How can I tell if I am autistic?
Some bloggers have sitemeters. Some bloggers check their sitemeters to see who is searching what subject, if they are brave. Occasionally I am brave and check. What follows are three pieces upon subjects that three people researched via google. This is the fifth topic:-
‘How can I tell if I am autistic?’
A worrisome question on so many fronts. My facetious nature prompts me, ‘if you have to ask……’ but clearly this matter preys on many minds. To read more click “here.”
Stumble it!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:07 am
A very cogent, sensible description of something that so many of us find troubling. What, if anything, is the difference between PDD-NOS, autism, aspergers, etc? In the hands of different diagnosing parties, nothing or everything. Even the terms themselves have so little replicability or validity across testers.
My youngest’s technical diagnosis is PDD-NOS. They didn’t think that he is severe enough to be called “autistic.” Depends on the day and the context, frankly. And of course, I have no diagnosis - and I think none is warranted. With that said, I was reading fluently when I was 2, I cannot abide crowds, find it very difficult to make eye contact (particularly if I must actually think at the same time), and must physically WORK to smile, converse, and make eye contact in situations where these things are required. There are days when I am not positive that my son fell all that far from the tree. It does indeed seem that many symptoms or behavior patterns are a continuum gradated only by how much the behavior in question interferes with your life or how aware you are of the weakness and able to control it.
I have had severe depression. And yet, despite not feeling particularly black at any given time (trust me, when one is clinically depressed, one does not make it in to the doctor) - doctors are always concerned that I am depressed upon asking me a few questions about my mental state. I’m not depressed: just not going to sugar coat the situation to keep from worrying some white-coat. It appears to me that the average American, when asked how they are *feeling* must say “GREAT!! Never better!” and, perhaps, breaks into song.
As you noted, “Shadow Syndromes” are complicated in both the involvement of the observer trying to determine where someone objectively falls on some bell curve, and how a person subjectively perceives their situation. Frighteningly, I have learned over the years that there are certain “catch phrases” or “warning words” that, if uttered in describing one’s status, will immediately result in a determination (again, purportedly objective) that certain mental disorders are present. In the absence of these words? Much closer call. Something is wrong with that.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:15 am
I wrote a post called What PDD-NOS officially means. I described both officially-correct uses of PDD-NOS, and also various usages of the term that doctors often make up for themselves. (Like “If the kid makes eye contact, it’s not autism, so it must be PDD-NOS.” Which is BS.) You might be interested in it.