If you are self diagnosed/found out on your own how did you?

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Kids believe things that aren't true because they don't have enough experience to determine what is true and what isn't. I made lots of social mistakes when I was a kid and I believed that I might go to jail when I got older because I wouldn't know all the rules and I might accidentally do illegal things without knowing any better. Seems silly to me now.

My mom told me about it.

Then I started researching it on the internet. It seemed to be the only explanation for my weirdness.

I always knew that I was different, however, I had never considered that there was an actual explanation for how I was, until a co-worker first suggested Asperger's several years ago. She was talking to me, and she stopped mid-sentence to ask if something was wrong with her hair. I had no idea what she was talking about or why she had asked, but when I inquired what she meant, she indicated that it appeared I had been staring at her hairline during the entire conversation. When asked, other co-workers agreed that I avoided eye contact during conversation; something I'd never consciously been aware of.

I never took her suggestion seriously, though, until a couple of years later when I was trying to find information online about hypersensitivity and overreaction to emotional stimuli. I stumbled across some articles on AS, and things just clicked.

I immediately bought several books on AS, and realized that much of what they said explained my differences.

I wasn't self diagnosed as I didn't have any understanding of what it was. I have had several counselors, psychologists, psychoanalysts, I was first diagnosed with 7 years ago by a couple of psychologists and I was later diagnosed at the largest mental health training institution in the UK.

Anyone can read about a misconception or form of Autism and decide that they want to fit the criteria, I had no idea what it was when I was diagnosed, however it's important that we realize some people will take a test and blatantly put answers that suit their identity at that time. The more information they acquire on it, the more they can fit their identity to be in correlation with the disorder, that's why it is important that people get a professional diagnosis, making presumptions and speculating isn't wrong but getting a professional diagnosis is the most important thing you can do, sometimes people can be misdiagnose themselves.

I didn't figure it out until our son grew older (about age 7) and started showing symptoms consistent with Aspergers. Then I realized how many symptoms I shared with him- it really stated making sense to me.

Sometimes professionals can misdiagnose as well, also not everyone can afford to get a professional diagnoses......Also, I did not self diagnose myself with AS because I 'want' to fit the criteria it was more like I've had some issues ever since I can remember with social interaction, I've always had sensory issues like normal light being too bright and things like that. The eye contact thing was kind of a give away ect. So basically the symptoms seemed to somewhat explain a lot of difficulties I had more so then any other disorder that exists from birth so that is how I came to the conclusion.

And why exactly is getting a professional diagnoses the most important thing one can do? all it would do for me is allow me to get on disability if even that(though I also have anxiety, PTSD and Depression) other then that it would not make much difference.

Similar...I've always felt alien, but not that weird outward, still people have told me that I was weird as far back as I can remember, usually other girls. I've been called "out there" even when I feel relatively normal. People either decide that they love it or hate it about me, but it hasn't caused me to be unable to make friends.

Also have been told by teachers and social workers similar things about my thought process and cryptic comments about "the way my mind works", never asked for clarification because I didn't know if they thought I was brilliant or, erm, NOT SO BRIGHT.

My grandma is looking into getting me diagnosed but I don't see what this has to do with the topic.

Yes, and it's been disheartening when I do come out of my shell and think I'm being normal only to be called "weird". I never asked anyone for clarification on "weird" or "odd" either.

I recently got my high school transcripts. My intelligence level was in the normal range. IQ score in 1983 was 109. I did well in most of my classes, yet I almost failed Trigonometry and Driver's Education.... I stink at math, but oddly I loved Logic and Chemistry classes, even though they were hard

From your posts I've read, you seem like a very nice and intelligent person to me.

I first heard about AS when a friend told me about it and we talked a little about it. Somehow I connected it with savant skills which I didn't have so I didn't think it fit with my being.

It was only when I tried to understand my father's behavior (he had to retire and I was worried if he could cope with it) that I refound AS and researched anything I could about it. At first I looked at very different conditions as to understand my father and avoid conflicts or problems but AS fitted so much better than anything I've ever read before ( I already had thought about this issue and tried to search for an answer for much longer but not only for my father, I also searched to understand myself and why I'm so different).
And as I immersed myself in learning about AS, I suddenly recognized that I, indeed, was very similar to my father. I always refused this claim made by many people since I saw that my father was different, he was considered odd and seemingly not respected but patronized....and I didn't wanted to accept that this is actually something that I experience, too, and that I had similar behaviors, as well. This would have me realize in all clarity that people probably thought very similar about me as they did about my father....frankly, even I did copy their attitude.

Although I already had looked and tried to search for something to could explain my way of being, I hadn't found anything that could explain myself so well and it was only by accident and even a hint of reluctance that I came to conclude that it could be AS or at least something very similar to AS.

And there were and still are many people who tell me that I'm weird, who reject me...etc., but I always didn't understand why and always refused it....e.g. I didn't understand how they could say I had no emotions or am like a robot..I knew that I had emotions, and I used them but somehow that wasn't recognized by others...so I just thought people wanted to make me angry and I didn't think that it was the actual way I came across to many.

I used to worry about being a sociopath, too. But schizoid fit a bit better, but not exactly. I'm 99.99% sure, but trying to get official word on it.

Sincerely,
Matthew

I watched a show called the Doctors. They talked about the autism spectrum on that episode, when they spoke about Asperger's syndrome it sounded like they were describing me. Funny thing is I never watch that show so it was just by chance I watched that day. After the show I went to WrongPlanet because it was mentioned on the show. At wrong planet I took some personality tests and was shocked to see the all apointed to autistic so I contacted Autism Services of Western New York found a neuro-psychologist and got tested. I was diagnosed with Aspergers August 10th, 2010.

I knew a bit about autism generally, and Asperger's specifically, from TV shows, including one that featured Temple Grandin. I don't remember if I thought much about it in relation to me, though. I probably dismissed such thoughts quickly, because I'd grown up believing I was just weird, emotionally oversensitive, and irritating, with no excuse for myself. Also, I knew I had fibromyalgia, so any sensitivities to sounds, touch, light, or whatever, I attributed to that. (I now wonder if fibromyalgia and autism are related.) I don't think I could've allowed myself to think I had any legitimate reason for anything my fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and PTSD couldn't account for.

Then, late last spring or early in the summer, my younger sister, who's a nurse, brought up the idea that mild autism might explain my father's difficulties and odd characteristics. She's a nurse, a parent who knows parents of autistic kids, and an avid reader who independently furthered her own education on the subject. That discussion was enough to finally allow me consider the idea that such an explanation might also apply to me.

After that, I found more info on http://www.autism-help.org. After the internet, then I hit the books. Eventually, I found Wrong Planet and various online tests. Each step has gotten me more convinced, though I still await a proper assessment to confirm it. I've blogged about my process, and this has helped me deal with it.

I still want to know for sure, one way or the other. Until professional diagnosis (or lack thereof, if it's done right and proves I'm not on the spectrum), I still feel I'm in a state of Limbo, just guessing about myself. I don't like to say I'm self-diagnosed. If I turn out to be wrong, I'll feel stupid and embarrassed. So, I maintain the profile status on Wrong Planet of not knowing if I have it or not.

I can't say I'm self-dx, because I don't really know anyone with AS to compare with, so I don't really know whether I really fit in the spectrum. However, I do show many traits that are consistent with AS behavior and I like reading threads in WP because I relate many of the issues discussed here. I'm looking for a dx now.

I have known about low-functioning autism for a very long time. I suppose I was told about it because I couldn't figure out why the twin sister of a classmate of mine was attending a different school and never joined our parties and such. I also knew from movies and documentaries that there were some kids that were brilliant in school but had a hard time socializing and I related very much to them. I started researching on the subject only a few months ago, when a person posted a thread about AS on the PostSecret community forum, speaking about sarcasm, and it sort of clicked.

Yes, yes, and yes! You get a golden snitch. Correlation does not equal causation and the fatal flaw is that when you reorder the narrative of your life to fit a diagnosis it is a downward spiral inevitably leading to a case of confirmation bias. There's a huge difference between pervasiveness and personality. It almost becomes a psychosis at that point. I think there is less chance for err if you are professionally diagnosed. While everyone may have some autistic traits (we're all human afterall) if the criteria aren't pervasive in your life, and you don't have all the pieces to the puzzle, ya don't get diagnosed.

I don't mean to marginalize people here either who are speculative, but at the same time I see excuses and anxiety over the subject all the time on these boards for not being diagnosed. Are you trying to reach social parity in some small measure? If this is a community for people on the spectrum (and those whom are in proximity to them) and you're past the speculation, understanding phase, what's your motivation here? I'm sure it's not a huge majority either, but the point remains. Get diagnosed. Not only that, talk to your peers and family too before jumping to conclusions.
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There wasn't as much awareness of this neurodevelopmental profile, AS, when I was growing up. My mother even worked with autistic children, but they were what we now call 'low-functioning' and non-verbal. I've always considered myself a very intellectual person and my self-esteem really started to denigrate after failing socially and later on academically. It took me five years to get my two-year degree. Once I transferred I couldn't keep up and the stress started getting to me, couldn't cope, and I started decompensating. I forgot how to write, couldn't pay attention in class, couldn't concentrate, loss of skills, difficulty taking care of myself, and the aptitude I had for my major was non-existent and completely deattached. I've had similar meltdowns like this and started seeing a pattern to all of it. This prompted me to get evaluated. I was diagnosed with non-verbal learning disability. But I was a little too late. I should have went for evaluation sooner, but I was very stubborn and in denial. I waited too long; I ended up losing my matriculation status at my University due to poor scholarship. I researched everything having to do with dysexecutive functioning impairments: PTSD, ADHD/ADD-I, and Autism, when the word Asperger's Syndrome popped up. I remembered a friend talking about this in a car ride about 2.5 years previously and it just stuck, because what she described at the time reminded me of myself, never once thinking I had a similar profile. I researched it, self-diagnosed myself. After reading scholarly and clinical literature (Tony Atwood comes to mind), numerous websites, even coming here - I was convinced. Immediately I went and found a specialist who works with people on the spectrum and was hence diagnosed.

Last edited by Antreus on 12 Feb 2012, 8:53 pm, edited 7 times in total.

I was diagnosed at some point when I was a little kid. I was seeing shrinks when I was around 10-11 due to behavioral problems (anger, depression, fights at school, suicide attempt, etc.), so I assume that's when it was. I wasn't told about the diagnosis until I was 15 though. I remember I was driving back from a jiujitsu tournament with my dad (out of state, long drive), and all of a sudden we got into a conversation about certain behavioral patterns that I had, and eventually he explained to me that I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was younger, and explained what it was. I was in denial about it for a while, but the more I researched it, the more I realized how many of the symptoms fit, and I sort of pieced the puzzle together and realized that this was most likely correct. Honestly, when I think back to when I was in therapy, even though I didn't know anything about my diagnosis, a lot of the advice I got from the shrinks (to which I credit me surviving school) was really just about dealing with meltdowns, which were at the root of my behavioral problems.

EDIT: Oops, I completely misread/misunderstood the purpose of this thread. Didn't realize this was for self-diagnosed