Happy Atheist Forum

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.

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.

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".

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

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.

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.

This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

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

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

Quote from: "AlP"This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

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

Quote from: "AlP"This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

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

Quote from: "Tom62"

Quote from: "AlP"This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

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

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

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

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

Quote from: "Ultima22689"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?

Quote from: "AlP"This is fun. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient test:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html (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 (http://www.squidoo.com/coping_with_Aspergers), a page I wrote on the subject.

Quote from: "Kylyssa"

Quote from: "Ultima22689"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?

I have SOME friends in IRL,  we sort of banded together overtime as we're all a bunch of misfit stoners and I have lost a lot of friends through mis-communication, my social support structure? Not quite sure what you mean by that but I have a couple of my closest friends who keep me positive. My family has pretty much written me off on my dad's side but they still pretend to like me because it's likely that I will be successful in the future, excuse my arrogance but it's pretty clear that i'm intellectually superior by a far margin to the rest of my dad's side and to an extent with my mom's side however they love me unconditionally but that is the reason they distance themselves the way they do, that and I am pretty much very different from them.

Kylyssa, sounds like we would get along, at least with respect to our choice of topics to talk about.  

Ultima, you sound like me. I am also diagnosed with aspergers. It's made me a lonely man, but I'll be getting on with it. It's something I have to deal with.

Quote from: "joeactor"I scored a 15 - go figure!

I'll have to join the 15 score club...I suppose though that the score is up for contention by those who know or have met me...maybe we shall see.

Quote from: "Squid"

Quote from: "joeactor"I scored a 15 - go figure!

I'll have to join the 15 score club...I suppose though that the score is up for contention by those who know or have met me...maybe we shall see.

My number is twice as high as yours, pwned.

Asperger's diagnosis seems to be an in thing right now, kind of a flavor of the month label.  I kind of wonder if it has something to do with the past high popularity of Oliver Sacks and his story on Temple Grandin.  I mean, honestly, a lot of people who are simply introverted can really relate to some of the things that Asperger's individuals have to face and for those with a low self esteem getting out and being sociable can be tough, but this doesn't mean it's actually a disorder.  

A teacher tried to convince me that an outgoing family member had Asperger's recently and this was just hilarious.  We can go anywhere and she can make friends in an instant, she shares so easily, has a lot of compassion for other people and animals, it was like WTF?

I would take into account what was said but don't buy into it.  Do some real research.  There may be something to this, but then again it might be nothing more than educated name calling.

(I got a 19 on the quiz by the way.  I was curious.)

I scored 32, exactly.  

Quote from: "LARA"Asperger's diagnosis seems to be an in thing right now, kind of a flavor of the month label.  I kind of wonder if it has something to do with the past high popularity of Oliver Sacks and his story on Temple Grandin.  I mean, honestly, a lot of people who are simply introverted can really relate to some of the things that Asperger's individuals have to face and for those with a low self esteem getting out and being sociable can be tough, but this doesn't mean it's actually a disorder.  

A teacher tried to convince me that an outgoing family member had Asperger's recently and this was just hilarious.  We can go anywhere and she can make friends in an instant, she shares so easily, has a lot of compassion for other people and animals, it was like WTF?

I would take into account what was said but don't buy into it.  Do some real research.  There may be something to this, but then again it might be nothing more than educated name calling.

(I got a 19 on the quiz by the way.  I was curious.)

Asperger's is a lot more than being introverted.  It includes that but Asperger's is being introverted like a volcano is hot.  Low-functioning autism is being introverted like the sun is hot.  

I was introverted to the point that when my parents ran away from home, I became homeless.  It was completely unnecessary - I had scholarships to cover college, all I had to do was hang on until fall and then go to college.  It sounds so simple now, but my confusion and fear of strange situations paralyzed me.  My father is a high-functioning autistic and my mom was an abused and definitely not cherished child so thus, our family didn't keep in contact with either of their parents so I had no (dependable) relatives to call on for help.  I didn't know anyone and didn't have the tools to know who to ask for help and the idea of asking for help was incredibly terrifying even if I'd known who to ask.  After the first rape, I was practically catatonic and ten times as afraid of people as I'd been before.

I mostly communicate through writing though I've learned to bore people to death with my obsessions and hobbies verbally on occasion.

I think you are right about your friend not having Asperger's if she makes friends easily and is outgoing but the part about compassion ruling out autism is dead wrong.  It's one of those stereotypes that even professionals seem to fall for.  It's old school, out-dated psychology which held that autistics don't have emotions or compassion.  It probably made them feel better about institutionalizing autistic people.  They also portrayed autistic people as having no conscience.  Many autistic people are also mentally retarded making it a double whammy so they are like children.  Most small children are not capable of advanced compassion, either.  I think this is where the "no conscience" thing came from.  Or maybe it's from the monotone voice many autistic people speak in, our voices do not naturally exude emotional overtones.

Autistic people usually don't show emotions in the average way but it doesn't mean we don't have any.  My problem is that I have an excess of emotion.  When I was a child, if a child started crying near me, I went into full panic mode, usually rocking until the other child stopped and I calmed down.  If that's not empathy I don't know what is.  Eye contact makes intense, painful emotions well up for me.  I admit that I might not know a person is distressed if they don't exhibit obvious signs but once I figure it out (or someone tells me) I feel for them.  

I naturally express my emotions strangely and have difficulty reading the emotions of others.  I "read" so strangely to other people that they can't tell when I'm in pain and often don't believe me if I say I am.  I got sent away from the doctor with a broken thumb and cracked wrist without treatment or x-rays because I didn't react "right" as far as the doctor was concerned.  I got admonished for drug-seeking behavior and told I wasn't showing any pain.  I suggested the assistant compare my blood pressure and pulse rate with my records, which made things even worse.  Apparently knowing something basic like the fact that blood pressure and pulse rate can go up from pain makes one a drug-seeker.  When it turned purplish colors and swelled until the skin split in one spot I went to the ER later that same day.  Of course x-rays showed the breaks and they treated it.  I got no apology, the doctor (GP) just said I didn't respond properly to pain and my voice was too modulated for him to tell I was actually in pain.  Of course my voice was modulated!  Every emotional inflection it carries is a conscious effort, I was too busy being in pain to figure out how my voice was supposed to sound.  My natural tone of voice is a monotone.  Perhaps the fact that I said, "It hurts an awful lot and grinds and hurts a whole lot more when I move it" wasn't enough for him to think it might actually hurt.  

Anyway, my point is that autistic people have difficulty reading "normal" peoples' emotions but "normal" people have just as much difficulty reading ours and they have no motivation to learn how except in rare cases.

Just in case anyone is curious and wants information that's better than a WIRED quiz:

"The following is from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM IV
(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
(A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

(IV) There is no clinically significant general delay in language (E.G. single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)

(V) There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

(VI) Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia."


(I pulled this off a site I from a search.  If it's not accurate to the DSM IV, please someone post a correction.)