Then again I know an officially diagnosed Asperger boy who is always using his "disease" as an excuse for his bad behavior ... and then everyone thinks I have the same opinion on this issue when I don't.
Formal diagnoses are made on the basis of standardised clinical tools which are largely available to the general public, if you know how to look. Most professionals, even experts in Asperger's, know surprisingly little about it. It's very frequently misdiagnosed even by experienced practitioners
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But in experience most people with AS need some form of help. Also though like sexuality I don't think Aspergers should be discussed at work. Mentioning it to people who you are close with (friends, lovers, family) shouldn't effect the way they feel abut you if they really care. I didn't want to be 'coddled' or given special treatment myself but now I realize without it I'd be a mess, so would my apartment. I wouldn't have a cat, I wouldn't have job, I would probably live at home. As I said the common a case of the flu has simaliar symptoms to the onset of the Bubonic plague. IF you read online, you could be all: "OMG! I HAVE THE PLAGUE!" when you don't at all. So learning about online isn't IMHO very helpful.
I certainly think help should be available for people who need and want it, and I'm sure most Aspies experience some degree of impairment, but for some of the associated problems there isn't a great deal that can be done, so I guess it depends on the individual
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"Also though like sexuality I don't think Aspergers should be discussed at work."
Seriously?!
Because... straight people never talk about their partners, relationships, wedding plans, or dates at work? Because... it's entirely fair to expect NTs to magically know what all of our differences are, and how to relate to them, without our explaining ourselves, at all, ever? I can appreciate a desire to maintain some privacy around such personal issues, but claiming that everyone, always and everywhere, should do so is a bit much.
Like sexuality, I think Asperger's should be discussed wherever people find it necessary, in order to create a safe space for themselves.
That said, I agree that official diagnoses are a good idea. Though I also think that if someone who struggles with social skills, body language, unpredictability, sensory issues, etc. can find something they need in this community, that it's a good thing, whether they have AS or not.
There are a handful of professional people (we can list the names from memory) who know more than trivia about Asperger's. This does _not_ include typical doctors, psychologists, child psychologists or social workers.
If you're dealing with teachers and social workers, you're still working at the level of ignorance of, "Well it must be like this, that's how it was in 'The Curious Incident...'".
There's almost nothing in the technical literature on Asperger's. Now if you're a decent oncologist you're spending much of your waking time continually reading, just to keep up with your field. For Asperger's though, it's entirely practical for an intelligent layman with some free time and access to a university library to read everything published that's worth reading. There just isn't much of it
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I completely agree that there are very few genuine experts in AS on the assessment side, but there *is* quite a lot of literature about it from experimental psychologists and neuroscientists who aren't involved directly with diagnosis. Perhaps not a great deal compared to some other fields, but I wouldn't say almost nothing is known.
And I do agree that an intelligent layperson could very easily follow a great deal of the available research without any specialised training, and after sufficient study, come to conclusions just as valid as those of a researcher - especially if they had Asperger's themselves and therefore knew something about the subjective experience.
My Mom found a specialist in Upstate New York. Maybe it's different in other countries, certainly you have to fight for it. But it is worth it. I think.
the doctors in my area are fucking retards. I get treatment from my psychiatrist but if i have to go to the hospital every fucking time its a new thing like they've never seen my file before (even tho its sitting right there)
Aspergers to the average moron doctor is a "new" condition and as a result most won't touch it with a 10 foot pole unless you're so far into the spectrum that its impossible to miss.
because it does opperate on a graidient if you're not fully on, its easy to get missed.
Eh.. I'm rather on the fence about this, but as a dx'd aspie, I can say that help is not for every one, and that some ppl cant afford, or dont want to get the DX, due to social stigmata ect that would come with it.
So? First of all they should PROUD of having this unique way of looking at the world. Even if they can't mention it work. Hell we should have Aspie Pride parades. As for can't afford it, don't these people have family, friends, someone in there life willing to help. And why isn't help for everyone. Also you mean Stigma not Stigmata since it doesn't involve socially bleeding from the hands and feet.
Getting a diagnosis of Asperger's is a luxury item for many--especially in the current financial crisis, I think. I'm lucky that my parents paid for it when I was a teenager; many people aren't so fortunate. Just going off of people's stories that I've heard here and elsewhere, many people could not just ask someone to give hundreds of dollars (or more!) just for a diagnosis of AS which may not actually provide any practical help. There are quite a few items which rank ahead of diagnosis in terms of necessity for many people. Like housing or regular medical bills, for instance.
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Seriously?!
Because... straight people never talk about their partners, relationships, wedding plans, or dates at work? Because... it's entirely fair to expect NTs to magically know what all of our differences are, and how to relate to them, without our explaining ourselves, at all, ever? I can appreciate a desire to maintain some privacy around such personal issues, but claiming that everyone, always and everywhere, should do so is a bit much.
Like sexuality, I think Asperger's should be discussed wherever people find it necessary, in order to create a safe space for themselves.
That said, I agree that official diagnoses are a good idea. Though I also think that if someone who struggles with social skills, body language, unpredictability, sensory issues, etc. can find something they need in this community, that it's a good thing, whether they have AS or not.
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There are a handful of professional people (we can list the names from memory) who know more than trivia about Asperger's. This does _not_ include typical doctors, psychologists, child psychologists or social workers.
If you're dealing with teachers and social workers, you're still working at the level of ignorance of, "Well it must be like this, that's how it was in 'The Curious Incident...'".
There's almost nothing in the technical literature on Asperger's. Now if you're a decent oncologist you're spending much of your waking time continually reading, just to keep up with your field. For Asperger's though, it's entirely practical for an intelligent layman with some free time and access to a university library to read everything published that's worth reading. There just isn't much of it ( ... )
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And I do agree that an intelligent layperson could very easily follow a great deal of the available research without any specialised training, and after sufficient study, come to conclusions just as valid as those of a researcher - especially if they had Asperger's themselves and therefore knew something about the subjective experience.
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the doctors in my area are fucking retards. I get treatment from my psychiatrist but if i have to go to the hospital every fucking time its a new thing like they've never seen my file before (even tho its sitting right there)
Aspergers to the average moron doctor is a "new" condition and as a result most won't touch it with a 10 foot pole unless you're so far into the spectrum that its impossible to miss.
because it does opperate on a graidient if you're not fully on, its easy to get missed.
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When whatever you're proud of can cause you to not get jobs, or to lose jobs? You don't tell people.
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