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New Here And Out Of My Comfort Zone

KarFaiN

KarFaiN

????!??!!!!
Posting on public forums makes me uncomfortable. But I'm looking for a community, and I don't think I'll get it by lurking, so here I am.

I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 12, but aside from accommodations in public school, I haven't had much education or help with it since then. I was convinced I could live without them, if I tried hard enough, and my goal was to fill the gaps in me to become a normal person. Predictably, I hit freefall pretty much as soon as I started college. I used to think my mindset just came from the world around me, but being stuck at home with family has made me realize that that is their mindset, as well my school and the world at large. Now I have to change, not only because my mindset is changing, but because I believe I have something to do here, and everything I am is a part of that.

So I'm attempting to apply for services-not easy to do when all your diagnosis paperwork is 12 years old-and trying to connect somewhere. Anybody have any pointers?
 
Welcome aboard! :)
This is a friendly and helpful community. I hope you find the answers you seek.
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Welcome to Aspies Central.

The first thing that you could try is to get a disability attorney. Most of them won't charge you if you don't get benefits. They get paid out of a portion of your initial benefits, if you get them. Not everyone with autism is considered disabled enough to qualify.

If you need a more current evaluation (for the attorney or therapy), see someone who is familiar with autism, especially since you're female. Misdiagnosis is all too common. Check the Autism Society of [your state] for counselor recommendations.
 
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Crossbreed said:
Welcome to Aspies Central.

The first thing that you could try is to get a disability attorney. Most of them won't charge you if you don't get benefits. They get paid out of a portion of your initial benefits, if you get them. Not everyone with autism is considered disabled enough to qualify.

If you need a more current evaluation (for the attorney or therapy), see someone who is familiar with autism, especially since you're female. Misdiagnosis is all too common. Check the Autism Society of [your state] for counselor recommendations.
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One of the first things I've learned about is not being disabled enough to qualify for things. I applied for an organization in my state, it took 4 months to get a decision and I was deemed not to meet the criteria and was refused services. Might've been because my paperwork is 12 years old...but I'm still lowkey upset about it.
 
KarFaiN said:
... aside from accommodations in public school, I haven't had much education or help with it since then.
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Wouldn't that be five or six years of accommodations, giving you a history as recent as six or seven years ago?
 
KarFaiN said:
One of the first things I've learned about is not being disabled enough to qualify for things. I applied for an organization in my state, it took 4 months to get a decision and I was deemed not to meet the criteria and was refused services. Might've been because my paperwork is 12 years old...but I'm still lowkey upset about it.
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I wouldn't go through the standard, state psych services. So many are woefully behind the times in ASD evaluation.

A disability attorney won't necessarily get you into support services. But if they get you onto SS Disability, you can get such services with its associated health coverage.
 
I got similar result. My advocate didn't show up to my first hearing. They said I could be a janitor but I would probably have to move. Because I live aprox. 9 miles from town. This was very disheartening, because I have had several decent paying jobs in the past. I have a dis-ability in keeping a job. I felt like asking the judge if I needed to take drastic actions to get qualified. The problem is being screwed up enough to get disability, but not so screwed up that they put you in the nut house.:D
If you try again, I hope you have better results.:)
 
DudBomb said:
I got similar result. My advocate didn't show up to my first hearing. They said I could be a janitor but I would probably have to move. Because I live aprox. 9 miles from town. This was very disheartening, because I have had several decent paying jobs in the past. I have a dis-ability in keeping a job. I felt like asking the judge if I needed to take drastic actions to get qualified. The problem is being screwed up enough to get disability, but not so screwed up that they put you in the nut house.:D
If you try again, I hope you have better results.:)
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I have trouble keeping a job as well...I'm working with VR right now but an attorney doesn't seem like a bad idea.
 
Here in the US, the attorney gets 25% of the back pay, that has accrued since the time you filled. A bad attorney may stall the process to get more money.

I had three years of back pay built up. In my case, I will have to restart the process, if I file again. My advocate pretty much screwed me.
 
DudBomb said:
My advocate pretty much screwed me.
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Mine did okay, but the process still took about a year or two. (I never had to make a court appearance.)

My trouble in maintaining gainful employment actually helped to make my case.
 
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Crossbreed said:
Mine did okay, but the process still took about a year or two.

My trouble in maintaining gainful employment actually helped to make my case.
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I'm worried that I haven't lost enough jobs to make my case. I've only been through it twice, but they were excruciating enough and I'm seeing a pattern developing.
 
KarFaiN said:
I'm worried that I haven't lost enough jobs to make my case. I've only been through it twice, but they were excruciating enough and I'm seeing a pattern developing.
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I agree.

I take care of my dad while my mom works. She is a nurse. If I didn't he would end up in a nursing home. He says if that happens, he will stop eating and die.

That plus living in the country, with no transportation of my own, I'm pretty much stuck, for the foreseeable future.
 
@KarFaiN , your present history will give the attorney some people to talk to. Keep pursuing employment while pursuing disability. You could figure out how to be successful. If you don't (as a limitation of your ASD), it will give your attorney more history to work with.
 
KarFaiN said:
Posting on public forums makes me uncomfortable. But I'm looking for a community, and I don't think I'll get it by lurking, so here I am.

I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 12, but aside from accommodations in public school, I haven't had much education or help with it since then. I was convinced I could live without them, if I tried hard enough, and my goal was to fill the gaps in me to become a normal person. Predictably, I hit freefall pretty much as soon as I started college. I used to think my mindset just came from the world around me, but being stuck at home with family has made me realize that that is their mindset, as well my school and the world at large. Now I have to change, not only because my mindset is changing, but because I believe I have something to do here, and everything I am is a part of that.

So I'm attempting to apply for services-not easy to do when all your diagnosis paperwork is 12 years old-and trying to connect somewhere. Anybody have any pointers?
Click to expand...
Is there anything i can do to make you feel comfortable KarFaiN ? i was diagnosed with aspergers and add at 19-20 thats the same way with me regarding education and help and goal and go in and let them know you were diagnosed with aspergers at age 12 and you would like to get help through services and what kind of services are available for me and if you need help or anything else just let me know :)
 
Crossbreed said:
@KarFaiN , your present history will give the attorney some people to talk to. Keep pursuing employment while pursuing disability. You could figure out how to be successful. If you don't (as a limitation of your ASD), it will give your attorney more history to work with.
Click to expand...
Any advice on job searching with ASD? I can't seem to find anything I'm not under qualified for and applications give me anxiety.
 
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