems to be beyond the current diagnostic framework.

I had.
But that's because my idea of autism of that time, was the severe classic cases with little to no ability of independence.

And at that time, I was around 10.
Gradually I no longer did.


Overtime, I considered it for experimental purposes.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

I somehow manage to be a “textbook example,” while not fitting most of the stereotypes (except being quiet)

Technically I suppose I doubt that I have exactly the right diagnosis, but there’s no question that I’m on the autism spectrum (official diagnosis is Asperger’s syndrome, but by the DSM V, I fall firmly in the class of “ASD level 2,” not level 1. My official diagnosis was probably given because I did not have a speech delay, but there’s no question to me that I’m actually in the middle, not at the “mild/high-functioning” end.).

I don't question mine. I question how I fell through the cracks for so long when I was in blatant need of support. All the anecdotal records of my childhood or from teachers make it quite clear, but no one did anything except send me to speech therapy, or watch me suffer socially and emotionally.

Firemonkey I know it's normal to question, but your diagnosis seems sound based on what I know about your development and your personality. You've found the right fit, in my opinion.