Narrowing It Down

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So I think I have AS.

My voice is fairly monotonous. I am a low-talker and frequently pause, like William Shatner. I tend to use large words, always have, and archaicisms not commonly seen even in legal writing. I have difficulty knowing when to terminate conversations. Frequently I just walk out in RL, or don't know when to stop (on the phone). It's very often one-sided.

I suffer from anxiety attacks. I was diagnosed with ADHD, but on symptoms that, in retrospect, are appropriate to an anxiety disorder. That is, the lack of focus is primarily due to anxiety and becoming overwhelmed with stimuli. One of the crucial instances from my childhood was in first grade. The teacher began reading out the assignment slowly, "first, complete page 20. <pause> Then page 21 through 23. <pause>..." etc. It was slow enough that I could almost keep up, but then I was overwhelmed six or seven pages into the instructions. I was very anxious and almost crying. I got in trouble for working while she was telling us what to do later.

I am clumsy. My motor skills are generally poor. My handwriting is atrocious. I can't draw, except for some mechanical items. I'm not good at sports, the sole exception ever having been karate when I was a kid. And I wasn't that good at it.

I have problems meeting other people's gaze. I've worked on it a lot over the years and can do it now, but it's not natural. Body language is very difficult, to both understand and to control (on my part). I have difficulty identifying my own emotional state. Lately, I have gotten to the point where I can feel that I am experiencing an emotion, albeit I may not know precisely what it is. I have trouble connecting with people in RL, but not over the phone or online. The limited bandwidth of the phone allows me to use my voice to better effect without worrying about appearances and body language.

My range of interests is very broad, but typically confined to one intense interest at a time. Right now it is my career in tax law. I have a semi-photographic memory, so it isn't that hard.

I don't have any close friends, not since my ex-wife left me. My closest friend isn't very close. My next closest friend is the woman I'm interested in.

I have read all of the comorbid conditions on wikipedia. And their comorbid or frequently confused conditions. AS fits, but I am not sure.

Finally, anyone know a good doctor in the Dallas, Texas area for diagnosing AS?

I can't help with the good doctor question, but it sounds like you are taking good steps seeking a diagnosis.

Good luck!

Hmm, you do have some problems there that could use working on. It's no wonder you were diagnosed ADHD, with the difficulty following instructions. That's quite common among both ADHD and autistic groups, and boy does it get frustrating! Listening to instructions is difficult for me, too. Written directions--no problem. But try to memorize directions while I'm listening, and I'm lost.

I don't know if you need a diagnosis outright, but it looks like some of this stuff is on the list of problems that autistic people deal with regularly. Whether that means you're on the spectrum or near it or you've got some other related thing, chances are you can learn from the people who've solved those same problems. That's what makes forums like this one so valuable to me.