Hello Everyone

[Jewel Jones - JJ]

Hi all. I go by JJ.

I'm a 28 year old female and I'm just now learning that I likely have Asperger's Syndrome. I learned about it from a couple of good friends who both have it as well. Just doing research on my own, it surprised me how many female AS symptoms I have and never knew

I can trace a lot of this back to childhood and if this is my diagnosis it will explain a lot of things for me. I work in the medical field as a medical assistant, but find the job to be extremely stressful. I often times have trouble functioning at work.

I have an assesment scheduled for next month (March) and hopefully the doctor can diagnosis this and start me on some treatment. I took an online AS test and scored a 36

Currently things have become very overwhelming. I'm also dealing with severe depression and anxiety.

It still confuses me as to how this diagnosis was missed in my childhood. I had psychological testing done around age 11 and all they found was ADHD. If they'd found this as well, I think school would've have been a lot easier.

I hoping to get a diagnosis soon, as all I have now is my self diagnosis. I just need support right now and to learn some coping skills and life skills.

It's nice to meet you all. Thanks for listening.

JJ

 

[Tom]

Hi,
I think it is often and easily missed in the probably many mild cases. Also it has taken a long time for the many and sometimes complicated symptoms of ASD to become familiar to doctors in general. It also still remains a diagnosis in flux, with uncertainty about the different types and such. Lastly, and unfortunately there is a segment of medical professionals that still question the validity and think in certain cases 'Its all in your head' and emotional rather then physiological/mental condition it is.

But to put it one way, if it is ASD, then you have always been on this road and just weren't aware of it, and already have learned in practical terms what it is like and means on a daily basis. You have also probably developed your own coping mechanisms. But that is not to say actually identifying it and learning about it can't be positive and yield improvements. Although its not sometimes visable day to day, over time this knowledge can really clear up many issues and give you better wisdom how to deal with things.

And yes, it is quite interesting, if not somewhat wrenching (for lack of better word) to then go back and view the past with corrected lenses. So much now makes more sense then it did then.

Have patience and give yourself time to really absorb it.

 

[Judge]

It still confuses me as to how this diagnosis was missed in my childhood. I had psychological testing done around age 11 and all they found was ADHD. If they'd found this as well, I think school would've have been a lot easier.

JJ

Welcome to AC, JJ. For what it's worth, I think it confuses plenty of medical professionals as well.

That there are many forms of comorbidity to possibly "skew" a proper diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

[Greg]

Welcome!

 

[Vanilla]

Welcome

You'll find that AS can be hard to diagnose, and women on the spectrum tend to have a harder time being diagnosed, as we tend to portray differing traits. It's important to be aware too, that not all specialists are aware of how to spot these more female-typical a traits. I've added a few resources below, which may be of interest to you.

AS for women:

Day 62: Females with Asperger’s Syndrome (Non-Official) Checklist | Everyday Asperger's

Aspergirls: Empowering Females With Asperger Syndrome | AspiesCentral.com

Tony Attwood (I recommend a YouTube search too):

Home

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome | AspiesCentral.com

 

[tree]

Jewel Jones - JJ