I was diagnosed with mild autism over a year ago and I still don't kno what to think ?

Question

I started seeing a counselor when I was 14. fist she diagnosed me with bulimia, manic depression and OCD then a year later she told my mom that I was autistic. we went to two other doctors and they said that it seemed to fit. that was october 2009. the doctor(s) said it was mild like a 3 on a 1-10 scale. i'm 16 now and i can't believe it. I refuse to. I don't know if I'm just in denial or what. I just think to myself I went to a counselor to gain self esteem and confidence and came out with so much more pain and confusion then when I went in. it just doesn't seem possible to me either. I'm very Intelligent. I've won the state spelling bee and region geography bee twice. and i'm not that socially inept. I do have issues with eye contact but i just think its rude/intrusive to look others in the eyes or be looked at in the eyes. I'm a little quiet but I still have friends in fact I tried to explain this to my best friend and she didn't believe me at first.

Anyway I guess i'm just looking for advice. I cant do what I'm doing. which is just trying not to think about it. Then when I do think about it it just makes me feel like a dud. like i've let everybody down especially my parents. I always kinda felt like the lesser child now I know that's how my mom feels. I don"t know what to do. please help

Answer 1

First of all, being classified does not make you a dud. Like anyone else it just means you have certain areas to work on. I'm not sure about the whole "on a scale of 1-10" -- usually is someone is very mild on the pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) spectrum they are classifed as having Asperger's Syndrome (a "sister" form of autism). People with Asperger's tend to be VERY intelligent -- in fact Silicon Valley is loaded with them. In fact, they call themselves "aspies" and fee others are lacking.



You need to see all the positives you bring (and will bring in the future) to the table. Here is the website of Temple Grandin - a very high functioning (and famous) person with autism - http://templegrandin.com/ and here is a website for "aspies" (although I am not familiar with this website myself) http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/. Most of all don't get down on yourself -- everyone has things to work on!

Answer 2

Think of it as a neurological wiring difference. So your brain works a little differently, so do a lot of people's. Embrace the gifts the difference gives you.



I've always known I was autistic. I was diagnosed at 3 yrs old. It wasn't till I was 7 that my very high IQ was diagnosed. I test between 147-163 on standardized IQ tests.



I'm not socially inept either. I got married, had kids, went to and graduated from college, have a career.



Eye contact to me is painful or at least uncomfortable. I learned how to fake it by focusing on the person's chin/neck area. I don't suggest trying to force eye contact. Just fake it, I can fake out doctors even. I wear glasses, they are tinted 10%, this helps. I wear sunglasses a lot too, (not inside) but its a nice shield. It's an EZ coping strategy on how to survive the neurotypical, lol.



checklist:

Over think, analyze things,2. Prefer own company, 3. Obsessional interest, 4. Like routine, 5. Like rituals, 6. Collections, 7. Sensory problems, 8. Over focus on details, 9. Perfectionist, 10. Think outside the box!, 11. Cannot understand jokes, 12. Weird laugh and/or make odd noises,13. Nervous fidget, Stim, 14. Upset by crowds, shy, 15. Face doesn't show emotion, 16. Very honest, can seem naïve, 17. Quirky, different somehow , 18. Cannot understand point of small talk, 19. Cannot understand society unwritten rules, 20. Bullied at school, work etc., 21. Lack of friends, socializing, 22. Friends much older or younger, 23. Mumbles, speaks to self, 24. Inappropriate emotions, response, 25. Connect well with animals, 26. Computer (Mr Spock) like logic, 27. Unexplained memory lapses, 28. Irregular sleeping patterns, 29. Hopeless or expert with maps, 30. Awkward, clumsy, bad body posture....



and you know what, I have every stinking symptom!



Stop trying to be neurotypical, you are not a defective duck, just be happy being a swan.



talk to your mom about it, she probably worries or feels guilty she didn't get you some services earlier or feels like she did something to cause it or something.

Answer 3

One of my friends who has aspergers (a form of autism) as well as my mom told me that they think I might be slightly autistic, and it feels unsettling to me, so I'm sure it's similar for you. Even if you do have autism though, it doesn't change who you are! You're not the "lesser child" or a let down at all. If you're not very autistic, then it doesn't even seem to matter that much. You're still a high-functioning person, it's not like you've got a life-threatening disease or lost half of your mind or something. If you can come to terms with your diagnosis, then you can work on whatever parts that you may be lacking on. For instance, I know how ya feel with the eye contact thing...it feels rude! But to most people, not looking them in the eyes shows dishonesty or mistrust. Little by little, try to see if you can look people in the eyes more. Eventually you should get it down pad as a habit, and it won't become as big of a problem anymore. There's other things that autistic children seem to have problems with, so if you can accept that you might be slightly autistic, then you can go look these things up, honestly ask yourself whether or not you have problems with these things, then go and work on it (preferably with help of a family member, counselor, or friend). Lots of autistic kids are usually very intelligent, at least in one way or another, too, so hey, look at that! Many people with only a slight autism function just fine. Heck, my friend with aspergers seems like a normal kid to me, and only has a problem when something really bothers him and sets him off in to one of his...umm..."ticks", for lack of a better word. And that's something he's been able to work on though. That, and he can never seem to tell if he's upsetting people or not (he's asked me a few times if I was upset/annoyed with him, when I wasn't at all...he doesn't know if he's annoying to people or if they're genuinely happy with him). I hope you feel better about all of this. You're far from a dud! =)