Asperger's wasn't frequently recognized until recently. It seems to have taken off in the last few years. I'm in the same boat - always knew that I was different, but nobody took notice until a couple of years ago. I always had problems with school and work not related to my academic skills or abilities, but just because I was different, and didn't pick up on or know things that everybody else seemed to know without needing an explanation.

A lot of professionals are hesitant to diagnose autistic spectrum disorders, especially in adults. I'm not sure why that is - if they are not sure that they are qualified to diagnose that, think that if you had it you would have been diagnosed as a child, think that it doesn't matter as much in adults, or what. One psychologist I saw for several years never let me talk about autistic spectrum symptoms and said that I couldn't have Asperger's and be married and have children (wrong!). If you have a psychiatrist that you are comfortable, you can start there, although psychiatrists don't tend to specifically treat autistic spectrum disorders or do testing. They should be able to recognize it and also make appropriate referrals. If you are looking for someone to diagnose and treat you, I would recommend looking for someone who specializes in autistic spectrum disorders. They can be any mental health professional. Psychologists typically are specialists in testing and diagnostics. You could also talk to a medical doctor to start with if there is one that you trust.