I was diagnosed with atypical autism literally just two weeks ago. According to the psychologist who evaluated me, I really have Asperger's Syndrome, but she said that since the DSM has removed Asperger's from its diagnoses, she gave me a diagnosis of "atypical autism," as I lacked one of the necessary symptoms for typical autism, but I had 3 additional symptoms that were not necessary for the diagnosis of typical autism.
Now that I look up "atypical autism" on the internet, "a pervasive developmental disorder," it makes it sound like my brain functions at the level of a first-grader. Is autism really a "developmental" disorder? Or is it just "atypical autism" that is a developmental disorder?
I don't feel "developmentally disordered." I do feel "socially disordered," if they want to call me that, but my brain does not feel "developmentally disordered." That almost seems like a pejorative label. In fact, the psychologist told me that I performed at above-average levels in several of the cognitive tests she gave me. And the most severe and problematic symptom I have is that I receive too much external data to process in my brain. In other words, I perceive much more of what is going on around me than regular people do, according to the psychologist; how does that make me "developmentally disordered?" Shouldn't you at least be seen as "developmentally ordered" if you can see and perceive more than other people?
Now that I look up "atypical autism" on the internet, "a pervasive developmental disorder," it makes it sound like my brain functions at the level of a first-grader. Is autism really a "developmental" disorder? Or is it just "atypical autism" that is a developmental disorder?
I don't feel "developmentally disordered." I do feel "socially disordered," if they want to call me that, but my brain does not feel "developmentally disordered." That almost seems like a pejorative label. In fact, the psychologist told me that I performed at above-average levels in several of the cognitive tests she gave me. And the most severe and problematic symptom I have is that I receive too much external data to process in my brain. In other words, I perceive much more of what is going on around me than regular people do, according to the psychologist; how does that make me "developmentally disordered?" Shouldn't you at least be seen as "developmentally ordered" if you can see and perceive more than other people?
