My son's neuropsych asked me today...

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...whether I'd be interested in pursuing a DX of AS. Now here's something weird: I have always known there was something "wrong with" me, and my two younger sons have ASD, but I never considered AS specifically. Not for myself. I considered it for my eldest son (who is unDXd).

I even considered the spectrum in general for myself, but never AS specifically.

So I was at the neuropsych today to arrange testing for my son, who is having behaviors. (He was DXd with Kanner Autism at the age of almost four.) And the psych was asking me all sorts of questions about my own childhood...autism probably having a genetic element and all that.

I answered all his questions and that's when he asked me if I wanted to pursue the DX.

I was kind of blown away and still am. Could this be it? I wonder if I should go for a diagnosis. He could be wrong, after all. However, he seemed pretty certain. I don't really want to go into my behaviors. Extreme isolation as a child, teaching myself how to act socially, clumsy as hell, weird with social cues, a bunch of other stuff...you all know the drill, I'm sure.

I guess I just wanted to share and see if anyone had any input. I'm not sure how a DX could help me right now; I am a parent, a wife, I work from home (I'm a writer), I handle everything. I "cover" my weirdness well when with others, or I think I do. Really well, as a matter of fact. So I'm not sure how a DX could help, but I'd love someone's input on this.

Thanks for listening.

It's not always a matter of 'how will it help practically', sometimes it's whether or not it'll help you understand yourself better as a person, and your past experiences. If you feel you want that, and the expense is justified in your mind, go for it.

If you find that the certainty of a professional is enough to gain that, then awesome. Whatever works best for you.

FalsettoTesla, your username made me laugh. :p I shall think this over. It's still kind of a shock...in a way. Hard to explain. Thank you so much for your input.

Hi EWCG.

Like yourself, I scrape a living writing from home. Over the years I've managed to 'get by' socially to varying degrees, though most acquaintances would probably tell you I'm eccentric or weird. Mostly I preferred my own company though.

When it was first suggested to me that I might have AS I wasn't even aware of the condition, and promptly dismissed the suggestion. It was only after someone else (whose opinion had more weight with me) brought it up that I decided to do some research. Much surfing and reading later, it came as no surprise when my doctor sent me for diagnosis with no resistance to the idea.

Being diagnosed with AS hasn't changed my life dramatically, but it has changed the way I view and understand myself. Knowledge is power, and accepting the truth about yourself can be particularly empowering.

Also worth considering: after consultation with my psychologist, I agreed to a prescription of Fluoxetine, which lowered my anxiety levels massively; since then I sleep up to 7 hours a night. Prior to starting the process I had severe problems sleeping at all.

Whether you choose to get a diagnosis or not, I'm sure you're already researching the heck out of AS - just as I did. Use the information you glean and apply it to yourself practically. You might find you don't need the diagnosis at all, and especially not if you have your life together, as it seems you do.

Hi,

yeah, well. Im with my spectrum stuff pretty at the boundary. Like weird as you said. ASD has of course its criteria.
But it doesnt really mean that AS is without troubles.

Now, I dont know do I actually qualify for the disorder or not. But the last year my life has been quite much upside down.
And I really do think that it can happen that youd need some kind of AS(D) related support, so I wouldnt really rule it out, if I were you.
You never know how times can be. And if you slide into something really troublesome like anxiety issues, depression or other stuff,
then I think its positive to have some diagnosis.

OK now I realised that I use AS as a short for autism spectrum and ASD for a short for autism spectrum disorder, which is maybe not that common. But I really prefer to see it as spectrum and not as asperger or not asperger, because that doesnt really exist, it is an artificial boundary set somewhere, right?

If youd have a diagnosis, then it is at least clear that you are on spectrum. People would not doubt it and reject you a special treatment that you might be able to get with ASD diagnosis. People think you're either aspie or not. At least the risk that people dont know about spectrum is very high

I dont see anything negative connected to it. Even if you are actually not fullfilling the criteria for ASD it can be anyway nice to have that diagnosis.

And, what made me think a little was that text in the new DSM-5 that you can have a disorder without the need for treatment.
And I think that quite many non asperger people on spectrum still have troubles. Which should be clinically relevant in that sense that they lower your life quality.
Now, you wouldnt maybe need a treatment, but it can happen that you could need some whatever kind of support by specialists

And nothing is worse than feeling you belong emotionally to the spectrum (for me quite strongly) but you your symptoms are not enough to suffice the diagnosis criteria.
And everybody keeps just saying, you dont have it. Well you dont have according to the criteria. Butbut, you're still maybe quite aspieish. And such just hurts when you know you somehow belong there but they dont recognise you as this at all.

So, if you can get it for free and if it is even offered to you, god-damn take it! Its just a paper, but a paper that can be very worth it in future.

Thanks, guys! It actually wouldn't be free and that's kind of what I'm balking at.

Yes selling you some ASD. Great.

If you're suspected for it you should get it for free
and if you dont have it it shouldnt be sold to you...

idiots. Or well maybe not. Just stupid situation

Oh, I never even thought of this. I suppose it's possible. ETA: He didn't offer his own services nor name a price. I just happen to know a couple of people who sought a DX in my area (SoCal) for whom it was something like $800 per evaluation, and insurance did not cover it.

Insurance does cover my son's therapies so far.

Doctor: "let's see here- You have a job, you have a family, you live a pretty normal life.... would you like a DX of AS? We have a package deal right now - order your asperger's diagnosis before the DSM 5 comes out and you'll get your 1st order of zoloft for 50% off. If you're not ready for a DX you should consider a gift certificate for a friend or loved one; makes a fine stocking stuffer that they're sure to talk about for years to come. No? Would you like to pre order your autism DX for the DSM 5 launch? You can pre-order the collectors edition DX that comes with action figures of your favorite shrinks and an exclusive mount."

Look, I really just want to know. I always have wanted to know. (Know what's wrong with me, I mean.) So this was kind of an eye-opener for me. Okay? No need to get mean about it. I'm not completely stupid and the idea of me having AS is definitely not completely stupid, particularly with my family DXs of ASD all around.

And by the way, I already take Fluoxetine and have for many years. I have chronic depression. He doesn't stand to gain anything by prescribing for me. I'm already prescribed for.

I began to get true depression symptoms at age 12 and was first prescribed when I was in my 20s. I am 45 now. That's not great surprise nor revelation.

A lot of adults are identified and diagnosed for the first time when their children are diagnosed - if you have the resources, I think it's a good idea to pursue. I received my diagnosis relatively recently and I am middle aged. This was important to me and to other family members. One way to look at it, is when it is done it is done as far as the output for an assessment. You will have a lot of valuable insight for your children - you are in this together. I see positives - but maybe you want to write out a pros and cons list. Who knows, I don't know what you write - but maybe you will find this an experience that you can use to help others. Just a thought.

Best wishes, LM

I think he's probably getting sarcastic about the doctor and not about you EastWestCoastGirl,
though this gives me also a taste of this "why would you need a diagnosis" you're so much better off than me?
of course why not, there is nothing better to have a paper on which reads in NT language:

"I am the best salesman in the world",

even if you're not a paper will make you one. And those that dont have the correct papers are nothing,
experience doesnt count.(European version, american i think is different)

EDIT: Sorry now I also glitched into it, being sarcastic


Well, to understand yourself just stay and look around if you find that what you need to develop yourself.
Hard work. But many ideas and insights youll get here.

Diagnosis doesnt really help on that? It just makes it clear. Oh and aspies can be quite different from one to one (I think). So not everything is useful for yourself

Last edited by onks on 20 Nov 2012, 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I wasn't trying to be mean, sorry you took it that way. Just seems odd to me that he would ask if you want a DX when there is no upside but plenty of downside. "So I'm not sure how a DX could help". You already know a neuropshychologist, "seemed pretty certain". You don't need to drop $800 to make it permanent on your medical record. Did I misunderstand? I thought you said you went in to test your son and the doctor asked do you wanted a DX for yourself? Is this correct?

***EDIT also*** I was trying to help, not be mean, story of my life . Guess I went about my post the wrong way.

I went into the psych for some behaviors my son is having that are driving him crazy. He has long been DXd autistic. He's nine. He first started receiving services at age two and was officially DXd autistic at age four.

I have been on antidepressants for a very long time and do not need this psych to prescribe them for me. I don't think he can anyway as he isn't a medical doctor. He's a psychologist.

He was taking a full family background and asked me various questions, that's how all the stuff on "me" came out. Obviously, there is a genetic component. No, I do not want a piece of paper with a DX on it and no, I don't need services. I manage just fine through years of continuous work on how to live in the "normal world." It's an ongoing process. I don't "want" a DX, it's not like I went out that morning and said "Oh how I wish somebody would just slap an autistic label on me already, that would just make my day." It just came up in the course of the assessment.

He wasn't leaning forward in a lather of excitement pointing to me and going, "You MUST have a DX too, let's root it out so I can make loads of money off it somehow!"

I don't know whether this clears things up or not but it's all I'm willing to say right now. M revelation came not from some sense of wanting a piece of paper but from wishing all these years that there was a reason for how I am. It's a horrible, horrible, horrible way to live. "You're just crazy and effed up socially." Thank you very much and have a nice day...you know? I've been pushed around enough for being different, I didn't expect to see hostility on a site for people who themselves don't fit in. And yeah, that's how it felt: like my ideas on possibly having AS are just a joke and I'm incredibly stupid and believing a snake oil salesman. I am not a stupid person. In fact, I'm pretty bright.

From what I've discovered, as an adult, there is nothing a diagnosis does at all. I cannot get any supports because I don't qualify for medicaid (US) to pay for them. I'm the same as I was before DX now I just have a label for it and I'm slowly but surely working out how to overcome, I mean, accept... ergh, get BY with my limitations.

Thanks for asking this, EWCG.