OT: Asperger's/ASD in adults?

[thatgirliknew]

First off, I don't even know if this should be posted here as it is slightly off-topic, but I thought you guys would be the best to answer this.

I took the Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (which I understand is NOT a diagnostic tool) because I have over the past few years thought I might actually have Asperger's. It would definitely explain a lot of the difficulties I encounter almost daily. (Social skills issues that I've had my whole life, difficulty communicating verbally as well as understanding others, etc.)

Are there any benefits to diagnosis as an adult? Or is it not even worth my time to look into it?

[RiverTam]

I dated a guy that was diagnosed as an adult. He received his dx because he was seeking SSDI.

I think it might be useful if you were seeking speech therapy or behavioral therapy to deal with ASD related issues (ie. social skills). In some states, insurance doesn't cover speech therapy, except as a therapy for ASD.

It might be helpful if you just want to understand yourself better or present yourself better, and you view the label as giving you something to structure that understanding/presentation around.

[Linda on the move]

It might help you understand yourself more. I found my DD's eval really interesting, and talking to the dr. who did the eval about exactly *why* this was the right dx for her was enlightning.

I think you'd want to make sure you someone REALLY good, who knows there stuff and is going to take the time to figure out what is going on with you.

[Marsupialmom]

http://www.johnrobison.com/about_john.asp
One day, a therapist with a lust for Land Rovers walked in the door at JE Robison Service, and we became friends. After studying me closely, he introduced me to Asperger's Syndrome, and the knowledge changed my life forever. It took some time, and a lot of hard work, but a loser kid became a winner adult.

Diagnoses can help you understand you. You can come up with strategies other people have had luck with.

[SilverLace]

I agree with those who say it is worth getting tested.

Someone already suggested John Robison, you might also check out Dan Coulter.

Knowledge= power, right?

[Nature]

In my quest to find exactly WHAT was my dd's issue five years ago.. I was directed towards Asperger's and autism in general by a few people. I was surprised to find that most of what I was reading... was exactly how I felt. Suddenly, it was a box that I fit into. I know a lot of people don't like labels or boxes. I'm the type of person that things it can be a useful tool to help better myself, get to know myself, love myself, and most importantly.. understand my difficulties and why they exist and cut myself some slack. (because I judge myself harshly, especially in any area which I've "failed.")

Two years ago I finally went ahead and was assessed and evaluated for several days. The end result? Asperger's Disorder and an Anxiety Disorder. OCD by history, though a lot gets absorbed into the ASD diagnosis.

Why did I get diagnosed? Well, I already had a few diagnosis's that didn't always fit me. I'm on disability so having a solid dx is necessary. And once I saw that ALL of my problems.. even the ones I had never shared with anyone, were included..well it just made sence.

And yes, my dd was eventually diagnosed with the exact same things I am with the addition of ADHD (which her father has too) It took years to get her diagnosed, and in the end I was diagnosed almost a full two years before she was... when it was her issues that prompted me to look into it in the first place! Thats what kind of stuff happens when you mix school and government into things. Red tape and lots of excuses.

I have found it very beneficial to have a diagnosis. And really, since you can choose to disclose or not to yourself.. there really isn't a huge reason NOT to.

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by Nature

In my quest to find exactly WHAT was my dd's issue five years ago.. I was directed towards Asperger's and autism in general by a few people. I was surprised to find that most of what I was reading... was exactly how I felt. Suddenly, it was a box that I fit into. I know a lot of people don't like labels or boxes. I'm the type of person that things it can be a useful tool to help better myself, get to know myself, love myself, and most importantly.. understand my difficulties and why they exist and cut myself some slack. (because I judge myself harshly, especially in any area which I've "failed.")

Two years ago I finally went ahead and was assessed and evaluated for several days. The end result? Asperger's Disorder and an Anxiety Disorder. OCD by history, though a lot gets absorbed into the ASD diagnosis.

Why did I get diagnosed? Well, I already had a few diagnosis's that didn't always fit me. I'm on disability so having a solid dx is necessary. And once I saw that ALL of my problems.. even the ones I had never shared with anyone, were included..well it just made sence.

And yes, my dd was eventually diagnosed with the exact same things I am with the addition of ADHD (which her father has too) It took years to get her diagnosed, and in the end I was diagnosed almost a full two years before she was... when it was her issues that prompted me to look into it in the first place! Thats what kind of stuff happens when you mix school and government into things. Red tape and lots of excuses.

I have found it very beneficial to have a diagnosis. And really, since you can choose to disclose or not to yourself.. there really isn't a huge reason NOT to.

It's nice to hear from someone who went through something similar.

So, who can diagnose? Psychologist/therapist?

And, can asperger's be used negatively in a custody case? I will be going through a custody case in January/February after taxes for full custody of my son. I know they wouldn't know unless i disclosed, BUT whatever I have greatly affects my ability to work, so I was thinking about applying for SSI once I have a good diagnosis (Aspergers or not). Since my son would qualify for checks too is that something they (his lawyer) could find out?

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by thatgirliknew

BUT whatever I have greatly affects my ability to work,

I don't think that Asperger's in an excuse to not work. I fully expect my DD to be in school or work full time.

I think that since whatever is going on with you is interfering in your life to that degree, that you need to figure it out.

You might try reading some of Temple Grandin's writing. She has autism, earned a PhD, and has been very successful. There are some things that people on the spectrum are BETTER at than neuro-typical people. The way your mind works is special and wonderful, and you have REAL GIFTS to bring to the world.

I don't have a clue how any of that would effect the custody thing, but I do believe that figuring out what is going on with yourself and figuring out how to bring your own unique gifts to the world would set an AMAZING example for your child.

[Kristine233]

Linda, I agree that its not an excuse not to work, but I also think it can limit a few things deoending on the person. I have aspergers and work, and attend school full-time. I'm actually in college for the 3rd time and I really enjoy school and feel I do well at it. I did find that when it comes to work I have a hard time working full-time. It has to be the "perfect" job in order for that to happen. I've been working 20-25 hours a week for the past many many years and this is the perfect amount for me. Once I start hitting 30-40 I lose focus and am not all there because I get really worn out mentally, I just don't perform as well. My brain is go go go and having it that speed for so long is majorly over stimulating. Its not healthy for me. But I can get done in 20 what takes most people 40. When I work 40 its like 2 people working, I'm just efficient. Just wish employers paid based on that lol. So what do I do, slack and slow down so I'm like everyone else? That'd be silly IMO.

I also choose jobs where my thinking styles can be utilized, I benefit and work hardest in creative fields and where I work independently. I don't like being told what to do because I know what I have to do, thus I tend to take leadership roles... even though my social skills aren't the most polished. It works with the right setup. I also don't get as attached to people and can lay down the law, I can separate work and friend. I can be friends with my staff, even outside work but still have no qualms about disciplining when necessary. My staff learn early on that when they talk to me directly they will probably be scratching their heads trying to figure out what I mean, but then I hand them a typed memo that explains it, lol. Texting is also awesome. When I talk it's fast and fragmented so I dont always make sense, my brain just works faster than I sPeak and I don't realize I haven't finished a sentence before i start another. If I try to explain it it just makes it worse lol.

Anyways, my point is you have to find something that really plays up your strong points. I'm organized and like to be in control of my surroundings, I'm good for leadership. I can't stay put or do one task, I must have a change of surrounding. Thus, I can't work an office job and have to be moving constantly. Once I figured that out, work was easy. Of course, i still dont work 40 hours right now. I may in the future with the right career. Right now school fills it up.

As far as diagnosis, it's helped me because I understand why I am the way I am now. I also think it helps my son accept his dx. He's like me, he likes that.

And really, I feel I've experienced and accomplished a lot in my life already and it's because of the aspergers that I think I have.

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

I don't think that Asperger's in an excuse to not work. I fully expect my DD to be in school or work full time.

I think that since whatever is going on with you is interfering in your life to that degree, that you need to figure it out.

You might try reading some of Temple Grandin's writing. She has autism, earned a PhD, and has been very successful. There are some things that people on the spectrum are BETTER at than neuro-typical people. The way your mind works is special and wonderful, and you have REAL GIFTS to bring to the world.

I don't have a clue how any of that would effect the custody thing, but I do believe that figuring out what is going on with yourself and figuring out how to bring your own unique gifts to the world would set an AMAZING example for your child.

I'm not trying NOT to work. lol. But EVERY job I've had (which granted have mostly been minimum-wage retail/daycare/restaurant jobs I end up having these major anxiety attacks (which then lead to me having an asthma attack) because it's just too much. I don't know if it's the people, the demands, or what. The only job that I didn't have a freak-out at is working at the Goodwill hanging clothes and sorting donations. No idea if it was because there were no people where I was or if it was because the expectations were simple and clearly defined (i.e. Hang clothes on rack and throw away unusable items, when rack is full; take it out and hang on racks in store) and I had to stop working there because of scheduling problems.

I would LOVE to work, if I can find a way to work around these problems, I NEED to work, because we are so falling behind...

And I haven't read any of Temple Grandin's books yet (but I have ordered them on Amazon) but have watched her TEDTalks youtube video, and some other videos and she IS amazing.

[Nature]

Originally Posted by thatgirliknew

It's nice to hear from someone who went through something similar.

So, who can diagnose? Psychologist/therapist?

And, can asperger's be used negatively in a custody case? I will be going through a custody case in January/February after taxes for full custody of my son. I know they wouldn't know unless i disclosed, BUT whatever I have greatly affects my ability to work, so I was thinking about applying for SSI once I have a good diagnosis (Aspergers or not). Since my son would qualify for checks too is that something they (his lawyer) could find out?

First, you don't NEED a diagnosis for disability. They qualify you based on symptoms not diagnosis. Personally for myself I thrive on information, and knowing what some of my issues were is helpful to me. It helps me to grow, learn, and adapt.

I did get SSDI during a custody case, and it wasn't easy. It can be done however. I don't know anything about paying benefits to a child because my work history wasn't enough to do that. (it has to be a certain amount over a certain amount of years.)

Autism affects everyone differently. For me, a combination of a lot of things makes it impossible for me to work. Its not an "excuse" for anything. It simply is. I expect that my own child with autism will try her very best at life and my only wish for her is that she is happy.

The notion that ALL people with Asperger's have a set of skills that are superior to others or that they do better with some things simply isn't true. For some it is, but not all. Not me. In fact, in every area that "typical" people with Asperger's are good with, I am not. They are some of my weakest areas. Is there a wonderful job out there for me? There might be. But I haven't found it yet, and trying to keep up with the pace of the world outside my front door is difficult for me. I leave my house to take care of my kids, and thats basically it. I can go to the local Walmart and grocery stores, but I can't go to the new store that opened a few years ago. I haven't been able to manage driving there myself yet. Its a different store. Its in a location I don't drive in much. Everything is different there.

Its hard to get some people understand that even among Asperger's there are different levels of functioning. And those levels cannot be assessed from what you read on the internet. You can't tell how impaired I am based on what I write. Heck, I might not even be verbal at all and you wouldn't know.

[thatgirliknew]

Originally Posted by Nature

First, you don't NEED a diagnosis for disability. They qualify you based on symptoms not diagnosis. Personally for myself I thrive on information, and knowing what some of my issues were is helpful to me. It helps me to grow, learn, and adapt.

I did get SSDI during a custody case, and it wasn't easy. It can be done however. I don't know anything about paying benefits to a child because my work history wasn't enough to do that. (it has to be a certain amount over a certain amount of years.)

I didn't know that. I have a horrible work history, so I probably wouldn't qualify for children's payments. Which is fine.

Originally Posted by Nature

Autism affects everyone differently. For me, a combination of a lot of things makes it impossible for me to work. Its not an "excuse" for anything. It simply is. I expect that my own child with autism will try her very best at life and my only wish for her is that she is happy.

I know it's not an excuse. I want to know what is wrong because I can't work effectively. And if I know what's wrong I can maybe work on it. If I get SSI I would have insurance, otherwise I would not be able to afford to work with doctors/therapists/etc. to find solutions that would enable me to work in the future without freaking out a week into it.