Dave-V
Well-Known Member
Hi folks
I've been lurking here for a few months as I've been reading about Asperger’s. My story began last year when I started seeing a counsellor. After a few sessions she asked whether I'd ever been assessed for ASD. The question seemed really odd - I'd started seeing for help with various issues, mostly to social interactions and autism was something I knew little about. Later, when I tried to explain this to my partner, she actually finished the sentence for me, saying she'd wondered for a while if I was an Aspie.
So I started reading up on Asperger’s. Some blog entries were almost frightening as they described so accurately what I'd been experiencing for years. But then I'd read something else and think 'this is nothing like me'.
Briefly, Asperger’s seems to fit because:
I'm in my 50's now, but Asperger’s seems to explain so much of the good and the bad experiences in my life. At first it seemed sufficient to know that I have Aspie tendencies and that, armed with this knowledge, I can better understand my strengthens and handle my weaknesses. However, there are aspects which make me question this diagnosis. For example I don't experience meltdowns in the way many Aspies do. I also wonder whether my stims are just bad habits, if my special interests are as intensive as might be expected, and should I be even more routed in a routine?
I therefore feel an increasing need for a formal diagnosis.
I attempted to discuss the possibility of Asperger’s with my GP, but he dismissed the possibility out of hand. However, as time passes it seems more important to have an official diagnosis. A private diagnosis seems prohibitively expensive, so it seems I must go back and push this with my doctor.
Now here's my real question in all this waffle. A diagnosis through the NHS will remain on my records, so may become available to new employers, insurance applications or who knows what. Should I be concerned about this? Many people post about the boost they have received from a diagnosis, but do some people regret taking the step?
Whether I’m Aspie or not, thanks for a great site.
I've been lurking here for a few months as I've been reading about Asperger’s. My story began last year when I started seeing a counsellor. After a few sessions she asked whether I'd ever been assessed for ASD. The question seemed really odd - I'd started seeing for help with various issues, mostly to social interactions and autism was something I knew little about. Later, when I tried to explain this to my partner, she actually finished the sentence for me, saying she'd wondered for a while if I was an Aspie.
So I started reading up on Asperger’s. Some blog entries were almost frightening as they described so accurately what I'd been experiencing for years. But then I'd read something else and think 'this is nothing like me'.
Briefly, Asperger’s seems to fit because:
- I can't "read" people. I do not understand what's not explicitly stated - but should I really believe what I've been told? A casual conversation with a work colleague can be excruciating.
- Several years ago I was diagnosed with Audio Processing Deficiency. This gives me problems when several conversations are happening, or there is a high level of background noise, or people have strong accents. Sometimes it’s like a delay between when I hear the voice and when I understand the meaning. This is suspiciously similar to the audio issues some Aspies describe.
- I become obsessed with interests or ideas - to the extent that I will forget to eat and work into the early hours of the morning. These interests could be anything from investigating a family tree or local history question to learning everything I can about shoe sizes or doing all the Sudoku puzzles I can find. Although not a tidy person, I can spend hours arranging and cataloguing items. For example, I have thousands of aircraft pictures, each of which I must correctly label. With this the Internet is my biggest ally and my worst enemy!
- I cannot bear to be touched softly or gently. Likewise the feel of food is the far more important than taste when deciding if will eat something.
- Recently I have realised I may have some stims. These include finger tapping or imaginary typing, twitching my legs, and sometimes swaying. I'm lost without an object to handle and caress - my current favourite is a light bulb I replaced when fixing the Christmas lights last year.
- In the AQ test I score relatively high (between 38 and 41 depending how conservatively I answered the questions).
- I'm also epileptic. Whilst I know this is not diagnostic, I have read that epilepsy is more prevalent amongst those with ASD.
I'm in my 50's now, but Asperger’s seems to explain so much of the good and the bad experiences in my life. At first it seemed sufficient to know that I have Aspie tendencies and that, armed with this knowledge, I can better understand my strengthens and handle my weaknesses. However, there are aspects which make me question this diagnosis. For example I don't experience meltdowns in the way many Aspies do. I also wonder whether my stims are just bad habits, if my special interests are as intensive as might be expected, and should I be even more routed in a routine?
I therefore feel an increasing need for a formal diagnosis.
I attempted to discuss the possibility of Asperger’s with my GP, but he dismissed the possibility out of hand. However, as time passes it seems more important to have an official diagnosis. A private diagnosis seems prohibitively expensive, so it seems I must go back and push this with my doctor.
Now here's my real question in all this waffle. A diagnosis through the NHS will remain on my records, so may become available to new employers, insurance applications or who knows what. Should I be concerned about this? Many people post about the boost they have received from a diagnosis, but do some people regret taking the step?
Whether I’m Aspie or not, thanks for a great site.
