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Questioning the diagnosis

Do you ever question your diagnosis? I read things from other autistic people and think 'but I'm not like that/that doesn't apply to me ,so how can I be autistic? Yet obviously someone thought I was for me  to get the diagnosis(social communication = classical autism level, social interaction=Asperger's level).

Comments

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen
    Yes, at times when I see a few people really relate after sharing their experience of ASD in an area that is alien to me, for example where being autistic is linked with being STEM inclined.

    My brain doesnt work that way.
    The aspects of me that are ADHD and dyscalculia inclined are particularly influential on my experience of being autistic.
    As much I guess as personality or personal dispositions are on the individial expression of ASD... I think of it as the saying 'if you've met one autistic, you've met one autistic'.
  • I'm doubtful especially re the sensory side of things. I 've read so many descriptions of intense sensory experiences.

    These are mine from a checklist I was given.

    From a form I was given re sensory challenges.

    Tactile

    Disliking certain textures

    Vision

    Squinting
    Poor eye contact
    Difficulty with eye-hand coordination
    Distracted by bright light
    Poor ball skills
    Easily overloaded by crowded visual fields

    Vestibular/balance

    Being clumsy/moving awkwardly
    Heavy footed
    Rocking

    Auditory

    Disturbed by repetitive sounds
    Speaking with a very loud voice
    Process information more easily in one to one situations

    Proprioception

    Bumping into people and things
    Poor handwriting
    Accidentally spilling things
    Dropping items on floor

    Behaviour, learning and social issues

    Repetitive behaviours
    Standing too close to others
    Difficulty joining group activities
    Struggling with sequencing activities
    Poor organisation
    Easily overwhelmed
  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen
    Diagnosis using the DSM 5, as I understand it doesnt require sensory hyper/hypo sensitivity.
    It seems to be grouped with repetitive/restricted behaviours, so a person could meet the criteria with 2 repetitive or restricted behaviours and be diagnosed without any requirement for "persistent decifits" in sensory behaviour.

    ICD10 doesnt require sensory challenges at all.

  • That reassures me a bit @Amity
  • SlyFoxSlyFox Citizen, Member
    Amity said:
    Yes, at times when I see a few people really relate after sharing their experience of ASD in an area that is alien to me, for example where being autistic is linked with being STEM inclined.

    My brain doesnt work that way.
    The aspects of me that are ADHD and dyscalculia inclined are particularly influential on my experience of being autistic.
    As much I guess as personality or personal dispositions are on the individial expression of ASD... I think of it as the saying 'if you've met one autistic, you've met one autistic'.
    I wish I was stem inclined or had some special talent. I guess I have the bad side of autism, the one that's ignored. i'm not low functioning but i'm not talented salvant. 
  • I'm so spectacularly untalented, and inept, at so many things that I  bullshit my way onto high IQ groups in a vain attempt to prove I'm not totally inadequate and a failure for all seasons.
  • HylianHylian Citizen, Mentor
    Amity said:
    Yes, at times when I see a few people really relate after sharing their experience of ASD in an area that is alien to me, for example where being autistic is linked with being STEM inclined.

    My brain doesnt work that way.
    The aspects of me that are ADHD and dyscalculia inclined are particularly influential on my experience of being autistic.
    As much I guess as personality or personal dispositions are on the individial expression of ASD... I think of it as the saying 'if you've met one autistic, you've met one autistic'.
    Regarding autistic people being STEM inclined, I can't relate when it's said that autistic people are supposed to be good at mathematics. I used to be very bad at math as a child, and while I can learn it easily as an adult I don't remember anything I learn. 😂

    I think if I went into a STEM field I wouldn't do good at all due to my math ability.
  • SOME of us are good at STEM, and indeed it's my impression that a disproportionate number of us are good at STEM, but certainly not all of us, and in any case that's not part of the definition of autism.
  • I dropped science subjects at the start of my O level year. I'd got between 16-18% on the last  science exams I did .  A combination of not being naturally good at them and not finding them overly interesting meant I made little effort at them.
  • HylianHylian Citizen, Mentor
    I do enjoy STEM subjects and do ok at some of them, but mathematics being involved in those things makes it hard to show my understanding of them sometimes. I did very bad in Chemistry class because of the algebra it involved, despite doing fine in the other subjects I had to take for science credits.

    In my experience, the way math is taught in school particularly makes it hard to understand. I have learned more by teaching myself using online resources VS being in school and doing it the very rigid way they explain things.

    I know not everyone with autism likes STEM or is good at math, and I actually wonder how many autistic people struggle with those subjects because of how they're taught.
  • I was absolutely terrible at geometry.
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