I guess I have asperger's

I always felt like I did, but I was discouraged from "looking for more things wrong with myself." Finally I have a therapist who says I probably have asperger's. He said he's going to start asking everyone if they cut the tags out of their clothes (I don't because the stub that is left is worse than the tag. I love the tissue weight tee shirts that don't have any tag, and wear them almost all the time, under anything). I can't remember all the questions on his list - maybe I should ask him for a written checklist.

Does this change anything? I'm still the same person. It helps to validate and make sense of things that I always had trouble with. A past therapist said that I couldn't possibly have asperger's and be a therapist or be married or have children. There are certainly challenges, but I'm sure that I'm not the first to have done those things anyway. I have had difficulties. I was rejected from a master's program in speech pathology because the faculty thought I was too weird and didn't have good enough social skills, and they told me to go back and get a second bachelor's degree in engineering. I never fit in or belong, and I can't seem to hang on to a job more than a year or two - people get tired of me.

Anyway, now I guess I can say that I have asperger's. That feels weird. As therapists, we are so cautious about diagnosing anything on the autistic spectrum. Over-cautious, I think.

BTW, I scored 41 on the AQ-test. http://aq.server8.org/

When I was talking to one of my T's about my husband when I first left him & had moved here, he said it sounded like my husband could possibly have aspergers even though you can't accurately Dx someone without them actually being there & talking with them. My Calif pdoc Dx'ed him with ADD.....after going through a clinical trial after he completely blew up his engineering career. however, my Calif pdoc also suggested he have medical tests done because he thought there was something seriously wrong with his cognative abilibies.

LOL....when you said they suggested you get an engineering degree, my husband got his computer science BS & had an computer engineering career....but his interface with people was what finally caused his loss of career.....always had attitude problem from the time I met him in college which was my initial reason why I had decided I didn't want to get married to him but ended up listening to my mother instead of my good sense.

It's interesting because anything that causes us problems in our life usually has something to do with a mental illness in some way, but it's sometimes so subtle, it's almost impossible to pin point what it really is. Doesn't get recognized until it finally is effecting the person to the point of not functioning.

This was an interesting You Tube I found here.....of the Chair of DSM IV who came out of retirement to deal with DSM V on the topic of overdiagnosis & it's effect

http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=230415

You are right....it doesn't make you any different....you are still Rapunzel.....& always will be....but maybe with a better understanding.

was curious what the test questions were so went ahead & took it as me....only scored a 13......but know from the questions that my husband would have scored very high

Very interesting......hope you are dong well with this new information.

I can imagine it would feel weird. Yup, you still are the same person. A friend of mine has Aspies and she is studying psychology. I think she's awesome. I tried the AQ test for fun and got above average. A couple more points and I would have been in the very high range

It is very possible i have this disorder as well, and 'I guess I have aspergers.' was kind of my reaction. But yeah a therapist I was going to came to that conclusion based on some things I told him, and my sister is the one who brought it up to me. It made sense because even when I was younger I could never really fit in even when I wanted to, eventually I stopped wanting to anyways though..I mean some other issues I have account for some of it but nothing ever really explained the initial difference between me and others.

As for tags if I one makes me uncomfortable I either rip it out to avoid leaving that irritating bit left if you cut it off or if that doesn't work I'll cut through the thread holding it so there's nothing left of the tag.

But you certainly are the same person all I can see it changing is maybe you'll learn more about how it effects you.

I keep thinking about this, wondering how it might have changed things if I had been allowed to say that I have asperger's earlier. Like, when I was rejected from that master's program, would they have been more open to working with me if it were recognized that I have this, rather than thinking that I was just odd and lacking in social skills. Maybe it would have felt less blaming at least. And all of the times that I have been told to stop acting a particular way or to stop making excuses or stop looking for symptoms, etc. because "there's nothing wrong with you." The therapist that I went to for several years, who wouldn't even let me talk about sensory processing issues or anything related to autistic spectrum disorders dismissed it and would say various things like that those were childhood disorders and not relevant or that I couldn't have that for various reasons. I wonder if she thinks you can "cure" asperger's by denying that it exists. I want to ask her if she thinks you can cure PTSD or DID by denying that it exists, because I know she knows how hurtful it is to dismiss those disorders that way to someone who has them.

There were so many times that I was struggling and I needed validation and support and got rejection instead. It was so easy for my most recent T to just go through the screening questions and say that it sounded like this is something I have. Why couldn't someone have just done that before?

As professionals, we are so cautious about diagnosing autistic spectrum disorders. With children, we refer to a specialist for further testing. With adults, we might say that the person seems "aspergery" but we don't want to be the first to diagnose it, and usually testing isn't done. I remember a recent conversation with colleagues at work about a patient they were all pretty sure had asperger's but he was a young adult and they didn't think he had been diagnosed with that before, and they were asking who could diagnose that. I said that any of us could, as we were all licensed clinicians - LPCs and one APRN. I hadn't worked with that patient, but I asked them if they wanted me to talk to him and make that diagnosis. They were still hesitant, and too scared to put it down without formal testing. In our setting we rarely do any formal testing for any other mental health diagnoses, but we do focus on what is acute since it is very short-term treatment there. I don't think that being so overcautious is helping people. I don't think it has helped me at all that nobody would consider that I had asperger's. And now I'm still questioning it because it was too easy, and nobody ever let it be that simple before.

I gave you this link up above.....it's a bit long....but the Chair of the new DSM V & he was also the chair for DSM IV talks about overdiagnosing...

Might be very interesting for you to listen to:
http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=230415

This link takes you to the actual youtube link I placed in the video forum......so you can click on the actual youtube link in the post this link takes you to.

Think this will be very interesting because it's on the topic of diagnosing especially since it's coming from the chair of the creating group of the DSM's where all the Dx's come from

Wow sorry you've had to deal with that sort of crap...I mean first off growing out of childhood does not cure one of autism, if someones autistic as a child its likely that wont change when they reach adulthood, anyways that does not sound like a very good therapist.

I also know what you mean about needing validation and support, but rejection instead, not from therapists as all of them have tried their best to help me...but from teachers, family and other kids that is mostly what I got when I really needed someone to try and understand.

But yeah thing is they make it sound a hell of a lot harder than it is to diagnose..I mean technically if you fit enough of the criteria in the DSM you can be diagnosed with it regardless of age. I mean the idea But people act like its some sort of super specific disorder, more specific than all the others and that if someone does not fit a specific autism sterotype they can't have it. Well its a spectrum first off so there are different severity of it like I myself would be on the higher functioning end but that is hardly without major difficulties and sensory issues. The sensory issues can be a real pain...and when I was a kid people always just said to stop complaining, being so sensative ect. when the did not realize what was normal light for them could have very well given me a headache.

Then last night I even feel stupid about this, I could sense something off when I woke up and could not go back to sleep...eventually I figured out the t.v looked off but was still on and that's what was bothering me, but usually it does not take me that long to figure it out.

Hey, dear, welcome to the Spectrum! Don't worry too hard about being an Aspie; like you say, you're still the same person you always were. Autism's part of your norm, and being different is something you've been dealing with your whole life. This can only bring good things for you--better self-knowledge, access to useful services, more opportunities to meet people who are different in the same ways you are.

Ha! Your therapist had no clue, did s/he? After all, autism is highly heritable; where does s/he think autistic kids come from, if not autistic genes in their parents? My mom's an Aspie and I'm autistic--she married and had kids (two of us also on the spectrum), and she's an occupational therapist working with the elderly and disabled.

Heh, well, at least you can hang onto a job for a year; my record's three months and I ended up so burned out near the end that I practically stopped eating! Not that engineering is a bad idea; I love it, personally, and I'm studying psychology/engineering for a human factors degree. But if it's not your thing, then it's not your thing. And, let me tell you something: As a mental patient, I have often wished for a therapist more like myself: Nerdy, blunt, honest, willing to express his own opinions and focus on solving problems instead of discussing feelings. Plus, I know some people who are autistic and working as therapists teaching younger autistics, and they seem to be pretty successful, because they know better than to make assumptions about the students. Usually, their biggest problems are with their co-workers.

Meh. Autism's common. You're one of many. Anytime somebody tries to patronize you or pat you on the head and say you're "inspirational", feel free to smack 'em.

I have alot of Aspie traits/symptoms. I'm halfway through my Junior year of college for a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I'm wanting to be a therapist also. I've wondered how my lack of social skills will effect my career, but I'm very determined to pursue it since I feel like it's a calling.

I had a student this past 9 weeks at the end of the school year, who had a LOT of anxiety about the simplest of art activities, would hang in the classroom after all were dismissed, pondering his work, even sending other teachers to talk to me about what he had done in class! Never happened before in all my 23 years of teaching. He is also very socially ostracized and sits by himself.

So, then at the end of the school year, I attended a workshop on Aspergers, and one of his basic skills teachers was sitting next to me, and said, "You know, E*** has Aspergers syndrome. I had no idea, and I wish the school psychologist has informed me. All the traits fit him to a tee.
Next year, I'll be better prepared for him. Such a sweet boy, and I have compassion for his behaviors now.

Some of the things I remember mentioned by the specialists who conducted the workshop, were obsession with perfection, difficulty dealing with minor changes in schedule, personnel,etc., anxiety. Does any of this sound familiar to any of you?

My obsession with perfection is one of my worst qualities. Writing papers and studying sessions always turn into protracted tasks. (There is no way, I can ever take a full course load.) For example, it took me 5 days to write one 4 page paper. (I did get 100%, so it paid off.) My tendency to fret over insignificant things, such as grammar, causes a lot of unnecessary stress.

Changes in schedule are not that bad. I don't freak out it, although I can get very annoyed. As I matured, I have learned to be flexible. My life does need some predictability, so I tend plan my days. It reduces my anxiety, immensely.

I always wanted to be a physician. Over time, I have realized, medicine would not be a realistic career for me. My interpersonal skills are lacking. I think, I would scare people or make them feel uncomfortable.

Hi there,
I'm sort of in the same situation. I'm almost 18 years old and currently in the process of getting a diagnosis. My therapist strongly believes I have mild Aspergers but I don't know for sure. I want to know for sure - I need that validation.

Every non-professional person I've talked to, such as my art teacher, had been surprised by this news and it seems like they didn't understand the reasoning behind my T's suspicions. I've always been an introverted, socially awkward person, and only really come out of my shell when I'm around good friends or people I know well. Anyone else - forget it. I explained this to my teacher because she's had me in class for five years now and I felt the need to explain my awkward behavior (at least I think it is) and why I often don't understand what she says to me in class or directions she gives me unless she repeats herself a couple times (sensory processing disorder?)

I took the AQ test that I'm sure many of you are familiar with and believe I scored a 35 or 36. I've taken it a few times and have usually scored anywhere in the 30s, once in the high 20s. I took PsychCentral's Aspergers quiz and scored a 36. But of course I'm always afraid of "over-exaggerating" my answers on those questionnaires.

I've always had the strong special interest associated with the condition, and they range from the most obscure things like Cold War/nuclear weapons studies to more common interests like writing, psychology and animals.

Thoughts? Sorry if I'm stealing your thread Rapunzel

Suddenly, life makes sense!

The major change is to your story. You are still you, but the reasons for certain behaviours, perceptions, etc...now have a different explanation (rather than psychiatric) that needs to be noted. (I hope that makes sense.) Recognizing this allows for healing.

Many people with AS have children and families.

Most non-professionals are familiar with the generic Asperger male...the geek, who loves to discuss trains, and is socially awkward. Others have no idea what AS is. So, it is normal for people to react in a surprised way, especially if the AS is mild.

If you are not female, disregard the following:

Not a lot is known about female AS. Most studies have been done on males. Ladies tend to be less alexithymic and manifest the syndrome more subtly. More severe cases tend to fit the generic male mold.
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Sensory processing issues are known to interfere with socializing and cause anxiety(AKA sensory overload).

Special interests are typical AS. Lifelong interests ebb and flow. New interests often develop, that are not directly related to the main ones. They are quite intense and can interfere with life, such as eating. For example, my areas of expertise are biology, astronomy and meteorology. I read a lot about these topics, regularly. Sometimes, something new will come along, such as emperor penguins. My main interests are then put on hold. I will research the new topic, until I become an expert. While, I am doing this, my life is put on hold. (I find this quite disabling.)

I hope this helps.

I took this test and I tested around 30. Seems bizarre to me that I would actually have aspergers... or test this high for it. I'm not a very social person, but I also go back and forth with it... sometimes I love to get out and party and be around people, other times its, like, leave me alone!

Also for me I dont see the purpose of carrying the label (for me personally) even if it is accurate.

I am female, and yes it does help - thank you Wow....a few years ago, when I was 12, I also had very strong interests in astronomy, meteorology, and emperor penguins. At school I was known as the girl who wanted to grow up to be a climatologist....I was just obsessed with the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" and knew what they were talking about at 11-12 years old.

I scored a 38....surprised but then looking back not surprised and was just told after three years I have avoidant personality disorder...but I dont really seem to fit there either....ready to just say screw it and be a hermit.....this gets old