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I was diagnosed as childhood-schizophrenic-with-autistic-behaviors-and-hyperlexic-savantism (how's that for a mouthful?) as a child in the 70s, Asperger's as an adolescent in the 90s, and most recently PDD-NOS or "high-functioning autism" as an adult. Basically, I have an Asperger's-like verbal ability with several more "classically autistic" behaviors.

It's nice to meet you!

 

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Originally Posted by Brigianna AS requires no childhood speech problems, which I clearly had (and to a small extent still do). My first daughter, however, is a clear Asperger autistic, although undiagnosed.

Can you always talk? My dx changed from Asperger's once I finally admitted that I can't always talk (among other red flags, apparently). The neuro-psych had only seen me at my best, but then he started asking probing questions, and suddenly he was talking classic autism--he eventually settled on PDD-NOS but says he "isn't happy" with that diagnosis, as he's basically using it as a catchall to say "Too autistic for Asperger's, but not Kanner enough for autism."

I'm perfectly fine and hyper-verbal a big part of the time, but it comes and goes. My husband deal with the situation VERY well and has other ways of communicating with me when I can't talk (using echolalia as a communicative method, books, using phrases that I taught my parakeet). Wellbutrin helped my verbal ability for a short time, but not very much.

 

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There's a really good statement by autistics.org on self-diagnosed adult autistics here. It might set some of your minds at ease that yes, many people do self-diagnose.

I will tell you that a lot of people consider an autism dx to be "trendy" these days, or they have symptoms in your mind that are specific to children and so think that you can't be autistic because you don't do those things.

Having a dx is both good and bad. I don't have a childhood dx, but I have one of those mid-70s dx'es that everyone considers to be a spectrum dx.

I'm eagerly looking for advice on how to play with/relate to the kids. I have one NT daughter, and I've often felt that I don't "play" with her as much as I should.

Do any of you homeschool an NT child? How does that work out?

 

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Originally Posted by mengmommy Are there things you just don't understand, no matter how hard you try? Politics is one thing I can't fully grasp (despite having taken college politics in high school and passing). Like I know the things I believe in, but the rest is just totally out of my realm of comprehension. Dh and my dad try and try and try to explain it to me, but I just : . I know that dh and I are pretty much identical on the stuff I understand, so I just vote what he votes and let him take care of the rest.

American race issues. Boy does that get me in trouble.

 

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I scored 46... I want Brigianna to take it.

 

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Originally Posted by Brigianna 48.

You always win.

 

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Originally Posted by myjulybabes 43 for me. Seems a bit high, but that could well relate to my next question... Anyone else found that their "symptoms"/quirks are magnified while pregnant? I am soooooo much less social right now. Just can't deal with it. And I'm having major sensory issues with the baby kicking strongly. At times it drives me absolutely nuts!!! I know generally one wants to feel the baby moving a lot so you know they're ok, but oh man. For whatever reason, this kiddo quiets down when dh is close to me, so I find myself going to stand next to him to make her quit doing backflips, or whatever she's doing in there because I just can't take it any more! It's really really uncomfortable!

I posted about this when I was pregnant--I was climbing the walls with sensory issues. It's part of why we decided this is our last baby

: .

 

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Sure. I got 105, and my strong suit was "emotional management." I'm not at all sure what that means.