Are you only Aspie if a doctor said so?

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Some doctors absolutely suck and don't know what the f**k they're doing, but they'll never say "I absolutely suck and don't know what the f**k I'm doing". Yes, you can have Asperger's syndrome without a doctor saying so, or even if you see a sh***y doctor who tells you that you don't. If you meet the criteria you meet the criteria.

I think many will be skeptical even if an official diagnosis is given. It seems like people have either been introduced to Asperger's and Autism in a way which is conducive to them accepting it as "real," or they've been fed stereotypes by watching "Rainman" and see it as extreme, fictional, and/or somehow mystical. This is all interesting to me given that conditions like OCD, Tourette's, bi-polar, and so forth, are all more widely accepted. I do think it's possible for people to think they're on the spectrum when really they're not. Of course, it's also possible that the doctor might have a motive not to diagnose it if it's not severe. In other words, where the spectrum begins for one person is not the same for another. The only psychological conditions I've ever been able to relate to are depression, some mild bi-polarity or Cyclothymia, and Asperger's. The only one which was confirmed by a psychologist was a clinical depression when I was younger, and I've yet to ask an opinion about Asperger's from a real doctor.

As has been pointed out to me several times (on this forum, by my therapist, elsewhere), AS is a collection of symptoms that when they coexist in sufficient density, can be clinically labeled AS.

The symptoms themselves are lifelong. They may intensify or weaken over time (and some may intensify while others get weaker), but they're present. A diagnosis does not bring these symptoms into being. My life experiences do not magically become autistic when a psychiatrist diagnoses me with AS. They remain the same and at best, I have one more interpretation of what they mean.

I don't really need the diagnosis to say this - I am autistic. While it will be good to have it confirmed (and already my therapist has unofficially confirmed it) I have probably at this point done significantly more research into my own history than a psychologist will. Not to say a psychologist won't necessarily do a thorough job (although I believe that from anecdotes on this forum, many do not in fact do this) but that I know myself better than anyone.

If I am diagnosed tomorrow, I am still the same as I am today. If I am not diagnosed tomorrow, I am still the same as I am today. I do not see why some place such immense value on the official DX when it is obvious that the diagnosis itself is not a definition, simply a description with some legal and bureaucratic backing.

I agree with Verandi's comment above.

Privately I think it's a slam dunk. I have 40 years of symptoms to review and they are not minor. The specificity is very strange to me. The idea that an 11 or 17 year old's official dx (based on their limited accumulation of experience and history) means more than my 40 years of experience with these symptoms just doesnt hold any water with me.

But I try to remember to say that I'm undiagnosed online. I would in real life as well but I don't plan to discuss it. I think the distinction is important for accuracy's sake but I don't really believe it changes anything.

when i was a kid no autism diagnosis could be made if someone used verbal language.doctors views on things change.if you identify with autistic culture you probably have some type of autism.no nuerotypical would have interest in the things we do.

When I was a child, autism meant severe classic autism. A hyperlexic child like me could not be autistic, was, in fact, considered the exact opposite of autistic. There was no chance that I could have been diagnosed as a child. Now, I find that it is still difficult for an adult with mild ASD to be diagnosed.

I do not understand why it is such a big deal. I am not requesting any special aid. I already get psychological help for my other disorders, so it will not require more resources. I am perfectly happy if a diagnosis as an adult with fairly mild AS brings no special benefits. I just want to understand the way that I am.

All that I can say, is that I have no friends. When I was growing up, people took an instant dislike of me for no apparent reason. My life is made up of a constant string of obsessions, sometimes pleasant, often inconvenient. I have difficulty conversing with people. I simply do not fit into this world. Understanding that I am neurologically different from most people helps me understand why this is, and helps me to accept myself as I am.

Frankly, from what I can see, getting a formal diagnosis is as much a matter of luck as it is anything else. Unless you are severely disabled, you are not going to get diagnosed unless you run into just the right psychiatrist / psychologist. The standards are not uniform. The diagnosis relies a lot on showing visible traits, which some will miss.

Every test that I have taken has put me into the definitely autistic category. I easily satisfy the requirements of the DSM-IV. That must say something.

There was no Asperger's for most of my life. I was just a somewhat withdrawn disappointing child with few friends. I sucked my bottom lip, and "thumped" on fabrics with my forefinger. I read encyclopedias and Bookhouse Books and studied the photos and drawings in books for hours on end. No one ever touched me except my relatives from Chicago, who would visit every couple of years... well until the big blow-up during the polio scare back in '52, when they wouldn't open their doors to us. After that I never saw them again.

Anyway... in 2007 after a bout with the big C and then shingles, I had an anxiety attack sitting alone here, where I am sitting now alone. I figured it must be PTSD and Googled and started reading in the DSM. I took some online psych tests, and kept reading articles. Eventually I took some Aspie tests and scored well in the range for Asperger's, and I "am likely an Aspie."

Later I saw WrongPlanet mentioned in an article and started reading here. Reading here has convinced me even more that I am "likely and Aspie."

But trust me... most psychiatrists and psychologists are drug and woo dealers. Their goal in life is keep you coming back for more of whatever it is that they dispense. You are a thing to them, a project that costs you money, drug experiments, and vast amounts of time and worry.

It's quite possible for a doctor to say you are autistic and be wrong about it. And it's possible for a doctor to say you are not autistic, and be wrong about that.

A trained autism specialist, especially one who has studied autism in teens and adults, has the best chance of getting it right; but even these are fallible.

Unfortunately, psychological diagnosis is still an uncertain science--in many cases, still more of an art than a science--and there are always what-ifs and unknowns.

The best you can do is just ask yourself, "What are my skills? What do I need help with? Whatever diagnosis I have, does it let me get those things?" If so, then it serves its purpose.

You're autistic if you are impaired enough by your symptoms. If you are impaired enough either you or a parent would try to find out just what is so wrong you and you will eventually be diagnosed.

I think the self diagnosed thing is about people finally finding out why they were so different and communicating with others that are like them so they know that they are not alone in their struggles.

Also people have said I had depression, anxiety, OCD, Schizoid personality and I've had misdiagnoses of depression so even a doctor can get it wrong.

Also, I'm diagnosed with autism. Twice.

I'm 27 and I just never went to see a psy for all my life... BUT I had big trouble at school, in my familly, with my friends, in many other part of my life. I just always wanted to do everything by myself, and always thought that psy where there to give you the information you need to get a diagnosis, just like a dictionnary.

But now I'm having terrible difficulties in university. It's not that I don't understand, far from that, I just don't have any motivation at all. So I've search the web for trouble I might have and finally found that the Asperger Syndrom would describe my life entirely. My last 4month obsession was about this, getting information on ADHD/ADD/Asperger... I even had to cancel 4 classes because of this "quest".

Self-diagnosis helped me a lot in my path to get better and for the first time of my life I asked help. I will see a neurologist in 1 week that is paid by my school. I've already talked to him for 5min and he said it was possible I have mild asperger because I can show emotion. If asperger level is based on impairement in everyday life, my level is FAR from mild... Anyway, I'd say that self-diagnosis is only a path to get to a real diagnosis.

I don't think I'll be Asperger next week, I'm 99.9% sure I am Asperger right now. The neurologist will bring the 0.1% missing!!

there comes a time in your life(or at least mine) where you hear the phrases "It's like your from a different planet", "Your so weird", "your one of a kind", "Your one in a million", "you aren't like anyone I've ever met before" so many times that it kinda hits your like a ton of bricks that these people aren't just trying to be nice to you. They are in fact seeing and noticing something that you yourself noticed but can't describe... They and I realize there is a fundamental difference between the way I think and view the world in general to what is considered "normal". There is something just slightly off about me when your in a conversation with me, with the way I perceive "right and wrong" and how I go about expressing myself in general. I didn't know what it was called until my psych teacher suggest I take the AQ and the aspie quiz after I finished my like 5th MBTI as an INTP. She works with autistic teens and children and I guess noticed some of my traits during class.

To be honest I doubt many people would even guess I have AS unless they take the time to know me and see me in multiple social situations. I've taught myself to key eye contact with people(I gaze through them sometimes but I'm getting better with that), I've taught myself to gauge interest in whatever I'm talking about and stop if I need to, I still don't understand the whole feelings thing but hey you can't win them all right. The point is you can learn to hide some of the downfalls, learn to overcome some of the obstacles and while it is nice to finally have a label for what it is, it always has and will continue to be there...

I'm not diagnosed but through my research for my daughter, I pretty much figured it out. I'll remain undiagnosed because I have no health insurance and lack the $3000 to get one. I'm not looking for medication. I've been the way I am for over 40 years - I'm used to it and have learned how to get along on my own. Knowing I'm not alone has made a huge difference. Knowing other people think like me, act like me, react like me has made me feel less like a freak. I don't need a diagnosis for that. It's answered my life long questions as to 'WHY?'

You're a diagnosed aspie if a doctor/professional says so, it doesn't change your brain wiring. If you go to the doctor and find out you have cancer, it doesn't mean you got it when you got there.

Because, doctors know everything and are always right yes? Doctors are not infallible. That kind of attitude only fosters an "in crowd" mentality. I don't want to be diagnosed or to be labelled. Saying that, the people here and their posts have explained a lot about my life and who I am. *Proudly wearing the Aspie T-shirt, I don't need the badge*