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Hello,

I read up on Aspergers a bit because a teen girl I know may have it and I wanted to know more.

The more I read the more I thought "This sounds like me" especially taken into account that I have had "panic attacks" (not typical panic attacks I might add) because places were too crowded, two noisy and really bothered me. Places like Grocery stores, other stores and bars upset me.

I looked on some sites for information and was annoyed to read the following on a bit about a test about Aspergers. I know nobody should diagnoise themselves from an online test but still! :"The test is not a means for making a diagnosis, however, and many who score above 32 and even meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's report no difficulty functioning in their everyday lives. "

So...the fact that I have no trouble functioning (other then crowded shops) and have learned to cope and deal with other people and live a fairly typical life so far means I don't have it?

That doesn't make sense to me. There are people who are diagnoised with adult ADD and it turns out they've had it their whole life and still lead a functioning life. It seems to me if you have something but nobody realizes it you might just be able to learn how to deal with it on your own.

Never mind I hardly have any friends and I don't have a single friend my age, the fact that I get upset when I can't stick to my routines, the fact that I'm considered brash, tactless, and eccentric by everyone who knows me...the fact that I get so scared of social situations I nearly vomit...ignore the fact that I don't have any other disorder that we know off no...I must be normal because I cope well.

*annoyed*

Okay...sorry, rant over.



That quote just upset me....um..so yes...I'm new...er....hi.

Hello and welcome!

Yeah, that kind of thing bugs me too - they should say that it shouldn't be used as a diagnostic tool, but that it's generally quite / fairly / however accurate. And it annoys me the attitude some people have, for most conditions it's 'if you had it surely it would have been picked up upon sooner?' Funny that, you get adults dx'd with things ...

Anyway, hi

I think it's because so few mental health professionals know anything about aspergers. And because the traits are much easier to recognise in a young child that hasn't learnt to mask the behaviour.

Unfortunately it seems that most of the "professionals" can't tell the difference between "neurotypical normal behaviour" and aspie "masking behaviour".

Like ADD, a lot of adults find out they have it when they find out their kid has it.

Historically, it was perfectly ok to exploit kids and make their lives miserable, so not fitting in at school was no big deal. Now things are different. Parents don't want their kid to be as miserable at school as they were - and try to do something about it.

There never used to be EEO laws, or Anti discrimination (including disability etc) or anti bullying laws. It used to be tough luck and if you don't like it then you could start your own company or school or club or whatever.

hiya i know that test, i hate it too, but for the opposite reason. i cope very badly even when places aren't too crowded, can't deal with people much at all, and function prety badly in everyday life. yet i only score about 15 when i take that test, so therefore i must be normal!! !! i just don't think that test is very good.

would you say that, even though you are successful at coping socially and dealing with other people, you are having to put much much more energy into it than the normal people around you are? if so i'd say that's AS.

Welcome to our little hole.

hi beth, i'm kim. do you have trouble with one on one social situations or just crowds?

Well I'm terrified of meeting new people, don't have many friends and the friends I do have are all older then me. I don't "fit in" anywhere.

I strike people as scary and odd, don't know when to stop talking about a certain topic, talk too much about myself, talk too much in general. Am too loud, to brash, too tactless.

Make some people uncomfortable.

Personally I feel uncomfortable and unhappy in social situations 90% of the time and would perfer to stay at home then go out around people (excluding my husband...I can get on with him...most of the time)

I don't have a problem making eye contact but I realized that's because I get upset when I don't have eye contact because I study people's faces for clues about what they mean and what they're talking about.

I also see patterns everywhere and have gotten in trouble for "daydreaming" because I've been study patterns in carpet or walls or ceilings.

I don't mind social situations TOO much if it's a small group...like 2 or 3 people. On occasion I can even cope with more then that if there is a large area so I can get away if I need to.

I remember that I used to get in trouble with school people and my parents because I would grow my hair and huddle in such a way that my face was hidden behind my hair and I wouldn't interact with people very much, I didn't have any friends at school, which I was fine about but I also would stay at home on weekends. Both the school and my parents told me I was wrong and forced me to socialize....which is why I can cope. I had to learn how to stop dissolving into tears in a moment...besides which the group I eventually got involved with was full of people who didn't mind that I was odd. So I didn't mind them as much. Still I didn't manage to make any friends of my own until I was nearly 20.

I like people who rant, makes me feel i am not the only one.
Welcome....!