Question for people diagnosed as teens or adults

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Read an article in the paper in early '93. Went into denial for nine years, until reading another article on AS. Started getting as much info as possible, and meeting other Aspies. Formally diagnosed a few months thereafter.

double-post...

Last edited by Polgara on 30 Nov 2008, 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I was diagnosed in the mid-nineties, when my son was diagnosed by a school-referred doctor, who also told me, by the way, you have it too! When I looked into it, well, it pretty much explained everything. I was around forty then.

Except for someone who is autistic. Unless we are getting more popular than I imagine, and NTs are running to their shrinks begging to be allowed on the spectrum, I can't think of anyone other than an Aspie/Autie who would venture that kind of guess.

G-d save us from stupid doctors.

And this reminds me: To the person who started the thread...Please, for your own sanity, do not go to anyone other than an AS specialist to discuss AS. If you've researched enough to ask the question, you know more about it than most of them. Far too many of us have come home devastated from conversations with therapists who say stupid things like, "If you had Asperger's, we wouldn't be able to carry on a conversation." I actually had a therapist say this to me five days before I was diagnosed by a specialist. The folks here on WP were nice enough to help me put myself back together again after that little disaster, but I don't recommend the experience.

Well, I saw someone write about it, saw a referred article, and some of the oddest parts of my character seem rather normal for AS.

I could read when I was 2 years old, and I heard about giftedness. I recognized the characteristics of giftedness in myself. Through one site I came on an internet site about asperger's. I searched more information about this sublect; my entire life was explained. I almost went stark raving mad of boredom at school, I was very angry that teachers had the guts to let me come to school to tell me such nonsens, which I mostly knew more about then the teacher! It didn't went well at all, so I went to see a psychologist, who wanted me to go to a psychiatrist, who eventually diagnosed me with what I already knew. That was at the age of 16, about 6 months ago. I'm not having any kind of therapy now. '

This question is answered above. My mother works with ret*d autistic children and has always suspected that I was on the spectrum. However, she never told me. I recognized it from internet. I really suspect a friend of mine having AS. We are best friends for 6 years now, we are both highly intelligent, and (probably) AS, and I think that's one of the main reasons this friendship lasts so long.

You can have AS, I'm female too, so is my friend. Though 75% of autists is male.

I read a thread in a Harry Potter forum couple years ago. It was for parents of children with autism & how their kids interpreted the books, did they understand them, etc. As if autism made you stupid. Anyhoo someone mentioned Aspergers, I didn't know what that was so I googled it. Then I read and took online tests that I came across. Had a headful when I took that information to the doctor that's for sure! I only wish I had the light bulb moment when I was much younger, it would have made childhood so much easier. I was really hard on myself for years all for reasons beyond our control...

I grew up with learning and developmental problems and social akwardness issues, and while they were addressed over and over again in various school councellors offices at every school i went to, I was never "diagnosed with anything, and if it was ever suggested that my parents seek help for my issues, they never would ahve taken that advice due to lack of money and also a strong skepticism of the "mental health" industry..

When I was in high school, I discovered "ADD", and that seemed to cover alot of the issues that I faced. For years after that, I was in ADD forums, but did not actively seek formal diagnosis until I was in my later 20's, due to lack of funds and support network etc..

You'd be suprised at the number of aspie-like people there are hanging out in ADD forums..

Somebody in one of my forums suggested to me that based on the traits that I discribed, I might be on the Autistic Spectrum, which at the time, I was wholly unfamiliar with...but I did the research, and here I am...

I do not have a super-formal diagnosis, but I was fairly recently assessed by an AS expert, who said that, based upon her experience, having given hundreds of assesments, she could tell that I was an aspie, and said that I could treat her opinion as my diagnosis.

Dxed later, but showed early signs.

I even went to one of hte best hospitals in the country and they missed it because they all just kept obsessing about earlier dxes which actually fall under the austim.

Very painful to learn this later. Horribly painful. But I'll get used to it.

How did I find out? I had a physical at my primary care physician's. The nurse practitioner disclosed certain details about my medical history and wrote them on a form.
I saw this form and that's how I found out.

I was diagnosed when i was 145 and i started high school

In primary school I had some good moments but I mainly got bored, sat watching outside and got 10% of what I needed to know in. Consequently my teachers thought I was stupid, They were not surprised if I barely made it. Also I was not big on sprts, specifically rugby and cricket. If you were not involved or wanted to sit out they cheerfully avoided you.

In high school my tutor after I think 2 weeks came to my mom and asked what is wrong with your son? At that stage I have been to a dozen therepists and no-one made the diagnosis. We finally got to one doctor and she immediatly diagnosed me. I was like ok so i have somethinmg called AS, ignored it till reacently and started reading up on it.

Diagnosed at age 32.

I was 13? (I think it was Grade 8 - in 1978) when I saw a film in school on LFA in an institution, and the moment I saw them I knew I was like them. I just had to wait a couple of decades before a nice girl like me could get a diagnosis, though.

in 2003-4 I went for testing at a mental health center. At the end of the testing the answer was "it might be Aspegers". I ignored it because my dad told me Aspergers was a type of autism (I didn't know much autism. I had stereotypes in my head.).
In 2006 I got curious about it again (I can't remember why). I searched for Aspergers on Google. The first link was for Wikipedia. I read the discription, but wasn't sure if I had it. The second link was for Aspergia. Aspergia had a link to Aspie for Freedom. I started to explore the forum. I found I had things in common with the people there.
I set out to get a diagnoss. Finally in January 2008 I got it!

Last edited by Sarafina7 on 01 Dec 2008, 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I thought I had some autistic traits in my thirties but I didn't fit the stereotypical autistic child thing so I dismissed the idea.

Later, someone with Asperger Syndrome told me he thought I had it too. I was very fed up about it and went off to prove I didn't and thats when the nightmare started.

I am in a better place now though and have made significant progress in overcoming a few of the more troublesome traits. They are still there, I just manage them better

I was diagnosed and my mother really didnt tell me, I think I found out whene I was 15, and was diagnosed when 14. She first just said I had autism then spicifically asperger. Somtimes I wonder if my starting not to talk to people in scool at highschool exept techers made it that more odviose to find me.

I find that it is refreashing that there is somepeople in this world that say things that I understand, and that seem to see my slant. Maby reading more from you guys will get me off the paranioa trip with how the world's injustices are growing against the non white picket fence go to church on sunday, and homosexuality and any other non normal behavior, system that seems to be today. If there are enough of US there is less of THEM to worrry about if we are together.

we can talk and those who have tripped and fallen can catch the rest of us by telling us the score. The best way to tell some one is possibly autistic whene they are younger is that they are different, mostly. I dont really take offence to being different but I do to a system that assumes that social behavior alone is somthing that can have laws defineing how you SHOULD behave, and that people are damaged if they do not behave within those bounds. like the propriater of this fine web site sees is the injustices of how our community is treated in opinion and misconseption that is negative by the media and other organizations representing us as lesser than normal people even if we are not normal.

i discovered my AS because my nephew was dxed with autism. i began researching ASd to be supportive of my sister and nephew and before long i had read everything available in austrlalia - chewing through books.. umm...i then realised this had become yet another one of my obsessive special interests. "special interests?" i asked myself. hmmm. i then spoke with my family about my oddness throughout my life and some of them confirmed how strange i was. (in a loving and good way.)
and then i got dxed and the rest is history.

ANd as the dx is absorbed into my psyche, i find i can use it to my advantage in terms of self-knowledge or choose to obsess on it perpetually. I decline the latter option and try to adhere to the former.
for me, it is not an excuse, but an explanation.