Another Newbie

[Rudy Schmidt]

Hi all.

I'm 26 and have very recently learned that I have Aspergers Syndrome. It was a relief at first, as it explained a lot of my eccentric quirks and behaviors. I read up on it and realized that it makes a lot of sense, although I didn't think I'd be high on the spectrum - maybe just under the wire, if at all. However, seeing my different test results came as an enormous shock, as they made me out to be a lot more severe than I thought. I even had my wife take the tests to make sure it wasn't a normal result, and she scored very normal and opposite.

Anyway, bottom line, I'm still having a bit if trouble with this. I live in the US and have no insurance and very little spare cash, so a formal diagnosis is out of the question, but multiple tests and several close relatives with degrees in psychology and experience with autistic/Aspergers people tell me it's almost guaranteed.

Sorry - this is the longest introduction post ever. I should have done this in a different thread.

Hi.

Edit: Please don't get the wrong idea, I'm not usually this flustered - I'm just a little pent-up at the moment. I have a really good grasp on social rules for the most part, which is why this blindsided me so hard.

 

[Judge]

Welcome to AC Rudy. Yeah...lately in "working the problem" I've started to think my autism is more extensive than I thought as well. It's so complex....manifesting itself at different amplitudes across such a broad spectrum of traits and behaviors. Of course in my case I didn't catch onto being autistic until my late fifties. Self-diagnosed and uninsured as well.

This site can be an excellent practical source to learn about ASD in much greater detail.

 

[Ereth]

Rudy, don't worry about your posts. They can be as long or as short as you like.

 

[Salmongirl17]

Nah, your post wasn't long. A bunch of intro posts are about a persons entire life!
Hello and Welcome!!

Ps. I may be wrong, but I think being high on the spectrum is good. Low is severe autism (I think).

 

[Rudy Schmidt]

Thanks for all the comments and reassurance. This is still pretty fresh to me, so I haven't fully processed it yet.

It's also nice to know I'm not the only one who a) didn't catch it until I was an adult, and b) can't get a diagnosis due to monetary issues.

 

[Vanilla]

Welcome

Don't worry, we're all in similar situations here. Being flustered can be quite common for some of us too, but our members are quite friendly, and supportive here, so hopefully you can feel right at home here.

You'll find that for many people, a formal diagnoses is not really an option, as it's quite costly, and often unnecessary, unless you are receiving some form of benefits. It's really up to you if you feel you want one. Either way, this place is a great resource for learning more about Asperger's, and how it affects different people in different ways. I encourage you to take a look around and add to our discussions.

Also, taking a look at our recommended resources list for books on AS can be quite helpful: Resources | AspiesCentral.com

Many of our members will agree that the works of Dr. Tony Attwood is a great place to start, as he is quite the expert.

 

[Rudy Schmidt]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Several people have recommended Dr. Attwood to me - I intend to go and order his 'Complete Guide' next week.