Aspies For Freedom

I asked the following question on another thread and no one responded.  so i'll try one more time before i give up the ghost:

what are the top 10 (or 5 or 3 or whatever) reasons to seek an 'official diagnosis'?

...and I'll raise you one

what are the top 10 (or whatever) reasons to avoid an official diagnosis?

Tigger - thanks, but I didn't take it that way

thank you, energia, & sky (who did see it and reponded on the other thread)for your contributions!!

I filled out Baron-cohen's  AQ/EQ & AAA and fell decidedly in the AS range.  

My next question (Tigger - are you listening) is what supports do US adults actually get once they have an official dx?

Tigger, you know I am just being silly, right??

gadzukes, you have gorgeous hair (and pretty blue eyes)!  I hope your son is better soon

The top reason to receive an official diagnosis for me would be to finally feel that there was a good reason I always felt like I wasn't a normal girl.

The top reason for my son to be diagnosed was to have people understand that he isn't being naughty, he is different. I was told I was a naughty difficult child and it felt so unjust! I always wanted to do the right thing in my heart.

We were informed of a local support group for adults and young adults but told that there is nothing like that for parents with young kids. We have to wait till DS is older. I don't know what sort of other support adults can get I don't think there is as much, except for diagnosis which you pay for. I don't really know what good it would do being diagnosed as an adult. Except maybe someone you live with could get a carer payment? Not sure about adults. We do for DS and it was so easy to get it you just tick the Asperger box. I have had a rare form of arthritis since childhood which makes me unable to walk sometimes and it was SO much harder to get recognition because it isn't one of the boxes to tick. I had to do all these capability assessments.


Tigger you do have gorgeous colour hair like my dolly!

do you still ride your bike, granny?

I was officially diagnosed last thursday, so I'm not quite used to it yet and still in the process of convincing myself that I am the exact same person as I was before a diagnosis (and that is going quite well), but already I see a few advantages to an official diagnosis.

Advantages:
- If people need to know for some reason, you can just say: "I have Asperger's." You don't have to put in "probably", "maybe", "most likely" in your sentence and I expect that feels good. (Haven't done it yet)
- You no longer have the doubt whether you've got it or not.
- You no longer feel alone/like you belong nowhere. (But this could be just me personally)
- Professionals have told me that if there's something I want to talk about or something that goes wrong, even years from now, I can always come back and talk and get help. I'm not in therapy or something, but these people are there when I need them.
- I'll be going to university in two years and they are willing to help me with the transition and make sure I study the right thing. (I'm thinking of studying medicine, but I'm worried about my interaction with possible patients...)
- They'll set me up (somewhere in the future) with a group of student who have some form of autism, so we can talk and share experiences.

Disadvantages:
- You need some time to get used to it. (Well, I did, anyway. But it has been five days, so I expect that's pretty normal)
- You need to be surrounded by people who completely understand and will not treat you any differently. (I've got three great friends who do just that)
- You have to think about whom you want to tell, as in teacher, the school, people at work, etc.
- The diagnostic process can be quite exhausting.

I hope this is in any way helpful,

Good list, even the footnote!

Tigger your hair and eyes are beautiful, but you look like my immunology professor! Smart woman, too smart..

The director is having a bad day.  The agency accidentally helped someone who is normal and the Federal agency is spitting bullets, they want to pull our block grant and spend it on tax cuts.

I lived for three months in Poland myself as an intern at the IT department of a local private college. Living in a foreign country is not as hard as it may seem, although you might have to give up some of the luxury that you're used to. In my case, that means my appartment was quite messy and I lived on a diet of smoked fish, patato chips, kebab, bread and restaurant food. Luckily, Poland is quite cheap

... and let's not forget the wodka. If you're gonna live in Poland, you better learn to drink wodka.

#1 reason to have a diagnosis :  When the police are driving by and stop your kid when he is seen outside and not at school and ask you, his parent:  " What is THAT juvenile doing not in school!?"  Your son can turn to you - within earshot of the same officer - and SAY loud and clear  "I think he should watch his tone when speaking to people who are paying his salary" and after the officer replies to that, "Wow, I cannot belive how rude he just was to you"  or even he says "this isn't a police state, how dare he question a parent in regard to their child, it's still a free country isn't it mommy?" (this happened on a day off from catholic school - but the comments were from both of my sons.  (not afraid of authority or afraid to speak the truth to "so called" power.)

and the police will have to just be quiet -its the aspergers -no offense!

(fact is the police do not know -none of their business-  but they did recently send a letter around for anyone who wishes to "declare" a child with autism, si in the case of police involvement they would use their "new training techniques" in their dealings.)

Cool. I think it is appropriate in the to avoid column - that you yourself feel as you said silky : "sooooo much sweeter because they do not know I'm spectrum. I'm so glad I didn't come out.  It is sweeter to know that my ratings are based on the same measure as everyone else. "

I am concerned that "in the future" becasue it became necesary to do the diagnosis thing with ds, some insurance company somewhere or job, may put a box on it for autistic and he would have to check it or not be honest... I'll worry about that later - 1st things first though. Let's use the Dx to advance his education in a positive, soul affirming way (I wish).

l

SIlky, how very very excellent to have given yourself goals and a checklist of things you wanted to accomplish- that can be seen by your employers- and to have succeeded wildly! I am so bouyed by your fantastic affirming post.! Please post it everyhwhere... there are alot of threads going on where your post would be soooo helpful... ;o)

You seem to be able to express yourself coherently on this website, so I don't see why you can't learn to do the same Silky is doing. Read as many books on Aspies as you can find and talk with as many people as you can. Experience is the key.

The difference between a succes and a failure is often a matter of perseverence and self-confidence. Only with enough perseverence and self-confidence can you gain the necessary experience to mark your defects.

garrth posted not long ago (a week?) on  a "Confidence" thread, and spoke to (sorry to paraphrase and badly - I recommend those interested look for it) the idea of perseverence and self-confidence adnt hat for him it took trying and trying to feel succesful at whatver his goal was.  That is the same for all, bo matter our "differences" I would not call them defects.
I want to say "Confidence" is so key as a tool, even if it is pretend confidence - even for something as simple as "pulling off" a crazy clothing or hair look - if you act like you are confident about youirself - it changes how everyone relates to you.

I don't think (sorry to speak for you as you didn't ask silky) that silky sounded like she was in any way ashamed - but almost like for now, she was practicing her "stealth" aspie-ness as an aside and her "goals" as a priority.  

Batman, I think it is very sweet, that even with your own heart felt indignation you were so kind to try to understand silkys feelings.  You are the best!  

aslos, about confidence, I think that as people get older, it gets a little easier to feel or act confident. : O)