Does anyone else on here have Asperger's or autism? For a while I have thought that I am autistic. I have done many online tests and reading. I recently thought to look into the difference between Asperger's and autism and now suspect that I have Asperger's. I am struggling to get my head around it and know how I feel about it. I was just wondering what other peoples experiences were?
Aspergers/Autism
- Thread starter Katescience
- Start date
Hello! Autistic here! That would have been classified as Aspie. Aspergers is outdated now, and linked to eugenics, everything comes under ASC or ASD (Autistic spectrum condition/disorder)
What kind of thing are you looking for?
(I always have trouble with vague questions, a trait)
Last edited:
My experience growing up was that I was always a little outside of the friend circles because I was "weird"(a bit non descript), rocked when sitting, or hummed (General stimming) and I didn't understand some of the jokes. I was also really interested in odd (to others) niche things that I would never shut up about. (Special interests)
Didn't get diagnosed until my 20s because of general parental neglect and I did pretty well academically until college, probably why teachers didn't bring it up, to me at least, if they suspected. May have told my parents but see point 1.
Something that gets brought up is empathy/lack of it. In reality it's more that cognitive empathy is lacking- Action A has resulted in Emotion B. So you my be able to tell someone is upset, but not realise why, e.g. you said you weren't fond of their clothing choice. And then when told why they're upset, probably at a later date, by someone else.... but you were just being honest? And they can still wear it if they like it? They asked for your opinion?!
A lot of autistic people experience hyperempathy. For example, my stuffed toy fell off my bed, and now I'm inconsolable because I would feel so neglected and unwanted if my caregiver had just left me on the floor like that, etc. Or seeing people on the news in awful situations and not being able to handle it because you connect too strongly to what they must be feeling.
Didn't get diagnosed until my 20s because of general parental neglect and I did pretty well academically until college, probably why teachers didn't bring it up, to me at least, if they suspected. May have told my parents but see point 1.
Something that gets brought up is empathy/lack of it. In reality it's more that cognitive empathy is lacking- Action A has resulted in Emotion B. So you my be able to tell someone is upset, but not realise why, e.g. you said you weren't fond of their clothing choice. And then when told why they're upset, probably at a later date, by someone else.... but you were just being honest? And they can still wear it if they like it? They asked for your opinion?!
A lot of autistic people experience hyperempathy. For example, my stuffed toy fell off my bed, and now I'm inconsolable because I would feel so neglected and unwanted if my caregiver had just left me on the floor like that, etc. Or seeing people on the news in awful situations and not being able to handle it because you connect too strongly to what they must be feeling.
Last edited:
Techitude
COMMITTEE
Join us in the Mental Health Matter group - there are a few of us in there with ASD and it's an open understanding place to discuss it.
https://community.preproom.org/index.php?groups/mental-health-matters.38/
https://community.preproom.org/index.php?groups/mental-health-matters.38/
I was getting confused by that, thank you!
I was just wanting to know how people discovered they were ASD/C and how they coped and things like that. Just anything really, I don't really know where to start.
I always felt like that. I didn't want a massive group of friends, and was never really interested in spending time with them outside of school. I much preferred my own time, but also didn't want to be picked on or for people to think I wasn't normal. I'm still not interested in having many friends now. I have one best friend, my partner and my sisters/parents.
I have always struggled with understanding jokes!!
After thinking that I might be autistic for a while, I mentioned it to my sister and she said her and my mom have known for years that I was (no formal diagnosis). I asked why they think I am and they said just certain things I do, and how I am in social situations.
I tend to pick the skin on my fingers a lot, especially in social settings. And when my brain is thinking away, and I just automatically pick. I have to fiddle with things to when I am talking to people, if I'm not picking my skin.
I have previously suffered with depression and have been on medication. I am currently on anxiety medication too, but think it is more OCD than anxiety. I just feel kind of lost at the minute and like I don't know who I am and what I want.
I have put in a request!
There are a few autistic techs on here, me included!
Asperger's is off the DSM these days, but I've been around long enough that it was what I was diagnosed with (and I'll still refer to myself as aspie because it's the identity I grew up familiar with). As Wren said, that's out the window now and nowadays they split it into what basically amounts to functional levels, which is problematic in whole other ways but there we are!
I started down the path to diagnosis at 14 when I had a bit of a breakdown (as is often the case for us women on the spectrum- we manage then puberty hits and it's too difficult to mask any more), befuddled the 'specialist' I was assigned because I matched some traits perfectly and was completely opposite of what would be expected in others.
My parents and said EdPsych then decided not to officially diagnose me because I seemed to be coping a little better by the time that had all been done, thanks to a combination of therapy and becoming part of the NAGTY which really helped me socially (because it meant I was interacting with a lot of kids who were like me and with whom I actually had things in common).
Then three years later I start majorly struggling again at A-level, and we see a new psychologist. Turns out I am and always was a textbook female aspie, but the diagnostic criteria was always tailored heavily to the presentation of males.
Socially, I always assumed I must be an introvert because I didn't have a lot of friends (I was part of the "Odd Squad"- all the kids who didn't fit in with the other groups so just sort of ended up together, and at one point I even got ostracised from them so I had a year alone). Turns out now I have gotten to know myself a bit better and found my tribe, I was actually an "extrovert who had no idea what she was doing" all along.
Unfortunately for me that means that I am forever doomed to walk the tightrope of "socialising is exhausting because of my ASD" and "Being on my own/not going out and doing stuff makes me anxious".
I feel you on the skin picking and mental health.
I suspected it in college when everyone around me in my friend group had an official diagnoses and why I felt so at home there.
I too searched it on the internet for years and eventually figured out I probably had it after many tests and talking to my diagnosed friends. I went for a formal diagnosis in Uni, mostly because I couldn't get assignment extensions without something official.
I've got a few co-morbid mental health issues with it, which made getting a diagnosis a little harder because they kept trying to attribute traits to existing conditions and I had to explain over and over again that this was a lifelong occurrence. Though being mentally ill since I was a child makes it hard to separate them sometimes.
I loved getting my diagnosis because it was like a HA! TOLD YOU! to my family, because they kept denying that I had anything at all wrong with me. And "there's no way you can be autistic, because you don't act like the boy next door with autism". Are we supposed to be cookie cutter gingerbread now? Of course I don't act like him. I am not him. Autistic people are just as varied and nuanced as neurotypical people.
A lot of Autism groups on social media sites also helped me understand what traits I could attribute to autism and which were from other things. Trying to tell the difference between Autism Executive dysfunction and depression was and probably is the most difficult to me.
My social relationships are odd. I want friends but can't make them/keep them very well, because at the same time socialisation can wear me out so easily. I used to have lots more friends, all autistic, but then we're all kind of terrible at staying in touch so haven't spoken in years. But I am quite happy just sitting in my own world daydreaming/making things/gaming most of the time.
If anybody's interested I have taken this opportunity to create a group especially for neurodiverse techs!
Please join if you want to
community.preproom.org
Please join if you want to
About
A group for technicians with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc. to discuss all things ND, share hints and tips that help with everyday life as a neurodiverse tech, and/or generally get to know each other.
I had a breakdown in my teens too, but never got any help for it. It then kind of went up and down for years, until an even bigger breakdown at university. It feels constantly up and down!There are a few autistic techs on here, me included!
Asperger's is off the DSM these days, but I've been around long enough that it was what I was diagnosed with (and I'll still refer to myself as aspie because it's the identity I grew up familiar with). As Wren said, that's out the window now and nowadays they split it into what basically amounts to functional levels, which is problematic in whole other ways but there we are!
I started down the path to diagnosis at 14 when I had a bit of a breakdown (as is often the case for us women on the spectrum- we manage then puberty hits and it's too difficult to mask any more), befuddled the 'specialist' I was assigned because I matched some traits perfectly and was completely opposite of what would be expected in others.
My parents and said EdPsych then decided not to officially diagnose me because I seemed to be coping a little better by the time that had all been done, thanks to a combination of therapy and becoming part of the NAGTY which really helped me socially (because it meant I was interacting with a lot of kids who were like me and with whom I actually had things in common).
Then three years later I start majorly struggling again at A-level, and we see a new psychologist. Turns out I am and always was a textbook female aspie, but the diagnostic criteria was always tailored heavily to the presentation of males.
Socially, I always assumed I must be an introvert because I didn't have a lot of friends (I was part of the "Odd Squad"- all the kids who didn't fit in with the other groups so just sort of ended up together, and at one point I even got ostracised from them so I had a year alone). Turns out now I have gotten to know myself a bit better and found my tribe, I was actually an "extrovert who had no idea what she was doing" all along.
Unfortunately for me that means that I am forever doomed to walk the tightrope of "socialising is exhausting because of my ASD" and "Being on my own/not going out and doing stuff makes me anxious".
It seems like we are very similar! Since thinking I am autistic, it is so hard to know what s that, what is OCD, what is anxiety and everything! It all feels so messy at the minute! It is nice to talk to people who have been through similar though
Thank you for putting this topic on the forum. We can all learn from the comments and it can help to give us a better understanding.
I am waiting for the doc to give me a call back about my ASD assessment but I am the only one in the family now without a formal diagnosis. Wife got hers in lockdown, daughters came through before lockdown and my sons came through this week
What was the diagnosis process like? I am in my early 20s, and I don't know if it it worth getting a diagnosis or notI am waiting for the doc to give me a call back about my ASD assessment but I am the only one in the family now without a formal diagnosis. Wife got hers in lockdown, daughters came through before lockdown and my sons came through this week
I haven't got that far yet, I chasing the doctor. I put my letter in ages ago
Techitude
COMMITTEE
I finally got a diagnosis at age 28. It's worth chasing one as it offers you much more employee protection at work and they have to make reasonable adjustments if you need them.
I also pick my skin but not just in social settings. For years I was so ashamed about it because my whole hands are pretty much scarred and people would always ask what happened. Since I learnt more about dermatophagia (skin excision disorder) I've been more confident to educate people when they ask and not feel bad about it!
I didn't know there was a name for it! Thank you for sharing
I worked with Engineers for a long time. I think the spectrum is why they often say such odd things. I remember one who had just been told that abroad foreign cars were left hand drive. He thought about this for a minute then said; that's why there are so many accidents abroad. The Drivers have to lean across to the other side of the car to be able to reach the controls!!!
Techitude
COMMITTEE
It's also known as dermatillomania and is a common co-morbid condition with ASD, Tourettes, Anxiety disorders etc