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LilithS
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17 Mar 2013, 7:18 am

Hi, I've recently been trying to get a diagnoses (I live in Ohio) but I am still under my mother's insurance, I am 19. I keep dropping hints to her about my AS and she keeps insisting that I am like normal people, she refuses to believe anything else. Is there anyway I could get a diagnoses without the insurance and relatively cheap, I don't make much money. I just don't like the idea that her stubbornness is the only thing from me getting a diagnoses.



kate123A
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17 Mar 2013, 9:32 am

research studies make a good cheap way to get a diagnosis.



CuriousKitten
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17 Mar 2013, 12:05 pm

The apple seldom falls all that far from the tree. Many of us old folk were diagnosed, be it self-diagnosed or officially, in the wake of one of the younger generation being diagnosed. If you are on the spectrum, the odds are that one or both of your parents also have traits. If so, your mom doesn't see you as different from them (because you aren't), and is also fighting facing the truth about her and/or your dad.

I thought my best friend's daughter was the cutest, smartest, funniest youngster on the planet (still do), and it didn't occur to me that anything was actually "wrong" with her until she was diagnosed HFA. She is now in her early 20's and still following my and her mother's developmental footsteps almost exactly.


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LilithS
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17 Mar 2013, 5:05 pm

Hmmmm, I wouldn't be surprised if she had it, so that could be it. She seems to have couple traits, but I couldn't say so for sure, since we don't have conversations very much, and there's no way my father could have it.



MaKin
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17 Mar 2013, 5:56 pm

if you are in high-school or college, you could begin by speaking with someone in student services and express your interest in seeking an assessment.
i don't know if your family lets you make appointments with your family doctor without their prior consent, being that you're on their insurance, but if so, go to your family doctor and ask for a referral to a psychologist. if they don't give you a referral to a psychologist, you can find a local psychiatrist and ask them for a referral.

i often see posts where people express how they feel a need to present their case or convince their medical service provider or mental health practitioner why they think they've got asperger's. in my opinion, if you've got it, they'll be able to diagnose you without any prior information.

of course, they'll ask you why you feel a need to seek a diagnosis, maybe ask some simple questions about symptoms or personality traits, but that's protocol they need to do in order to make a referral to a psychologist.



LilithS
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18 Mar 2013, 7:21 am

Okay, thank you for the advice, I will check with student services at my college and see if I'm able to do anything about it.



LilithS
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18 Mar 2013, 9:50 pm

I was finally able to tell my mother and unexpectedly she was actually relieved. Although she didn't believe me at first than I showed her all the facts, and I am going to be calling this week to set up an appointment. :D



MaKin
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18 Mar 2013, 11:01 pm

i'm really glad for you! evidently, your mother understands your concerns, to some degree. that is a good thing. while you're waiting for your appointments, you may want to read a few books about asperger's and girls/women. i'll recommend pretty much anything by Tony Atwood. currently, i'm reading '22 thinks a woman with asperger's wants her partner to know'. it's a good read, and is not only illuminating for me in validating my "aspieness", but it is geared for loved ones and people in close relation to learn how we experience the world. it's a light read, and is informative while personable enough for anyone to relate to.

please post updates on your experience.

oh, and i discovered that many colleges will make accommodations based on your needs, with or without a confirming diagnosis. i learned this within the past couple of weeks, indirectly, when asking the local college about other matters with regards to my son.



LilithS
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19 Mar 2013, 7:49 am

I'll keep posting update and I actually am reading something by Tony Atwood, his 'Complete Guide to Asperger's.' And I'm so happy I can finally get this diagnoses. My whole life I've been the odd one out in virtually everything, even my family, and I'm just really happy that my mother is being supportive about this. We're calling later about getting an appointment somewhere.



LilithS
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28 Mar 2013, 9:14 am

Update: I called and will be going to counseling, hopefully soon, but my mother seems to be denying the idea of me having AS, saying that it's almost like I don't have it, but is completely false and she knows it. I can't even go anywhere without someone being with me and can't stay in a crowded area for too long without freaking out and locking up. I didn't even have my first friend until 8th grade because I was made fun of so much for being different and I didn't know the first thing about talking to people.



bizboy1
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28 Mar 2013, 9:54 am

Go to a psych ward. That's how I got my diagnosis. Fake it until you make it.


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MaKin
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28 Mar 2013, 10:08 am

I'd go along with counseling, (not go to a psych ward!), because not only is counseling cathartic and can help you realize more about yourself, but in the course of it, the therapist will be able to see if you are indeed on the spectrum and if an official, more thorough assessment is in order. Maybe it would help you to disregard all opinions preconceptions of yourself and others, and learn to live within the limits of your symptomology. After all, that is the ultimate goal, right? ...but in the course of counseling, hopefully they'll help find why you have symptoms at all. If they're due to being on the spectrum, so be it. If not, at least you're learning to cope with them. What's most important is that you learn coping skills, so that you can live more comfortably in the world you are surrounded by.



LilithS
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28 Mar 2013, 10:27 am

Of course I'm going along with counseling, and I'm looking forward to getting help and being able to handle social situations easier, and hopefully they can direct me to any groups that may be nearby so I can meet more people like me. My boyfriend is also helping me, helping me understand a few social rules and how to become friends with other people.



LilithS
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03 Apr 2013, 10:43 am

Update: I finally got a counseling appointment at the end of the month, so it's a start :D



briankelley
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03 Apr 2013, 10:56 am

When I was around 7 years old and not fitting in at all with classmates socially or academically, I was taken to various places and given all these tests. Aptitude tests. Psychology tests. Had my head x-rayed. Had my brainwaves read etc.
Then I was placed in special classes and schools with kids who were on the autistic spectrum. And had followup evaluations throughout my childhood. No one ever sat me down and explained all of it to me. Never said "Brain, you are autistic" or anything along those lines. I heard bits and snippets about problems with socializing, perceptual problems, motor dysfunction, learning disabilities.
Around the age of 45 after learning about Aspergers, I partitioned the county I grew up in to supply me with my childhood records.



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03 Apr 2013, 11:15 am

LilithS wrote:
Hmmmm, I wouldn't be surprised if she had it, so that could be it. She seems to have couple traits, but I couldn't say so for sure, since we don't have conversations very much, and there's no way my father could have it.

Since you've decided you are an expert diagnostician who is able to diagnose others so easily, why do you need a diagnosis?