Why do people act like Aspergers is a race?

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I am new to the internet community of Asperger's people and I have to say..it is strange. People act like having this condition admits you into some kind of social club. Whats even more strange to me is the people who self-diagnose themselves. I would never have considered myself to have Asperger's unless I was diagnosed and yet there are many people who just self-diagnose themselves. To me that shows over-confidence in someone's knowledge of psychology and other related fields. I almost wonder if some people convince themselves that they have this disorder because they want it or something. Anyway I'd appreciate feedback on this topic. Does anybody else feel this way? What are your thoughts?

About your social club reference: some folks on WP, myself included, actually do look at WP as our own private little Facebook. Speaking for myself, I barely used FB and just this week closed my account. WP doesn't discriminate. Anyone can join. I like WP because we can talk about our deepest, most intimate personal issues without being chastised by the NT world. I mean, it does happen sometimes, but still...

<----- Just doesn't fit in the NT world.

I don't believe in Autism Supremacy. I believe that all people have something to offer to this world.

People don't self-diagnose because they're hypochondriacs; they do it because they know they're different, have been researching the problem, and have Asperger's as the best possible explanation for it. At that point, people usually go to a doctor, but many of us just can't afford to go to one--either financially, or because our health insurance wouldn't pay for it, or because we would face prejudice from people who knew we had it, or because we've had such bad experiences with psychologists in the past that we can't bring ourselves to trust one again.

A diagnosis doesn't make you autistic. It has nothing to do with wanting, or not wanting, to be autistic. Those who are self-diagnosed, unless they misjudged their own case, have always been autistic--they are just facing up to their inability to get a professional diagnosis and deciding to identify as autistic nevertheless.

If we could all get health care whenever we wanted it, could be treated with respect by professionals and by fellow human beings, and were considered absolutely equal to neurotypicals both legally and socially, then nobody would ever be self-diagnosed. But since we have that problem, people are still forced to do their own research and come up with a makeshift diagnosis that helps them understand themselves, but can't get them any accommodations. It's the best they can do, and I for one won't begrudge them that. Personally, I think it stinks that they are forced to try to go it alone, without any help; that they grew to adulthood without anybody telling them why they're different and why it's okay for them to be that way. I am diagnosed--but I got lucky. If the dice had fallen differently, I might be homeless, half-starved, trying to figure out why my mind blue-screened at random, desperate to stay alive somehow--or, worse, suicidal and wishing I could give up completely. And if I'd done the research on my own, and had a name for it, and been unable to get the medical care to confirm it--well, I would've self-diagnosed, too. I'm no slouch at research, and I think my own opinion's as good as that of a psychologist, with the only hindrance being that I can't get an uninvolved perspective on myself.

I'm pretty much self-diagnosed. The thought of going around acting like I have a diagnosis when i don't made me very uncomfortable for a while and for a while I didn't even see a need to pursue a diagnosis because I didn't see how it tied in with my anxieties and depression. But I've been struggling all my life to figure out "what was wrong with me".

Finally after years of despair and no results I decided to research the "high-functioning autism" that my behavioral therapist suggested I look into with a psychologist a few years ago (I moved across the country in the middle of trying to figure out what my "problem" was, and my new psychiatrist knew nothing about autism and just labeled me with a generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. I find it curious that they never did ANY actual diagnostic testing for ANYTHING since I've been going there, but I have no choice in regards to choosing my health care provider). The old behavioral therapist had sent me a link to an online indicator test, which I took and which told me that I probably have Asperger's, but at the time I just didn't see why it mattered to look into it further; anxiety and depression were where my real problems were, right?

After I read through a few books written by people who actually had autism/asperger's I was shocked. I had never felt so understood. I never realized that there were people out there that thought like I did. That grew up like I did, trying to make sense of everything and struggling with self-esteem because they couldn't "get it" like everyone else. I had never been able to describe myself so eloquently as when I described my thoughts and actions through the lens of asperger's/autism.

I am destitute. I have about 70 cents in my bank account and I live paycheck-to-paycheck, not having money for gas, insurance, clothing, and barely having money for food. It's not practical for me to spend $30 on a co-pay to go in to a psychiatrist who says that no one there is an asperger's/autism specialist. The only reason I have insurance is that it only costs me a few dollars a month through work. And I certainly am not going to go to a psychologist outside my "network" and pay the full amount of the visit out-of-pocket.

So I'm not officially diagnosed, and I have no plans on getting one until I can afford more than bread and peanut butter every week.
I am not as self-conscious about that fact any more, though, as evidence in the favor of Asperger's continues to grow.

My mom does PE with developmentally disabled children in public schools, and has been to several autism conferences as part of her ongoing training, and sees many of the traits described there in me. She has told me that she didn't know what to do about me when I was younger, just hoping and thinking that I was "growing out of it", when in fact I was just learning how to cover it all up the best that I could. She's gone so far as to tell me that she is SURE that I have either autism or Asperger's.

So there's one case study for you. I LOVE this little Internet community, because people here are usually very safe, open, non-judgmental, eager to share experiences that might help others, and understanding. I love trying to contribute to the community and I hope that others gain insight or experience or comfort from what I say. And it really doesn't matter if someone here is AS or not, but as redrobin62 put it, we can talk about intimate issues here without being chastised by the NT world. I can come here and talk about anything from bathroom issues to sexuality to stimming and not feel like I'm going to be embarrassed or yelled at and looked down upon.

Clique s**t so you can feel even more left out when other aspies don't think you're cool enough or like you. Ever heard of the phrase "alpha nerd"? Think that.

I think people with Asperger's tend to differentiate themselves as a separate group because they are humans and humans do that kind of thing. All humans need a concept of "us", clearly defined in opposition to an external "them". I imagine that since people with Asperger's are in fact more or less rejected by "them", normal people, as a group, we create an idea of an "us" of people with Asperger's syndrome and a common experience of life. From there, obviously, we form an overly meliorative interpretation of "our" experiences, while showcasing the bad aspects of what "they" do.

It's not like a race. I have a lot more in common with those on the spectrum than I do with random people from my own race. Race is just a colour. It means nothing, and I do not form social groups or cliques based on race. I am not in any cliques or social groups anyway, but I do have more in common--therefore I can connect more easily--to those on the spectrum. Makes sense. In my case, opposites don't attract. On occasion I've met NT people who I've had things in common with as well. It's all about similarities for me. There is no way I can carry on any type of relationship without similarities (and by similarities I am not referring to the physical/race).

I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, but I had pretty much figured out I was Aspergers before that. It seems the people I gravitate towards either are Aspergers or have Aspergers traits.

I don't really see the cliquish thing going on here on WrongPlanet. It doesn't seem to be a forum that encourages that sort of thing.

I have had a neuropsychology test and pretty sure I have NLD and possibly Asperger's. Prior to having the tests done I wondered if I had ADHD and read about it online and it did not really fit my symptoms. When I read about Asperger's and the symptoms it really sounded like my life.

It's the master race.