What are your views of self diagnosis?

[icesyckel]

I don't advise telling any NT or some ND's about a self-Dx. There are a myriad of reasons for this, but even a professional Dx it is often a good idea to share it only with a purpose and to the most limited extent possible. There's no one rule for all situations, but my advice is be judicious with how you share that information.

 

[savi83]

Whilst I was growing up my school teachers told my parents that they suspected that I had AS. I didn't find this out until I spoke to my parents after my college lecturer told me that he suspected that I might have AS.

I am 34 now and I have considered getting a formal diagnosis, but I've read into AS and don't know how getting a formal diagnosis would benefit me now.

I believe that if I was diagnosed whilst I was still at school there would have been loads for me but as an adult, not so much.

 

[Manuheleku]

I was just mulling through my brain that the reason that it is so difficult for adults, especially older adults who have learned coping mechanisms through trial and error, to get a diagnosis is that the Aspergers diagnosis has been replaced bythe ASD diagnosis. Autism research has always focused on children and hasn't really been able to make a real crossover into the adult realm. Aspergers was usually applied to younger and older people. At least that is the impression I seem to be getting. Maybe I'm wrong and my brain is just running in a weird direction, but this seems to be a possibility. Any comments?

 

[Thursday]

@Manuheleku You make a very good point. Although I'm not entirely familiar with the specific differences between those methods, I've read that with the ASD one they tend to base off interviews, asking family members about one's behavior as a child, which does not seem reliable. While there are some who exhibit certain traits well into adulthood, some adapt relatively quickly and are able to hide many telltale signs without leaving a lasting impression on those around them. For the most part, memory isn't all that accurate anyway. What is significant for one person, may seem trivial to others.

I totally agree with you, it does become trickier to peel layers upon layers of unique coping mechanisms. Also, not all adults would welcome the knowledge, especially if they've already become comfortable with their roles and routines. I understand it, but I wish the situation could improve somehow, as not all parents may want or know to have their children diagnosed so...no help, and the issues kind of spill over to other facets of life which are just expected to go smoothly.

It kind of feels like the formula of the education system to me -- use tests that can produce quantifiable results. But then, what about creative pursuits? With us it would help if the tests not only found what was different, but are able to help place us where we could excel. That would be awesome.

 

[Manuheleku]

Interesting, asking family members about behavior as a child would be difficult in the case of an adult looking into a diagnosis. In my case, all my siblings have died, as has my dad. My mom is 90 years old and has memory issues. There was never an attempt by my parents to keep in touch with extended family. I was brought up in a military family, therefore no friends from my youth to comment on my behavior. The only long term friends that I have are from when I was a young adult and they have no problems accepting that I may be on the spectrum. Of course they aren't available for interview because they live in different areas of the country. Since I've learned how to fake NT, I don't believe that it would be possible to get anything other than the social anxiety diagnosis which I have. As an example, when I was young I read an article saying that people who don't look you in the eyes can't be trusted. I didn't want people to think that I was untrustworthy so I made a point to look people in the eyes. Then I discovered that it was creepy to stare at people when you talk to them so I made it a point to move my eyes away occasionally. I can do a good NT. Unfortunately it takes a lot of effort and wears me out. Makes for no problem getting a social anxiety diagnosis and the meds which help, but frankly, I'm too overwhelmed with the situation to make anymore attempts at an ASD diagnosis.