[AniveCsebure]

I don't know how many people I've asked this to, but what can I do?

I went to a psychologist here on campus, since they were in walking distance and they were cheaper, and had this really long session (about and hour, give or take a few minutes) and near the end he pulls in this other guy. Together they conclude that I am NORMAL and that all the information I gave them, the Aspergers test with a high score of 39 indicating Autism likely, the lists upon lists of signs and symptoms I marked and said why they applied, and the score history from my tests here, indicate I am normal, that it's not likely I have Aspergers (confusing).

The psychologist said that me actually deciding to go to a psychologist said I didn't have Aspergers, that people with Aspergers think they're normal (basically that they don't realize something is different), and that loads of people have to tell them to go see a psychologist (but I couldn't seem to tell him that loads of people did tell me to see a psychologist, plus my bf, who has Aspergers, went to a psychologist on his own), and he said that the fact that I don't get overly anxious means I don't have Aspergers (but for anxiety, over the years I've learned to breathe and calm down, so I rarely get anxious feelings, mostly just upset).

I didn't have a chance to fully explain, I was stunned and speechless. How could I plead my thoughts to him when he comes in saying I'm normal?

So instead I show him a single printout about the signs and symptoms of ADHD, which does fit me to a point, but I still fit Aspergers very very well.

So now I've retaken the test more accurately, and put why I answered the way I did, and I still came out with a high score, but I'm afraid to show it to him because I'm afraid he'll think I did it just to get whatever it was that I wanted.

And before people ask, I want to know if I have Aspergers, I want a diagnosis, so I can understand my self better, get help with my many hypersensitivities, help with my depressive moods, and how to handle things when I feel upset (where you get that tight throat feeling)

So, after all this rambling, I ask, what can I do???

And before anyone says it, I can't go to another psychologist because 1. I have no car to get there and 2. I don't have the money and not many places take my insurance.

So what can I do?

[Crew]

First of all I'm sorry your having a tough time.

Maybe checking out services in the town like maybe there is an Autism/Aspergers Association. If there isn't one, maybe calling some of the elementary schools or even calling the United Way since everyone it seems gets a direction to go in.

Remember you are your best advocate and if something doesn't feel right inside and your not happy or satisfied with this psych doctors answers give programs a chance to test you and see.

I do hope though, you know you are supported here and let it all out.
By the way, that is really neat that you learned how to get over your anxious feelings and what a way to deal with it.

Good Luck
and I'm pulling for you,
Crew oh and nice to meet you!

[Perna]

It seems to me that since you disagree with this particular psychologist, that he isn't going to be of much help to you in any event? Why can't you "decide" you have Asperger's and learn as much as you can about it and work on doing what is suggested for it?

http://www.autism-help.org/adults-autism-aspergers.htm

[Callista]

Uhh... Wow. If there's no other side to your story and this psychologist acted this way, then that is just... well, it's incompetent, frankly.

If they are actually using your good insight as the single deciding factor in your not having AS, then they are doing this absolutely the wrong way. Insight has nothing to do with diagnosis of AS, one way or the other. Plenty of people who have AS know they have it and know something is up even without a diagnosis. Plenty of them have gone from doctor to doctor trying to figure it out because many of these doctors aren't used to diagnosing a "childhood disorder" in adults.

There's no telling whether you actually have AS; you still don't have an answer, thanks to these doctors. You should probably go on the basis that you still don't know either way. That these doctors made such an obvious mistake tells me that they're not qualified to diagnose AS, because they don't know enough about it to know that it hasn't got anything to do with how much you know about yourself.

[silentwhisper]

I have no idea about what you could do next, but I wanted to let you know I am listening.

[sane1logic1]

I have found the writings of Donna Williams and Wendy Lawson very inspiring (among others).

Best wishes Anive.

[Callista]

I don't agree with Ms. Williams on everything... she seems to be insightful about herself and her own experience of autism, but tends to occasionally miss that other people don't have the same traits she does.

[Omers]

I'm new here... haven't even introduced myself yet but what else is new. You mentioned a bf. I looked on your profile but couldn't find anything... Are you female? I am female and was not correctly diagnosed until I was 30 because women display autism differently. As an aspi who's obsession area for 6 years was psych evals and psychometrics it does not sound like the person you talked to knows how to do a propper eval. I spent over 8 hours working face to face with the person who diagnosed me and that did not include all the information and emails before our first meeting. I would try and find a diagnostitian who is familiar with autism/aspergers as well as how it presents in women.

[hatteras duck]

A psych said that Asperger's people think they are normal? mmmm. The aspies I know always knew they different. Why couldn't they play with the other kids? I for one, knew how different I was. I was much more content swinging on swings or hanging onto a pole just going around in circles. You can't figure it out. Always feeling "out of place". Getting help is something that is hard to do. I tried so hard to fit in. I still do. Trying to be "normal" is hard, it takes a lot of energy.

From the time I started school. I realized how different I was.

[Callista]

I think that if you're strongly autistic, you may not realize you're different. I didn't realize until the fifth grade primarily because I just kind of ignored other people and didn't have nor want any friends for a very long time. I was just oblivious, and even when I did realize I didn't really define myself by being different. But I'm in the minority. Most of the autistics I've talked to, including both Aspie and Autie types, knew they were different from quite early on.