Aspergers as an Adult

calicocat

Newdirections wrote: »

Has anyone been diagnosed with Aspergers or Autism in adulthood? I have severe social anxiety, but these days I am wondering whether it could be aspergers...

A label if you like would help if you do have Asperger in that you may learn to understand yourself more, and your reactions to things . It would mean you would be more likely to access places to feel less alone in how you think/ react. It would make how you react to things fall into place for you. It can be something that doesn't get detected if you are high functioning on other areas of your life.

However if you have general social anxiety only , this doesn't mean you do have this necessarily. This can be due to other factors .

See your GP if it is effecting your life or worried about it.

suejb2

I honestly believe we all have traits of being on the spectrum. How big a label you want to put on yourself is up to you.

fishybusiness

I honestly believe we all have traits of being on the spectrum. How big a label you want to put on yourself is up to you.

I agree, but it goes a little deeper than that when someone has most if not all of the traits and they run a little deeper in their lives and behaviour than those that have facets of typical spectrum behaviour.

Also, the degree of life affecting traits increases massively, causing significant distress on a more regular basis and reduces little over a lifespan.

fredtheguava

I got to the final stage before a formal diagnosis, and couldn't go any further without contacting my parents for a discussion about my childhood. I couldn't quite face that, so I haven't technically been diagnosed, but I know I have Asperger's.

A label has helped me. I feel more confident in speaking out when situations (especially at work) are being affected by my condition. I am far more aware of my limitations, and my needs, in terms of my day-to-day life. I've gained knowledge and understanding through reading about it, and paying attention to my own responses to situations. I've stopped worrying so much about the fact that I'm not 'normal' - I can't always do the same things as the people around me, and that's okay. The people who know and love me are able to support me, and do so brilliantly.

I went to my GP, and they sent me to the local team for assessment. I had a couple of appointments, until we hit the parental roadblock. Having been in family therapy for years, I know that it would have dragged up a lot of emotions I didn't feel strong enough to face at that point in my life. I believe that was the final step though. It wasn't arduous, and the team were very helpful and supportive.

If you think it would be helpful to you to have a diagnosis, I would absolutely recommend pursuing one. It has made life a little easier for me, without a doubt.

Robisere

My 23 yo grandson was diagnosed quite early at primary school. At that time, he could not understand why he was different and neither could his mum our dd, then a single parent after his dad left when he was a toddler. She managed, with help from a sympathetic teacher and ourselves, to get a consultant appointment and a diagnosis. From that, because his Aspergers was severe, he was awarded DLA. He was a big problem growing up, thanks to no dad, and I had to fill that gap. However, gradually he got better, although he still does not socialise with anyone he has not known for years. But he is extremely intelligent, managed to get a very good IT job at 18 and is well regarded and respected by the company as a very good employee and a problem-solver who will not stop until he has solved the problem. He has his own flat, keeps it very neat and clean, feeds himself and is able to do most things for himself. However, he tends to get so involved with the extensive computer system at home, that he forgets to carry out some household tasks, resulting in a family Rota to ensure that he gets certain things done. Today was our turn: his grandma and I took him shopping, changed his bedding and made sure his recycling and domestic waste was taken out. Our dd works, has had another partner for many years and they have a daughter. He gets on well with his stepdad and he loves his little sister to bits, but at the end of the day and after we have set his routine to rights, he is happier alone. We have all got used to his ways and it does not bother us, because we know him: his two cousins are also part of the family rota and they love him to bits as well.

But to outsiders, he seems cold and distant. To us, he is affectionate. To me personally, he is my senior grandson and I know him as well as nyone, including his mum. Today I received a hug and a kiss as I left, like I always do, but the moment we walked away, we were gone from his consciousness. That does not cause me any hurt, I accept it as part of him. He has come so far in such a short time and he is as well and happy as he can be, so that's fine by me.

EdwardB

fredtheguava wrote: »

I got to the final stage before a formal diagnosis, and couldn't go any further without contacting my parents for a discussion about my childhood. I couldn't quite face that, so I haven't technically been diagnosed, but I know I have Asperger's.

A label has helped me. I feel more confident in speaking out when situations (especially at work) are being affected by my condition. I am far more aware of my limitations, and my needs, in terms of my day-to-day life. I've gained knowledge and understanding through reading about it, and paying attention to my own responses to situations. I've stopped worrying so much about the fact that I'm not 'normal' - I can't always do the same things as the people around me, and that's okay. The people who know and love me are able to support me, and do so brilliantly.

I went to my GP, and they sent me to the local team for assessment. I had a couple of appointments, until we hit the parental roadblock. Having been in family therapy for years, I know that it would have dragged up a lot of emotions I didn't feel strong enough to face at that point in my life. I believe that was the final step though. It wasn't arduous, and the team were very helpful and supportive.

If you think it would be helpful to you to have a diagnosis, I would absolutely recommend pursuing one. It has made life a little easier for me, without a doubt.

Hey Fred

I saddens me that you hit a road block with your parents, I have done some volunteering in this area and seen many different attitudes.

Also to hear you think you are not "normal", whatever that is anyway, the term used by clinicians is Neurotypicals or NT's.

In my experience no two people on the spectrum are the same, just like NT's everyone is different. It affects one in 96 in the UK, one in around 66 in USA.

There is a raft of autism communities out there and a whole bunch of people who are denial, want a cure or even want a prenatal test, they are just not at acceptance.

You may find the videos of the National Autistic Society helpful, but I would stick to their videos, YouTube recommends some pretty weird videos that are related.

https://www.youtube.com/user/NationalAutisticSoc/videos

Their website is also full of resources

http://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is.aspx


BTW, Aspergers has now been rolled into high functioning autism in the DSM V, if you know the history, both were documented after the war by different doctors looking at high and low functioning children.

One thing I learnt while volunteering was that as the children grow older it is not so much about people being high or low functioning, but having high or low functioning times in a day, the ability to exceed neurotypical people in concentration but then not being able to tie a shoe lace the next moment.

I did a paper comparing the two conditions, the reason they want you to ask your parents is because the differences between the previous diagnostic criteria of AS and ASC are very subtle, one is language. So those that were previously diagnosed as autistic had the following, while the Aspergers children did not

DSM_IV_ wrote: »

DSM_IV_ wrote: »

B. Qualitative impairments in COMMUNICATION as manifested by at least one of the following:

• Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime.

• In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

• Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

• Lack of varied spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

D. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the

following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:
• Social interaction
• Language as used in social communication, or
• Symbolic or imaginative play.


So the child previously diagnosed with Autism would have the above while the child with Aspergers would have the following instead of the above (and other bits I left out because they were the same for both groups)

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. There is no clinically significant delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).

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

F. Criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.

They have some very subtle tests for the above, some of it is just conversation, asking questions certain ways, asking "what sort of " and seeing what language was used by the child. Then there are some toys they use to see how the child plays and then they do some more tests. It is very clever actually.

All people affected by Autism develop, just like anyone else; so for those that get speech and language therapy or who get the right teachers or simply develop, it can be hard to diagnose as an adult and even with children it needs a speech and language therapist as well as doctors specialising in this area.

When you look at Autism it is an anxiety based condition; anxiety when things do not go the way expected and not having the social or communication skills to cope with that.

I got this for a social worker friend of mine, it is a self help book for helping with anxiety, primarily using CBT.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Anxiety-Depression-Autism-Spectrum/dp/1849059276

With your parents, you may find one of them is on the spectrum themselves, but undiagnosed. On the other hand they may not remember. You might say something about seeing a documentary about bilingual children learning when they were very young. You might ask if they remember how you were when very young, then ask at what age you started speaking?

Let them talk, see what they remember, they may say "oh I remember we were a bit worried at first because you did not say much" or "you regressed a bit",

Although this is a disability and you should embrace that so that you understand the areas where you might struggle in society and plan for it.

There is an Autism Alert card you might want to get from the NAS, it is something you can ask officials or others to read if you clam up in a state of anxiety.

It is good to hear that you have supportive people around you.

I have heard a lot of adults who were diagnosed say they also found it helpful, some said it was like a penny finally dropping.

The key thing is to know that although you are different, you are also the same, because everyone is different.

jobbingmusician

A friend of mine has just been diagnosed. She's written the MOST AMAZING blog about the whole process. I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it for the benefit of others - but it does record some very painful times.

https://finallyknowingme.wordpress.com/

Pop_Up_Pirate

fishybusiness wrote: »

I agree, but it goes a little deeper than that when someone has most if not all of the traits and they run a little deeper in their lives and behaviour than those that have facets of typical spectrum behaviour.

Also, the degree of life affecting traits increases massively, causing significant distress on a more regular basis and reduces little over a lifespan.

The degree of traits is related to the nutrients your body takes in.
Those with severe traits have less nutrients and more 'bad' food intakes.

AylesburyDuck

Pop_Up_Pirate wrote: »

The degree of traits is related to the nutrients your body takes in.
Those with severe traits have less nutrients and more 'bad' food intakes.

I'm sure there is millions of mums around the world wishing that Autism did indeed have a strong link to food intake.
Gut flora seems to be the topic of choice at the moment for weird theorys on Autism.
Now while food may affect mood (even the sugar myth is now being disspelled), im afraid it does little to rewire your brain.

Pop_Up_Pirate

AylesburyDuck wrote: »

I'm sure there is millions of mums around the world wishing that Autism did indeed have a strong link to food intake.
Gut flora seems to be the topic of choice at the moment for weird theorys on Autism.
Now while food may affect mood (even the sugar myth is now being disspelled), im afraid it does little to rewire your brain.

Empirical evidence points to the increased 'bad' Western diet for rises in Chronic illness and disorders of the brain. Diet absolutely affects the wiring of the brain.

Omega 3 fatty acids, to name one nutrient, is far less in our population than it should be. We have to get omega 3 from diet as we can't make our own. The omega 3 we do manage to get is swamped by the massive amounts of omega 6 we consume. (vegetables oils, spreads etc) The ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 should be no more than 3:1 (omega6 : omega3) but ideal at 1:1 whereas the average diet has these ratios at nearer 30:1.
1 in 10 children never eat any fish.
Omega 3 is critical in nerve transmission in the brain. The brain is 8% Omega 3 fatty acids and without them, the brain shrinks. 100 billion neurons in the brain depend on this nutrient.

Omega 3 has been linked to inflammation, the rise in chronic illnesses and cancers.

Add that to other vital nutrients the body needs, such as Vitamin D in sunshine form, magnesium from vegetables and vit B12 from grass fed beef it is easy to see why so many autistic children are lacking in them.

You might want to let autism.com know that their research is incorrect.
https://www.autism.com/treating_diets
Definitely watch the video on that page as it explains which nutrients are important, such as zinc, and those which should be removed, such as gluten and casein.

It is very difficult for anyone to shun a diet they have known....and been told....was healthy for decades. It is hard work, costly in come cases, inconvenient, almost impossible to implement at times but ultimately worth at least trying, isn't it?

Ketogenic diets/low carb high fat diets are proving to be very successful for those on the autistic spectrum.

From Autism.com
"Thousands of parents throughout the world have placed their children on special diets and have observed dramatic improvements. You can begin to educate yourself on these dietary options through your own reading and research"