I think I may have been lied to about having Asperger's.

[Ya Boi]

For most of my life, I was told by my parents that I had Asperger's syndrome. Last year I found my old diagnosis paper and took a picture of it on my phone because I thought it'd be cool to have that. When I looked at it today I realized it said this, "OP's diagnoses are Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (Rule Out Asperger's Disorder), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type." I don't know if I'm misinterpreting this and didn't do the right research, but it sounds like it's saying I don't have Asperger's and just fall somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. I know they're basically the same thing, but I still feel like I've been lied to. I'm not sure what to do about it now. I'm thinking of getting another diagnosis, but I'm not sure where to go or what to look for. I did a Google search on places to get an Autism diagnosis, but I'm not sure how if any of them are good since they had ABA in their names and I've heard that isn't good. There are also the questions about what this means for me. Does that mean I've been getting the wrong treatment? Did my parents hide this from me? If so why? What do I do now if I find out I don't actually have it?

Please help me. I have no idea what I should do and it's really stressing me out.

 

[Luca]

I was diagnosed with "Aspergers Syndrome" as a toddler. It is no longer a diagnosis, and my doctor now describes me as having level 1 high functioning autism.
My therapist doesn't think I'm autistic, but that's an entirely different discussion and I don't think she has a legitimate reason for believing that, or substantial evidence to make an argument for it.

But, your parents might have simply referred to "Autism Spectrum Disorder" as "Aspergers" when you were not in fact diagnosed with Aspergers. There are people who still call it Aspergers and a lot of them are probably your parents' age.

PDD-NOS is (at least I think) diagnosed when someone meets SOME of the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder but not enough to be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder specifically.* I believe someone explained that to me on the forums before. Correct me if I'm wrong.
*Actually, right after I typed this, I fact-checked it online, and that seems to be the case.
I would actually more likely fall into the PDD-NOS category than the Aspergers category, since my only significant "impairment" (if you can call it that) due to autistic traits is my special interests. I love my special interests but I could go on a whole separate rant about how they have basically ruined my life.

Back to the original point... I don't think your parents have deliberately "lied" to you, necessarily. They might have been under the impression that Aspergers/ASD is the same diagnosis as PDD-NOS.
This is my personal opinion, but I think you would be correct in avoiding seeking a diagnosis at ANY place that uses ABA therapy. ABA therapists punished me for "acting autistic" (again, mostly to do with my special interests) and in my experience they don't think autistic people are intelligent or capable of autonomy. That's my personal experience though and not everyone will likely feel the same.
But I would still encourage you to talk to a professional who can help you (and your parents) better understand your diagnosis.

 

[Crossbreed]

I did a Google search on places to get an Autism diagnosis, but I'm not sure how if any of them are good since they had ABA in their names and I've heard that isn't good.

If you are in the USA, see
https://autlanders.blogspot.com/2019/07/finding-support-resources-in-usa.html

 

[Rodafina]

Does that mean I've been getting the wrong treatment?

@Ya Boi,
I don’t know a lot about this – I am only getting diagnosed now and I am quite old. But, I am pretty sure that the treatment would be very similar for the different diagnoses you were discussing. I wouldn’t dismiss any successful treatment that you’ve had and keep with anything that is helping regardless of what your official diagnosis is. Just a thought, but I can understand how this is all confusing and upsetting.

 

[Nick12]

just be happy i wish you a happy day

 

[Storm Hess]

ABA therapists punished me for "acting autistic" (again, mostly to do with my special interests) and in my experience they don't think autistic people are intelligent or capable of autonomy. That's my personal experience though and not everyone will likely feel the same.

If I wanted to be punished for being Autistic, I'd move back in with my mother. Those were a lot of years of confusion and pain...I definitely wouldn't go to a 'therapist' that would use that as a tool.

 

[Slime_Punk]

I'm still shocked by how many therapists don't believe in high-functioning autism. I've had too many similar experiences to count, which led to a lot of problems

 

[Rasputin]

PDD-NOS and Aspergers are now both referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I don’t think you were lied to.

 

[Tom]

What is PDD-NOS? PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. PDD-NOS was one of several previously separate subtypes of autism that were folded into the single diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual in 2013.

There may have been confusion, or diagreement about the exact technical term/diagnosis but both were considered types of autism. Eventually the medical establishment decided they really couldn't definatively tell one from another so lumped them together. But either way if they thought Aspergers or PDD-NOS there is no difference in therapies or education systems etc. In other words it didn't matter.

My guess is your parents were confused by a confusing diagnosis system or thought you seemed more like whatever they knew about Aspergers. I don't really see any lie, or even motivation/reason to do so with two near identical things.