Aspie Girl .. How do I know?

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Hello out there ..

I have struggled for years with not quite fitting in, and in recent years searching for an answer for my son. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's and then ADHD. As I searched for information on Asperger's, I also stumbled upon information regarding Aspie Girls and was intrigued. I had often felt that I didn't quite act as other girls did, but this was not prevalent when I was a child. Now that my son has been diagnosed, and I am searching for answers for him I am faced with deciding if this is something he may have acquired from me.

At this point, (I am 35) I wonder where to start for a diagnosis. My parents often told me that I didn't really speak, outside of the house, until I was 4. I was always labeled as shy, and had speech therapy as a kid. I had difficulty as a child with transitions and as an adult am starting to put the pieces together .. Just looking to talk to someone that may have had similar experiences.

What did you do to start the process as an adult? Did you receive a diagnosis?

Have looked at information/quizzes that indicate aspergers/autism .. where do I go from here?

Appreciate any direction .. Thanks!!

kaw126, I moved your post from Women's Discussion to this forum because I thought that as a general inquiry regarding diagnosis, you'd reach a wider audience here.

Hi

I'm not able to give any advice, I'd just like to say you are far from alone. My daughter is awaiting full assessment and it looks likely that she has Aspergers, with some ADHD-like traits. It was only about a year ago, when I started to read about autistic spectrum disorders, that I realised most of what I was reading described me too. Having not known anything about ASDs, I really had no idea there was any connection between my personality and my physical sensitivities. I knew I was different, a target for bullies, had social anxiety, a sense of being useless at easy stuff, but genius at difficult stuff, etc. But, I never knew what the cause might be. I suspect that, if I had spoken to a doc about my issues, I would have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression, which is maybe true, but definitely not the complete picture.

I haven't pursued a diagnosis yet. At this point in my life (I'm a full-time mum), I'm not sure what the purpose would be. However, in the not too distant future, I intend earning my own money again. By then, maybe my daughter's assessment will have taken place and a diagnosis for me might be more straight forward. But, I'm not my daughter. She has behavioural problems and I was the complete opposite as a child.

It will be interesting to hear any other stories from anyone who has pursued a diagnosis.

I sought for a diagnosis as a 38 yo adult because I think the help I will get from ASD specialists could be useful with my issues relating to people in general (mostly at my workplace) and, this is the most important to me, perhaps I could learn to be better at handling and maintaining a relationship with someone of the opposite gender. I must admit that the sheer fact I've got a dx justifies my struggles, so even without any support I would be glad I've put forth the efforts to have it.

I read about Asperger's in a novel. It just briefly mentioned it but being a med junkie I looked it up anyway. I was very surprised to see how something I have never before heard of fit me so much. I stayed self diagnosed for five months then was assessed. Bingo.

I Initially read that as ''Meth. junkie''...Ha!

Lol I'm not on anything, but sometimes I wish i were.

You're my daughter's age, about. I've been a depressive, with a cycle (but no manic phase: just up to "normal") all my life, and have known what meds work for me since the mid-nineties. I can do without them without getting extreme or suicidal or anything, but they make me more comfortable with my life. Anyway, I was going to the state-supported Mental Health Center (they have a sliding payment scale for lower incomes) for my prescriptions for meds, and seeing a counselor there who keeps track of how I'm reacting to them for the prescription writer. This was about three or four years ago. My daughter had taken a couple of Counselling courses in college, a Christian College, with the view to working as Counsellor for a church, and she'd learned about Asperger's in them. She decided that I probably did have Asperger's, and talked to the people at the Center about it. Nobody there was really qualified to diagnose it, any more than my daughter was, so they arranged an appointment for me at the State Children's Hospital, about forty miles or so from here, with an expert (Psychology PhD) who worked there. She did my testing and diagnosed me. It helped that I remembered a lot myself about my childhood: usually they want to talk to a parent as part of the diagnosis, about early childhood, but I did clearly remember some relevant facts, like being late tying my shoes, and never (even to the present day) being able to catch a ball (or anything tossed to me), and how early I learned to read (I don't actually _remember_ learning to read, but my parents told me I was 2 1/2).

While I pay for my appointments at the Mental Health Center, I didn't pay anything for my diagnosis. The lady at the hospital said that it was part of her job (I suppose because the Center folks sent me to her, and it was another State institution) and they didn't charge me for her at the Center, either. The folks here say that you can pay many thousands of dollars if you go to a Psychiatrist or a Psychologist in private practice, so don't! The answers about getting diagnosed would depend on where you are-- even in the US, would vary from one state or county to the next. I think your best first step would be to talk to the people who are working with your son. You may luck out as I did. It's such great relief knowing, and explains so many things about me that were mysterious. Reading books, and on this board, every few days I discover that some little thing that I've just always done is an Asperger and/or Autistic trait. BTW, there isn't anything to be actually _done_ for you at your age, just involves learning. "CoMorbids" like Clinical Depression can be treated with meds, but not the Asperger's or Autism itself. My therapist is very interested in hearing about my discoveries: she's never had an Aspie or Autistic before, especially not an articulate and relatively well-educated one.