Spokane_Girl wrote:
I was called ret*d most of my life and that word doesn't bother me. Just as long as it is not directed at me.
Nonsense - you're so not ret*d! You write/express really well; I really hope no one would ever call you that. How wrong, and really mean.
OP: About what can be mistaken for Asperger's Syndrome? Well, schizotypal & schizoid are personality disorders which are NOT AS but I can see superficial overlap. Hope the diagnostician is better than that though! Yes, social anxiety, or GAD. But again, NOT AS! Outwardly might look like AS but this is cursory. Some who actually have AS, particularly if not Dxed until later in life, can be mistaken for having multiple personality disorder! This is a NO, but some diagnosticians are lost, lost, lost.....sigh.
Anyone who is fully Neurotypical but just shy/quiet/withdrawn, obsessive, or peculiar in habit can be wrongly mistaken as having AS. BIG difference though and a good diagnostican should be able to see this.
Not sure what you mean by 'social therapists.' What? Who would be trying to 'teach you something?' Confusing.
Safe to just stick to the original diagnostic traits! And find a good psychologist to assess, not an online test or someone's opinion!! !! !
Some on WP are self-diagnosed but they took an objective mental inventory based upon real evidence and their history plus insights from others who are influential to them.
Just rhetorical: Why might you think you have AS?
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The ones who say “You can’t” and “You won’t” are probably the ones scared that you will. - Unknown