I think one of the most common 'fears' of those self-diagnosed, or "self-dx'ed" if you will, is the fear of thinking you're just imagining this, you're not really autistic, and it's just something you've made up to cover up something else. It certainly has been for me, although the semi-official diagnosis on Feb. 11, 2008 has made me feel more certain that I'm an indeed right.
Others have said it before me, and I'll say it here - meeting others on the spectrum, either with or without an official diagnosis might help you figure out in which camp you belong.
This spring I was fortunate enough to find a group of parents of kids recently diagnosed as Aspergic. Originally consisting of parents from a nearby municipality, I was accepted to a meeting as the first autistic person (although the parents often have traits themselves). After being very nervous in the car, I was happy to learn that these people were all great, and they made me feel very welcome and needed - they asked me questions and were genuinely interested (as far as I can tell). So far I've met these people thrice - two times in one of the homes, once at a café, with only two of them.
I've also been a part of two meetings consisting of auties only. One should think that in an area of a mere 181 000 people it'd be "hard" finding others on the spectrum. So far I have a confirmed number of 7, and I suspect two students on campus that I've run into (who seem clearly autistic), a professor who can be nothing but, and a few more.
Meeting these people has proven a very valid point, one that I cannot stress enough; each autistic is as different from each other as each NT is different from every other NT. What we have in common is certain traits. It's no use trying to compare us, and say that one cannot be autistic because she is not interested in the same things as he is. The traits that makes us autistic varies in severity, making us different and faceted people. It has also showed me that I have found my camp, no matter how many times I'll have to endure comments like "you're not autistic - you can talk!" and "you seem so outgoing!".
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2 comments:
Very much alike what I've read on other places on the internet from other self-dx'ers.
I remember when I first met you it blurted out of me "heh, now I wonder if my older sis is aspie, you seem just like her!"
Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. It wouldn't surprise me that many of the female siblings of kids are autistic too, only nobody realizes...
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