Asperger's Syndrome?

[Ultima22689]

So I'm no newbie when it comes to mental disorders, I have ADD, Bi-polar and schizo-effective but I was recently told in the most embarrassing manner (by a professor in class diagnosing me ) that I may have Aspergers syndrome and I was told that it was a form of autism, so I came home all full of skepticism and looked up the symptoms and red flags for diagnosis and there were 15, 13 of those flags applied to me it was kind of freaky it read more like a brief outline of my childhood than a diagnosis list. Now I don't think any less of people who are autistic but this has disturbed me quite a bit that  I could and likely are autistic or a form of it rather. So should I got get a proper diagnosis? Is Aspergers something I should worry about? Someone also mentioned to me getting benefits because of it but I don't know much about that, any advice would be appreciated.

[AlP]

First of all, does the professor have credibility when it comes to determining that you have asperger syndrome? If he or she is in a psychology professor then maybe. If he or she is a math professor then not so much. I would get it diagnosed if not knowing for sure is going to bother you or if you will take action based on the assumption that you have asperger syndrome. Also consider whether it is actually harmful. If it isn't causing persistently harmful thoughts, feelings or actions then it isn't really a disorder.

My psychology textbook (Pyschology by David Myers) says asperger symdrome is a "high functioning" form of autism, meaning that people with the syndrome have normal intelligence, often accompanied by exceptional skill in specific areas. They are often particularly good at understanding systems, like mechanical things and math. Doesn't sound like a harmful thing to me. The section on asperger syndrome isn't in the chapter on mental disorders. The chapter on mental disorders doesn't mention asperger syndrome or autism at all.

Apparently, the thing that can be challenging for people with asperger syndrome is "theory of mind", like understanding what other people are thinking and other social skills. There is also a theory that people with autism have an "extreme male brain", a brain developed in such a that it's capabilities are unusually biased towards those that males are on average better at and away from those that females are on average better at.

[Squid]

Autism disorders fall upon a "spectrum", hence them often being referred to as autism spectrum disorders.  Asperger's as was just noted is a form of high functioning autism.  The criteria for Asperger's is laid out within the DSM-IV (eventually the DSM-V if the workgroup can ever agree on anything).  While the DSM lays out the criteria a formal diagnosis involves more than simply relating the criteria to one's life, it must be a little more specific.  This is why psychiatrists and clinical psychologists are trained in differential diagnosis and may want to administered specific tests to further support a diagnosis.  The criteria in the DSM is a guideline and not the end-all, beat-all of mental health diagnosis - it's a bit more than that.  I'd think you'd be better off focusing on any behavior that may be a problem for you in your daily life regardless of what category it may belong to.  One of my old psych professors once said something to the effect of, "...give a novice [he was meaning 'those without formal training in diagnostics'] the DSM and they'll be able to diagnose everyone they know with one disorder or another".

[hismikeness]

I used to work at a residential treatment center housing troubled teenage boys. The kiddo with Aspergers were some of my favorites to work with. Typically they had good senses of humor and were very "coachable".

I wouldn't worry much about a label. You are still you!!

Hismikeness

[Kylyssa]

I got diagnosed with Asperger's a few years ago when I was getting treated for PTSD.

Getting diagnosed was a good thing and would have been an even better thing if I'd been diagnosed in childhood.  It made a difference in my treatment and it helped us make a lot of progress.  People with autism often react somewhat differently to trauma.

Just knowing about it can help you deal with it, that is, if there are any negative effects you are experiencing from it.  I fall pretty far down on the spectrum for Asperger's so I've been pretty affected by it.  I am completely comfortable with academic pursuits but social interaction (irl) are a real bitch for me.  I also don't really have what anyone would call common sense.  This really screwed me up when my parents ran away from home so I was homeless for a time and it was completely unnecessary.  

Anyway, if you think you have Asperger Syndrome and it is causing you problems then see a therapist, otherwise, if you are getting along in the world well enough don't worry about it.

[Whitney]

I don't think I'd personally spend money to visit a psychiatrist unless I thought I needed to be coached on how to better handle what mental issue I may or may not have. But...that's just me...I tend to view going to the doctor for anything but an Rx to be a waste of money; a side effect from being raised by an RN who could diagnose us at home when we got sick (minus if it was something that required blood testing).

Btw, why was the professor diagnosing you (or anyone) in class?  Medical diagnosis is personal and shouldn't be given out publicly especially not without permission.

In my non-professional opinion (take it for what it is worth, aka next to nothing) if you are able to function in social settings and maintain friendships then you are either handling aspergers well on your own or your professor is an idiot.

[AlP]

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

80% of people diagnosed with autism score 32 or more. I scored 37!

[Whitney]

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

80% of people diagnosed with autism score 32 or more. I scored 37!

I got a 23...if I had taken the test 5 years ago it would have been higher; I've been working on my social skills.

[Tom62]

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

80% of people diagnosed with autism score 32 or more. I scored 37!

I scored 24.

[SSY]

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

80% of people diagnosed with autism score 32 or more. I scored 37!

I scored 24.

Jesus, I got 30, I think it was a lot of  "I don't enjoy chit chat" type responses that did it.

[Ultima22689]

Yeah, it was a psychology class with a very eccentric professor who often does that to his students, he's a good guy though despite what public diagnosis implies about him.  I do happen to have a ton of problems being social except of course when it happens to be 420 but otherwise conversations have always been awkward for me and i'm actually terrible at math, i'm so bad it's disgusting however, not to toot my horn but my professors and pretty much all of my teachers from since I was little have said that my reading comprehension and English and my artistic capability is/was absolutely brilliant so that's something I guess. I don't know if I would try to get any benefit from having Aspergers but I would at least like to know if I actually have it.

I took the test and I scored a 37

[joeactor]

I scored a 15 - go figure!

We were just discussing this at rehearsal yesterday.
I'm performing in a Steve Martin show called "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" - it's about a fictional meeting between Picasso and Einstein before they both had their big break...

Both of them seem to have some characteristics of Asperger's, but Einstein's is definitely more pronounced (IMHO).

Great topic - amazing I scored so, uh, normal...
JoeActor

[LoneMateria]

I got the lowest score so far a 10.  I take it thats a good thing on this scale .

[Kylyssa]

I don't know if I would try to get any benefit from having Aspergers but I would at least like to know if I actually have it.

I doubt you could get any monetary benefits from having Asperger Syndrome to a degree which has no noticeable effect on your earning capacity.  I guess I'm assuming you are a US citizen when I say that.

I am still in appeals for Disability and I have lupus, fibromyalgia, PTSD, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, epilepsy, a non-cancerous brain tumor, an undiagnosed fever disorder, and Asperger Syndrome.  I'm a mess that even the average layman can see has issues which hinder gainful employment and getting benefits is only a maybe.

Do you not have friends irl?  Do you frequently lose friends due to mis-communication?  Is your social support structure non-existent?  Have family members written you off for not being social enough?  Or, are your parents and siblings autistic to the point of self-isolation, too?

[Kylyssa]

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

80% of people diagnosed with autism score 32 or more. I scored 37!

I scored a 45.  A few years ago, it would have been a higher number.  

I'd almost rather stick a hornet up my nose (and I'm allergic) than make small talk.  I can do it, though how normal it seems is anyone's guess and I'm always afraid that I'm doing it wrong.  I guess the whole concept of small talk is to make noises that are meaningless and shallow yet still appear to make sense.  It just frustrates me and makes me feel like hitting someone.  It also turns me off to liking people because small talk makes them seem shallow, vapid, and self-centered.  People talk about such inane subjects.  I don't care about your make-up and the weather is self-evident.  I don't want to hear your stereotypical views on men or women and the sale at Macy's that has you so excited is an example of repulsive consumerism to me.  I would far rather sit quietly and count the floor tiles or have a conversation about a real subject.

As to how I deal with Aspergers Syndrome, you can read a bit about it at How I Cope with Aspergers, a page I wrote on the subject.