Seeing specialists for asperger's/autism

Hey guys.

I'm at a point in my life where I've been feeling disconnected from everyone. I've had troubles socializing and have found it impossible to connect to people in a more intimate way.

I have been diagnosed with social anxiety and depression along with mild adhd. While I find these mostly fitting, I feel like they don't explain everything. I have some mild autistic traits (walking on toes, constant daydreaming, not getting references/jokes, etc.) and I think it would be good to see a specialist to see if I fall under the autism spectrum.

Now, my therapist says my affect and yearning for relationships is enough to rule out autism. I tend to agree, but I am scared that I do fall within the spectrum and I can't get that thought out of my mind. He recommended that I see a specialist to either rule it out or see if I do have some mild autism.

I want to know what types of tests/measurements the specialists will use to determine if/where I fall on the spectrum and what information I should have with me. Should I bring a parent (I'm an adult but I've heard having a parent with you helps with diagnosis)? I would like to hear experiences with autism diagnosis and how accurate you think the tests are as well.

Thanks!

Hi! I'm 19 and I was diagnosed with aspergers/high-fuctioning autism when I was 18. I stopped school at 13 and had extremely bad anxiety and depression. Between 13 and 18 they just said it was social anxiety disorder and probably some sort of mood/behaviour problem and they tried various therapys but I was so unable to talk to anyone other than my parents or few doctors(though only in crisis sitations like when i'd taken many pills) that nothing would help and i also didnt understand alot of the therapy stuff like i dont know none of it made sense) anyways i moved from child psychology to adult when i was 17 and they reffered me for an autism assesment it took a few months and i didnt have to answer very many things most was my parents but i was to add in if they said something i felt wasn't right or things they just didnt know(alot of stuff about hwo i felt at primary school and things theyd never known) they asked very specific questions so it wasnt really vague and it was easier to answer also i didnt need to verbalise my answers i wrote ALOT of it all down for them and they never made me stay in the room if i needed ot go for a break i could just walk out(they came to my home) anyways i also did at a point yearn for relationships with people like friendships and things everything that other people seem to have and i really wanted to have friends and things but i couldnt understand anyone or cope with people and it was frustrating so just having a yearning for social contact doesnt mean you couldnt be autistic. Also as far as tests go its basically alot of questions and alot of them for me anyways were about childhood like how i was as a baby/toddler/young child. So i'd say you'd need a parent but i guess there may be different tests. If you really want to be tested even just to rule it out then a doctor should be able to refer you to services that do the testing. Sorry this is so long and I hope it helps in someway. And goodluck! (it helped me a little to know why i am how i am sometimes and to know that when i am angry and smash and scream and cannot control my behaviours it isnt really all my fault it is my brain and things)

Also: I still fight the battle between wanting to be able to be social to some extent and being content with just talking to strangers on the internet & my parents. It's kind of a battle because trying to be social hurts and not being able to hurts. Sometimes I am perfectly content though in my own world I guess. Annnnd I'm so sorry this is so long!

I was diagnosed when I was ... 11 I think. Sadly I don't have much memory of what the tests actually were I'm sorry.

I just remembered hating every minute I was dragged out of class and made to feel so awkward and alienated with this supposed ''illness''.

Bah..

Thanks for the responses. I like that the tests are more specific as I have trouble with more general questions. Also, writing things down might be something I have to do because I feel more like myself in my writing if that makes any sense.

I get the social battle too. I want to feel like everyone else does when around other people but on the other hand I am so awkward and uncomfortable around others that this doesn't seem possible. I also like being by myself almost all the time so that adds to the struggle. It's a good thing I'm an introvert or I might have gone crazy by now.

Anyway, I really appreciate the input!

I had a test done a few years ago, I'm 19 now.

They do things like ask you to complete a puzzle but give you too few peices, and see how you respond to do, whether you ask for more or glance at the person or things like that.

They'll give you child like games with toys and ask you to be creative and create a story with them and they'll ask you seemingly strange questions just to see if you respond to it being an unsociable thing to ask.

The one for me said "I went to see a film yesterday..." and left it hanging to see whether I'd respond by asking what film it was or something like that. They ask about hobbies to see if you have strange obsessive interests and see whether you'll expand and be sociable on that topic.

Little fiddly tasks and they'll have you sit in silence awkwardly to see how you respond and see how you hold yourself and how you walk

They asked me why I think people get married and I joked and said for tax purposes, and they scribbled something down and it was too awkward to say i was joking...

They gave me a childs story book without words and ask you to narrate what was going on. It had a frog flying on lilypads into someones house, and so I just sort of listed what was happening "they are flying over a tree, they are flying into a house, a man is drinking milk... etc etc" it's all very weird and strange.

If you're an adult its very child like and awkward and you feel like you're being treated immaturely but it's all to see how you react.

Thanks Sophistry.

Sounds a bit intimidating but I guess it makes sense. Hopefully they take anxiety into account when doing that.

nice topic , i want to know more about it too.

The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is a structured interview conducted with the parents of individuals who have been referred for the evaluation of possible autism or autism spectrum disorders.

The interview, used by researchers and clinicians for decades, can be used for diagnostic purposes for anyone with a mental age of at least 18 months and measures behavior in the areas of reciprocal social interaction, communication and language, and patterns of behavior.

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The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) was developed for use at The Centre for Social and Communication Disorders, by Dr Lorna Wing and Dr Judith Gould, as both a clinical and a research instrument for use with children and adults of any age.

Why use the DISCO?
There are no specific physical or psychological tests for autism spectrum disorders.

In order to recognise and identify the impairments and all the other features that can be found in autism disorders, information must be collected in a systematic way.

The DISCO achieves this via a detailed, semi-structured interview to be used with an informant who has known the person concerned well, preferably from infancy.

I did the same test and it came out positive for aspergers, But I was ****ing nervous the whole time, un able to think properly.

If its really concerning for you, then you should get screened. Excessive daydreaming can be both an ADHD thing, another learning disorder or even just mental illness. When your environment stresses, puzzles you or hardly makes much sense, I don't think its unusual to go into escapism. Having a delayed process of jokes could also be a developmental or learning disorder issue. What I'm getting at is sometimes I combination of many things could resemble autism, but not indicate it. I honestly suspected very mild autism in the past, but realise other issues can explain why sometimes I can relate to the delayed processing of certain things (especially in the social settings). You say your interested in people and relationships with them. Are you a caring or empathetic person? Emotional?

There is so much confusion and inaccurate information out there about asperger's! The majority of people with asperger's want, but have difficulty making friends. Learning about asperger's was so amazing and freeing. I finally understood why I am different, it isn't my fault, and that being different is okay. I learned why I didn't fit in at school. Sometimes I was confused when everyone else seemed to know what was going on. Other times I understood things that my peers could not figure out.
I don't relate to everything that is said about asperger's, but no one does. Autism is a wide spectrum with high-functioning genius at one end, and people who are unable to speak on the other. There are many people with varying strengths and weaknesses all through the spectrum. The main things we have in common, are social difficulties and problems communicating and forming relationships. We also have difficulty understanding abstract concepts. We have difficulty understanding what other people think and feel, we focus inward instead of outward. Many of us don't follow the crowd, we do our own thing. We may not even be aware of what the crowd is doing, or why they are doing it. We don't see the details that the majority see, our focus is different, our interests are different.
The more books I read on asperger's (I have read a lot) the more I am convinced that I have it. It explains so much! I have learned that there are things that I can learn and do differently that will help me fit in, but other things that are not worth changing, because it is who I am, and who I want to be.
I believe that asperger's has contributed greatly to my social anxiety, because I never know what to say, and it takes me a long time to express my thoughts, which has contributed to many awkward social exchanges. Some people with aspergrer's are not aware enough of how their actions affect other people that they do not experience embarrassment. That sounds nice in many ways, but I am sure it comes with many problems.
For me just knowing what asperger's is, is enough. I have learned a lot about myself, and it has helped me so much. On the other hand, my son may benefit from a diagnosis before he starts college?