Aspies For Freedom

I can tick the boxes of the vast majority of the diagnostic criteria, but not all of them.

The problem is, I saw a psychologist yesterday who seems to believe that unless I meet *all* the criteria, then I'm not Aspie.   :roll:

How can I persuade him that we're not all carbon copies in terms of traits and 'symptoms'?

I find this article (pasted below) very interesting - especially since the original argument was that autism/Asperger's is more commonly found in boys than girls. (It illustrates how unique it can be in every person who has it).

One remark I have to make is; I think it is essential for a psychologist to get to know you before they can make a diagnosis. Aspies baffle therapists because of the way they communicate and it could take them a while to figure it out, because it manifests itself in a persons behaviour, communication and their quality of life - and it takes time to get to know someone.

I find this information very comprehensive http://www.as-if.org.uk/criteria.htm

Lastly, tell your psychologist to watch the movie Amelie!  :grin:




Girls' autism 'under-diagnosed'

Girls with autism may not be identified because they do not show traditional signs of the disorder, an expert warns.

Children with autistic spectrum disorders have poor social and communication skills.

Hyperactivity, and interests in technical hobbies have been seen as characteristics of the disorder.

But Christopher Gillberg, of the National Centre of Autism Studies, said girls were often passive and collected information on people, not things.

Around 535,000 people in the UK are estimated to have autistic spectrum disorders.

The number of boys diagnosed is much greater than the number of girls, but Professor Gillberg said the difference in incidence may not be as great as currently thought.


'Outsiders'

His theory is partly influenced by studies which did not find what they were expected to.

Researchers had looked at the male X chromosome, to see if genetic faults there could influence a boy's risk of developing the condition.

But no conclusive link has been found.

Professor Gillberg said: "Scientists had been very surprised that, so far, so little has come out of research into the X chromosome.

"But it may be that girls present differently to boys.

"The number of females with autism spectrum disorders may be under-diagnosed."

He said studies, including one his team had carried out into women with anorexia who were also autistic, as well as his own clinical practice, had shown the gender difference.

He added: "Autism may be behind many cases of anorexia. A girl may be withdrawn and uncommunicative, without attracting attention, but when she develops a calorie fixation it becomes a serious problem.

"Counting calories may be a manifestation of autism.

"I've seen quite a number of cases where the anorexia has become completely entrenched because people haven't understood that underlying the eating disorder is autism."


Lists

Professor Gillberg said that, at an earlier age girls with autism were likely to be more passive and not as active or aggressive as boys with autism are - and may be seen as simply shy.

"With some girls, there's a perception they are outsiders, someone who can't really mix with other children.

"They may tend to either avoid other children, or be on the periphery of the group."

He said boys were likely to show interest in technical or maths-related hobbies, whereas girls were more interested in people.

"They may have hobbies such as compiling books about their 'so-called' friends, and may make lists of their names and the colour of their eyes and hair, but not actually interact with them."

Professor Gillberg said girls may be perceived as simply shy, and parents and teachers may not realise there's a problem.

He added that differences in the way girls and boys learn to speak could also mask signs of autistic disorders.

"Girls tend to use language immediately, and use new words as soon as they hear them. Boys have longer periods of repeating what they know and processing what they are learning."

He said both genders may have the same combination of autism genes, but girls' natural linguistic ability may hide the associated language difficulties.

"Autistic spectrum disorders may be more difficult to pick up in girls, because they have superior linguistic abilities."

Judith Gould, director of the National Autistic Society's Diagnostic Centre, said: "We still know so little about this complex lifelong disability that it is essential we continue to question current thinking and suggest alternative theories for its prevalence.

"We would certainly agree we are probably missing autism in girls due to the different way in which it often manifests itself in females.

But Christopher Gillberg, of the National Centre of Autism Studies, said "girls were often passive and collected information on people, not things"

I think that that is also manifested in some (possibly a minority) of male autistics, I certainly think that it is in part true of me, and over time I have learned to relate to people in on quite a sophisticated level IN SOME  WAYS (normally where I can work to a 'script' ) but remain completely unable to read situations and motivations when the script breaks down.

I agree Stella,there is still a lot of ignorance towards adult autistics,especially those who are diagnosed as HF Kanners+Aspergers,we are assumed to have very little difficulty at all,and only need the minimum of support,if any.

Similarly, I believe that in my region, there are no services for the diagnosis of AS in adults, because if they acknowledged the existence of AS in adults through diagnosis, they'd have to assess needs, and then they'd have to make service provision.  They therefore have a vested interest in not providing diagnosis services, because it would not only cost them the money/resources for diagnostic services, but then that would reveal a need for other services and assistance.

I'm similar to you enigmatic_oddity.

When I read the criterion concerning clumsiness, I instinctively thought:  Oh, I don't meet that one, but there was a reference to sports.

I used to play hockey for the school team, even captained the team on occasion.  I was a very strong swimmer too, won inter-house competitions, I even beat the boys!

I thought clumsiness and being poor at sports doesn't really relate to me.  But then I remembered.  I hated track, I often used to 'forget' my kit when it was track season, it was so awful.  I was always last over the finishing line in sprints (I wasn't the worst at cross country though, although I think that had more to do with tenacity and a high pain threshold which are good for long distance running).  I was useless at discus, javelin, high jump, long jump.  Hated netball.  Couldn't hit a tennis ball over the net.  

Whenever classmates were picking people for teams during sports lessons, I was invariably one of the last to be chosen.   :cry:

As far as team sports goes, I think my social difficulties are a greater hindrance than poor motor skills.  I would always play terribly and clumsily with people I didn't know that well or if I were trying out for something, but when I just play basketball with a couple of close friends I'm much better (though by no means fantastic).

As far as clumsiness in general goes, I tend to trip over my feet from time to time while walking, though not to the extent that I fall over.  I also spill something on myself almost daily.

Repetitive motor mannerisms:  absolutely.  And if I do something on one side of my body I have to do it on the other, so it's symetrical.  This could also be tourettes, not sure.

Social Impairment:  yes.

encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity of focus:  yes

apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals:  only when I'm really anxious

persistent preoccupation with parts of objects:  I frequently take things apart and rarely put them back together

There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years):  I think I began speaking slightly later than the average  

There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood:  correct

Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia:  correct