for those with autism

[Omg301]

The only individuals that I believe that are truly crazy are those that 'want' to be diagnosed Autistic as they believe that it will give them some kind of weapon to use to get their way - whatever that maybe! Yea, I know it sounds truly sick, but they are out there!

Autism cuts deep within my extended family on my Father's side and such game players, strike a sour note with me.

Your honest want to know, I fully understand!

Yeah, I don't judge but I know in my case, I just wanted to understand why I always felt so different, and now I understand.

Don't you feel bad about it one bit! You are entitled to verify it! It's your body, your mind, your life...if it helps you understand, cope and navigate through it, there's nothing wrong with it at all. No wise person would fault you if you broke your leg and wanted to find out of you really did...you owe nobody any explanation or justification as to why you want to verify your autism. It makes you no more or less autistic whether you do or don't. I went 50 years undiagnosed with my own experience...it was the deepest, darkest mystery, the details of which were fully answered when I learned.

I'm on your side, 100%.

Thank you so much. I love this community so much. I've been feeling depressed again even on my anti-depressant meds that I've been on for over a month and it's been really tough. But I'm holding on and hoping whenever I do get a new medication and more help that I will start to feel better. :X

 

[claire123]

Do you think I'm crazy for wanting to look into why I am different? Yes, and I talked with friends and I did it to explore why I am how I am. Does it make me any less autistic if I was diagnosed as an adult vs as a child? Do you think it's harmful that I would want to verify if I am Autistic? I see it as a benefit. It helps me understand why I am how I am. It's not a negative at all like some like to think. It's okay... I feel a lot of animosity right now and I can't handle it right now, not now.

Ok I didn’t say anything bad about being diagnosed as an adult vs a child, nor did I say anything bad about exploring why you or any one else felt differently. Infact I did state I’m waiting myself for an assessment because like you I’ve felt different my whole life and never knew why. I also didn’t state autism was a negative thing so I don’t understand you’re reply to me, the only thing I did state was I didn’t understand who would self diagnose it because there are plenty of disorders that almost match up to autism, someone else did explain abouts costs etc which yeah stupidly I hadn’t considered ( I’m uk ) and I didn’t mean any offense by.

 

[PaigeCherubiel]

I was somewhat of a child prodigy, from winning 2nd prize in a Science Fair as a 1st grader (circa 1966) to winning an "Outstanding Student in Science" as a High School senior. But by 6th grade I had been tested by both a psychiatrist and the school psychologist, and there was never any mention of Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, or "Childhood Schizophrenia". Many years later after talking to a family practice doctor about my ailments, he said to my wife in private "You know your husband is a high-functioning autistic, don't you?"

 

[Omg301]

Ok I didn’t say anything bad about being diagnosed as an adult vs a child, nor did I say anything bad about exploring why you or any one else felt differently. Infact I did state I’m waiting myself for an assessment because like you I’ve felt different my whole life and never knew why. I also didn’t state autism was a negative thing so I don’t understand you’re reply to me, the only thing I did state was I didn’t understand who would self diagnose it because there are plenty of disorders that almost match up to autism, someone else did explain abouts costs etc which yeah stupidly I hadn’t considered ( I’m uk ) and I didn’t mean any offense by.

Thanks for clarifying. Sorry, I was very depressed when I wrote the reply and slightly suicidal. I'm still depressed but am a bit better right now. I understand now. I wish you luck with your assessment.

 

[claire123]

Thanks for clarifying. Sorry, I was very depressed when I wrote the reply and slightly suicidal. I'm still depressed but am a bit better right now. I understand now. I wish you luck with your assessment.

Sorry for going off on you to, I tend to get sensitive about certain things. I hope you are ok no one deserves to feel depressed especially not suicidal, been there a lot so I’m only a message away if you need anyone thank you

 

[WetKat]

Do you think I'm crazy for wanting to look into why I am different? Yes, and I talked with friends and I did it to explore why I am how I am. Does it make me any less autistic if I was diagnosed as an adult vs as a child? Do you think it's harmful that I would want to verify if I am Autistic? I see it as a benefit. It helps me understand why I am how I am. It's not a negative at all like some like to think. It's okay... I feel a lot of animosity right now and I can't handle it right now, not now.

No, you're not crazy at all I for one totally understand you doing this. I think in some respects we are the lucky ones, getting a firm diagnosis as an adult. There may be little to no help that comes with it, but it sure does help to understand WHY we are the way we are. It's like after years of not having the manual, many things become clear .....

 

[InconLifer]

In my experience getting a diagnosis was super helpful. I got a diagnosis at uni and immediately noticed that things weren't as much as a constant struggle any more as I had help in place whereas at school I always underachieved, albeit still above average so it was never really seen as an issue.

 

[caitianx]

Being diagnosed late in life at age 47 confirmed for my Dad what he had noticed about me since I was a toddler.
Why I was a walking encyclopedia, extrtemely narrow interests, and little to no interest in social activities with others my own age.

 

[Omg301]

Being diagnosed late in life at age 47 confirmed for my Dad what he had noticed about me since I was a toddler.
Why I was a walking encyclopedia, extrtemely narrow interests, and little to no interest in social activities with others my own age.

Yeah! Like, I always hated kids my own age. When I was 12, I associated with adults and considered myself 28. lol.. This was online of course, in video games, not IRL.

 

[DBabygirl2]

There's no escape from rhetoric, is there? It's like listening to a bad sermon.

Autism per se is not a disability; it has various degrees of impairment, depending on variety and severity of symptoms. They can cause a wide variety of social interaction issues which can lead to reduced opportunities for education or employment, alienation or isolation from family or other social structures...and can even create legal problems. Again, in various degrees.

The autism advocates seem long on catchy, pretty rhetoric & catchphrases...and woefully short on access to tools. Seems today that access to resources is only marginally better than 50 years ago, when the rest of the world just wrote us off as "retards", a word I heard often in reference to myself not only from peers...but school faculty.

We're far more aware of autism than we used to be, but we don't seem to be making much progress, especially with the dubious 'help' from Autism Speaks, the organization which courts more scandal than anything else.

So, who's gonna carry this ball: the Muggles...or we who have autism? The Muggles seem a bit disoriented, overwhelmed...or even bored. It seems the "bread and circuses" allure of novelty about us has worn thin on them.

Thank you for posting this! We have a long way to go before the general public sees adulting on the spectrum as acceptable, without labeling. I still can’t find a specialist who assesses adults in my state. For many reasons I just need to know to protect myself professionally.

 

[Edgewater]

I have not placed much thought to this as those within my extended family had and took advantages of Job training programs, but there is really nothing beyond that! It is kind of like; Well you are an Adult now, Good Luck!

Just thinking outside of the box, it would seem that an assessment tool for teens maybe of some help!?!?

 

[Omg301]

Thank you for posting this! We have a long way to go before the general public sees adulting on the spectrum as acceptable, without labeling. I still can’t find a specialist who assesses adults in my state. For many reasons I just need to know to protect myself professionally.

I truly feel for you. I paid a decent amount of money for my assessment. Some people are able to find it for like $200 or less. Or even an actual medical referral. My provider doesn't believe in Adult Autism diagnoses at least in terms of referring for it, so I paid out of pocket to an organization to do it. It wasn't exactly cheap but it did give closure and now I'm trying to get my healthcare provider to add the diagnoses to my medical record officially, which they should since it is from a licensed psychologist in my state.

 

[caitianx]

Yeah! Like, I always hated kids my own age. When I was 12, I associated with adults and considered myself 28. lol.. This was online of course, in video games, not IRL.

As a child I always preferred to be around adults, not other children my own age.
Other children my own age decades ago saw me as a kind of freak.

 

[InconLifer]

I truly feel for you. I paid a decent amount of money for my assessment. Some people are able to find it for like $200 or less. Or even an actual medical referral. My provider doesn't believe in Adult Autism diagnoses at least in terms of referring for it, so I paid out of pocket to an organization to do it. It wasn't exactly cheap but it did give closure and now I'm trying to get my healthcare provider to add the diagnoses to my medical record officially, which they should since it is from a licensed psychologist in my state.

It always shocks me when you get people who are supposed to be medical professionals who don't believe in proven conditions. It's one of the huge issues I've had with Long Covid. I basically got booted out my GP surgery because the GP refused to write me a long-term sick note because he didn't believe that my chronic fatigue from Long Covid was a long term issue (even though I'd had it two years at this point and a whole host of medical evidence to back it up). I complained to the surgery and bombarded them with all the evidence from people far more qualified than this GP I'd seen since it developed. I got the note but then got a letter informing me they'd removed me from their list of patients.

What I also found frustrating is whilst I'd been quite vocal on the phone, meltdowns are an unfortunate symptom of my ADHD and ASD and so again I was being punished for something beyond my control. I'm guessing he didn't believe in either of them either!

 

[Omg301]

It always shocks me when you get people who are supposed to be medical professionals who don't believe in proven conditions. It's one of the huge issues I've had with Long Covid. I basically got booted out my GP surgery because the GP refused to write me a long-term sick note because he didn't believe that my chronic fatigue from Long Covid was a long term issue (even though I'd had it two years at this point and a whole host of medical evidence to back it up). I complained to the surgery and bombarded them with all the evidence from people far more qualified than this GP I'd seen since it developed. I got the note but then got a letter informing me they'd removed me from their list of patients.

What I also found frustrating is whilst I'd been quite vocal on the phone, meltdowns are an unfortunate symptom of my ADHD and ASD and so again I was being punished for something beyond my control. I'm guessing he didn't believe in either of them either!

Oh my God that's horrible! How could they treat you like that. I sometimes have outburts like that because I just.. I can't deal with the rudeness. I twice recently had an issue with a Psychiatry department receptionist. First time I was telling them I was severely depressed and they just hung up on me. Second time, week later, I was asking for their manager because it was days past a manager being expected to reach out to me and they never did. They were very rude, I asked for the manager, they hung up on me, once again.

I'm so sick and tired of fake rude horrible healthcare providers. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt but I just can't take it.

 

[BabyBluePup]

Anyone who says autism isn't a disability really does not know how it can affect your life in a lot of ways. I was diagnosed as a toddler because I couldn't speak until I was 5. When I was little, I thought every kid had to go to speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. I wasn't in a regular ed district until I transferred to one when I was 16. I've literally known a lot of nonverbal kids in my school, some of which have other serious disorders that affect how they live. There was a para in my 7th and 8th grade class who verbally and emotionally abused me whenever I was upset in class. I was considered to be mentally retarded with an IQ of 64 because of two IQ tests I took when I was 9 and 13. One of which happened in school where I didn't answer the questions fast enough. During that same time, I tried to end my life by choking. Somebody I knew thought it was okay for me to know all about his problematic "friends" and how they like to harass other autistic people on the Internet because they found them funny.

Of course, autism makes it different. But saying it's not a disability, and instead calling it a "different ability" doesn't do wonders for people like me. Being an ABDL doesn't really help me. If anything, it's another disability because I didn't choose to like diapers. Especially with how society believes that we're all pedophiles. Some of the art that ABDLs made are being mistakenly reported as child porn, for fuck sakes. I used to think I should be proud of it like how LGBTQ people are proud of their sexuality. It did not do me wonders. I now worry if people are out to get me arrested, or even kill me. I tried so hard to be normal, but it's just not working for me anymore.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Of course, autism makes it different. But saying it's not a disability, and instead calling it a "different ability" doesn't do wonders for people like me.

Right on the head. People who say that rhetorical tripe about autism obviously think their autism is everyone's autism. Autism is not "one size fits all", people! Think about that, folks, before you blindly make any general, generic declaration that describes your own personal autism experience and portray it as equal to everyone else's. They don't call it a "spectrum" for nothing.

 

[Chloris]

My youngest brother has autism and aspergers.. I know that he has his moments where he struggles. But overall, he is the kindest, sweetest person I've ever known.. he is not just my brother but one of my best friends.

I hate the discrimination of autism being a deficit, it just means that people with it may see the world in a different way.. sometimes in a beautiful way.. eg. My brother was 5.
We were at the beach and he saw a crab.. following it he said "look at were it walked, aren't it's footprints pretty "
It wasn't intil I really looked that I noticed the crab had made quite a nice pattern

 

[Omg301]

My youngest brother has autism and aspergers.. I know that he has his moments where he struggles. But overall, he is the kindest, sweetest person I've ever known.. he is not just my brother but one of my best friends.

I hate the discrimination of autism being a deficit, it just means that people with it may see the world in a different way.. sometimes in a beautiful way.. eg. My brother was 5.
We were at the beach and he saw a crab.. following it he said "look at were it walked, aren't it's footprints pretty "
It wasn't intil I really looked that I noticed the crab had made quite a nice pattern

Precious. I always used to stare at the tile floors in the grocery store as a kid and made sure I only stepped on certain color tiles. I remember that distinctly. And yes, every person's Autism/Aspergers (Which I recently with my diagnosis of it basically is Autism with no intellectual disability as per the psychological terminology/report I got back) is totally different. And I love all people in this community regardless of disability or issues, the same. We all have this unique thing in common and I love each and everyone so much.

I've met both IRL and online lots of fellow Autistic ABDLs (there's a lot of us xD) and they're all so nice and great. I've learned so much about myself these past few months and I'm so glad I decided to accept this side of myself so I could finally understand who I truly was and am.

 

[caitianx]

Autistic is just how I am.
I no longer worry about what others think.
If they have a problem with me being me, it is their problem, not mine.