Hey

[Mytrice]

I'm a self-diagnosed sixteen year old from the UK. I have always been considered 'strange' and never quite fit in with other people. It wasn't until I was reading a story with an Aspie protagonist and found that I could relate a lot to the character that I began to wonder whether I too was an Aspie. After reading quite a lot of information and taking a few online tests (which I am aware shouldn't be taken too seriously), I have decided that it is very likely. However, I don't know how to go about being tested professionally or how to discuss this with my family. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ereth]

Hi, Mytrice!

While I'm unfamiliar with the resources available to folks in the UK, I'm sure other members here can give you a hand. What is your relationship with your parents like? Some of us have had real trouble getting our families to accept our ASD, but others fare much better. You might want to try asking your parents for their opinions over a meal. Or you could write a letter. It really depends on what you feel comfortable doing. Everyone's different.

 

[islandria]

I'm a self-diagnosed sixteen year old from the UK. I have always been considered 'strange' and never quite fit in with other people.

My son, who's 26, has asperger's. (As well as myself). It's a very cool place to be. I find having senses that are more sensitive than the average person keeps us in our own world because Neurotypicals tend to come across to us as insensitive (in their movements, tone of voice, and even their apparent ease with which they seem to fit into the natural world.) It would be much easier for us if they could learn about our 'symptoms' but I feel it's our job to do that ourselves and use that info to

a. Understand ourselves better

b. Have more understanding for the neurotypicals in our lives

c. Be kinder to ourself

d. Be at peace within ourselves and within the world

It takes time if this is something new to you. Your brain will prob do a flip flop trying to sort it out, but I encourage you to go at it.

Peace
& blessing

 

[Mytrice]

Hi, Mytrice!

While I'm unfamiliar with the resources available to folks in the UK, I'm sure other members here can give you a hand. What is your relationship with your parents like? Some of us have had real trouble getting our families to accept our ASD, but others fare much better. You might want to try asking your parents for their opinions over a meal. Or you could write a letter. It really depends on what you feel comfortable doing. Everyone's different.

Hello Ereth,

Thank you for replying, I really appreciate it. My relationship with my parents is generally a good one but their opinions regarding things such as mental health problems and autism can be quite outspoken so I'm not quite sure, as of now, what to do.

 

[Ereth]

Not a problem! That's what AspiesCentral is for!

If your parents are sensitive about this topic, maybe a letter is a good option for now. You could explain to them how you arrived at this conclusion and that you would like to seek testing to know for sure, but you're not certain how to go about it.

 

[Mytrice]

Not a problem! That's what AspiesCentral is for!

If your parents are sensitive about this topic, maybe a letter is a good option for now. You could explain to them how you arrived at this conclusion and that you would like to seek testing to know for sure, but you're not certain how to go about it.

I think that a letter would be more suitable as I would be able to explain myself better without being misunderstood or just not being very clear.

 

[Mytrice]

I'm a self-diagnosed sixteen year old from the UK. I have always been considered 'strange' and never quite fit in with other people.

My son, who's 26, has asperger's. (As well as myself). It's a very cool place to be. I find having senses that are more sensitive than the average person keeps us in our own world because Neurotypicals tend to come across to us as insensitive (in their movements, tone of voice, and even their apparent ease with which they seem to fit into the natural world.) It would be much easier for us if they could learn about our 'symptoms' but I feel it's our job to do that ourselves and use that info to

a. Understand ourselves better

b. Have more understanding for the neurotypicals in our lives

c. Be kinder to ourself

d. Be at peace within ourselves and within the world

It takes time if this is something new to you. Your brain will prob do a flip flop trying to sort it out, but I encourage you to go at it.

Peace
& blessing

Thank you, your message was very kind. I will try my best to sort this out. It's just that everything seems so daunting at first.

 

[Salmongirl17]

Hello and Welcome!!

 

[Joel I]

Hello and welcome. Communication issues seem to be a common problem. My brain seems to think differently to everyone around me

 

[Mytrice]

Hello and welcome. Communication issues seem to be a common problem. My brain seems to think differently to everyone around me

Hello,

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I sometimes have trouble trying to get out want I want to say when I am speaking. It's difficult for me to get the point across, especially if I am talking about something that I am nervous about bringing up in conversation or just really enthusiastic about. I am fine when I have the time to sit, think about and edit what I want to say, though.

 

[Vanilla]

Welcome

I learned about my AS through a similar means, though mine was through a TV series. I hope you're settling in alright here.

 

[reveric15]

When I was 16 I had a really hard time understanding the social dynamics surrounding relationships (romantic). I did understand others' emotions or motives, but I lacked empathy, the ability to feel what they were going through. So I was actually good at helping my friends through rough patches in their relationships, but I never even had one myself! Looking back I can see that I wasn't as interested as they were in dating, and I was only interested in something truly serious, which didn't exist in high school! Now I am happily married, one year now, at 28 years old.

As for your parents, we can only guess what they'll say, but you know them better. If they are doubtlessly NT, then they may be cautious about any self-diagnosis. I would suggest the possibility of Aspergers without insisting upon it. That way you will get a clearer reaction from them up front.

 

[Mytrice]

Welcome

I learned about my AS through a similar means, though mine was through a TV series. I hope you're settling in alright here.

Hi, yes I am. Everyone is being very kind.

 

[Mytrice]

When I was 16 I had a really hard time understanding the social dynamics surrounding relationships (romantic). I did understand others' emotions or motives, but I lacked empathy, the ability to feel what they were going through. So I was actually good at helping my friends through rough patches in their relationships, but I never even had one myself! Looking back I can see that I wasn't as interested as they were in dating, and I was only interested in something truly serious, which didn't exist in high school! Now I am happily married, one year now, at 28 years old.

As for your parents, we can only guess what they'll say, but you know them better. If they are doubtlessly NT, then they may be cautious about any self-diagnosis. I would suggest the possibility of Aspergers without insisting upon it. That way you will get a clearer reaction from them up front.

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I understand what you mean. I sometimes have trouble understanding what my friends are going through in terms of relationships. For instance, my friend recently broke up with her boyfriend and was very upset for weeks afterwards and I comforted her and looked out for her but I still can't really understand why she was so upset and for so long. I haven't been in that situation myself and therefore have no way to relate but from what I can tell, nobody else finds how she felt peculiar. I can see the attraction to relationships but I don't understand why someone would want to have one while still at school or college only to break up when they go to university although I think this is just personal opinion. I completely understand what you mean with being interested in something completely serious and how that doesn't exist in school which I suppose is what I just mentioned.

I haven't got around to writing to my parents yet as I have several other things going on at the moment that require my attention more. I think you are right when you say that would be sceptical of my self-diagnosis as I think they are both NT. I also definitely want a clear reaction from them but I want to give them a chance to talk about it between them as I don't want to surprise them and sit in front of them while they think about it. Even thinking about that is making me nervous. Thank you again for replying and for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. It's things like that that make me think more about how I feel about things and how I feel about feeling those things... If that made sense.

 

[asman]

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I understand what you mean. I sometimes have trouble understanding what my friends are going through in terms of relationships. For instance, my friend recently broke up with her boyfriend and was very upset for weeks afterwards and I comforted her and looked out for her but I still can't really understand why she was so upset and for so long. I haven't been in that situation myself and therefore have no way to relate but from what I can tell, nobody else finds how she felt peculiar. I can see the attraction to relationships but I don't understand why someone would want to have one while still at school or college only to break up when they go to university although I think this is just personal opinion. I completely understand what you mean with being interested in something completely serious and how that doesn't exist in school which I suppose is what I just mentioned.

I haven't got around to writing to my parents yet as I have several other things going on at the moment that require my attention more. I think you are right when you say that would be sceptical of my self-diagnosis as I think they are both NT. I also definitely want a clear reaction from them but I want to give them a chance to talk about it between them as I don't want to surprise them and sit in front of them while they think about it. Even thinking about that is making me nervous. Thank you again for replying and for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. It's things like that that make me think more about how I feel about things and how I feel about feeling those things... If that made sense.

Hi Mytrice. Just FYI, it has been shown that ASD is genetic. So I think at least one of your parents is an aspie.

 

[Mytrice]

Hi Mytrice. Just FYI, it has been shown that ASD is genetic. So I think at least one of your parents is an aspie.

Hello,

Thank you. I didn't know that. I haven't read about that yet but I intend to. My father does have some traits that could be associated with AS but has the attitude of a stereotypical NT person and doesn't consider himself to be on the spectrum at all.

 

[asman]

Hello,

Thank you. I didn't know that. I haven't read about that yet but I intend to. My father does have some traits that could be associated with AS but has the attitude of a stereotypical NT person and doesn't consider himself to be on the spectrum at all.

Well, most aspies can adapt to society and fit right in without ever knowing that they have AS. I was diagnosed only recently, and I had adapted many aspects of my personality to the "NT world". But there are still some traits i can't shake off (like my shyness and preference to be alone), and now that i know i am in the spectrum, I am more aware of what i have been masquerading throughout these many years.

 

[Mytrice]

Well, most aspies can adapt to society and fit right in without ever knowing that they have AS. I was diagnosed only recently, and I had adapted many aspects of my personality to the "NT world". But there are still some traits i can't shake off (like my shyness and preference to be alone), and now that i know i am in the spectrum, I am more aware of what i have been masquerading throughout these many years.

It is very possible that my father could have adapted to fit in. Especially as it would have been very unlikely for someone to be diagnosed with AS back when my father was a child unless it was very obvious.

I can relate to your shyness and preference to being alone. My sister is visiting at the moment and I am struggling to cope. Everything she does is so loud and she can't appear to speak today without shouting, seriously, even her footsteps sound like she is stomping and she keeps sitting right next to me even when there are other places to sit. I don't have a diagnosis, as you've probably read and if I am an Aspie then I think there are several traits that I have tried to suppress.