I am 27 and about 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. I meet the diagnostic criteria for it now. The year I was diagnosed, I taught in a high school and had 2 or 3 students with Asperger's and saw a lot of similarities between them and me when I was in high school. So, I assumed my diagnosis was correct.

However, last semester I taught in a middle school and had 7 or 8 kids with Asperger's (I was teaching special education students). I could not find any similarities between these students and myself in middle school. That got me wondering if I really have Asperger's as it seemed strange to me that it would just "appear" later.

I made the assumption that I would have had to have had the symptoms as a child as well. I couldn't remember, so I found the diagnostic criteria online and sent it to my mom asking. She said that it did not fit me as a child to almost all of it.

So my question is...does anyone here know if I would have had to have had the traits as a child? Or could they not show up until high school?

I'm trying to get as much information as I can on this, so I can discuss it with my doctor when I go back at the end of June.

Thanks in advance.