<p>In the 9th grade I received my final diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. By then, I had already figured out I was a gigantic freak, and years of not understanding why I just couldn't make myself fit in had taken its toll on my self-esteem. </p>
<p>My doctor (psychologist...psychiatrist...something like that) had told me that Asperger's in girls is often undetected, which can lead to awful self-esteem and anxiety problems during adolescence. Both of which I have, that won't seem to go away despite monthly counseling. But I digress.</p>
<p>And it gets really, really difficult sometimes because when I'm trying to get close to someone, I can't use "I'm sorry, I have Asperger's. You have to tell me when I say something weird." as a disclaimer because of the misconceptions many people seem to have about autism and its sister disorders. </p>
<p>I was wondering, who else has an ASD or knows someone who does? I'd really like to hear your anecdotes, especially from girls like me. :)</p>
<p>I’m a guy, and I have mild Asperger’s Syndrome myself. I was diagnosed in the 4th grade. I only have some of the traits of it though, the most prominent of which being shyness, which has definitely improved over the years, but is still an issue. I also have/had fine and gross motor skill issues/delays, but they have, for the most part, become respectable. Honestly, it’s hard to tell I even have AS, at least, at the surface, but that’s just me. It’s cool to know that I’m not the only one on here with AS.</p>
<p>I sort of dated a guy with Asperger’s. I had no idea until he told me, and I think it was a very mild case because I’ve met other people with Asperger’s who definitely have more difficulties with it than he does. He wasn’t diagnosed until later in high school. He was sort of eccentric, but it was part of his personality, and if he didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t think he had any sort of problems… although maybe there was a reason why a college sophomore was hooking up with a high school junior…</p>
<p>My brother is on the autism spectrum.
He has high-function autism (not Asperger’s). It’s obvious that there’s something “different” about him, so he can’t really just blend in.</p>
<p>I also am apparently on the autism spectrum. Just got diagnosed this year, and it’s my junior year. Social settings are difficult for me - if I’m in a classroom and everyone’s talking at the same time I have to cover my ears; it’s too loud. Also, I’m awkward starting conversations and ending them. I also don’t blend it well. I talk about the wrong things at the wrong times. Yeah, that’s basically it.</p>
<p>I haven’t talked to a professional about autism. But according the AQ test, I show stronger autistic traits than 20% of people diagnosed and 98% of people not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. I’ve always felt like I can’t relate to most people and I’ve had trouble deciding if I have a debilitating difficulty caring about people and their feelings that fall outside my own interests, or if I’m just self-absorbed.</p>
<p>Homeschooling helped me more than anything else before high school graduation. I got to focus on what I wanted to focus on, and interact with people I wanted to interact with.</p>
<p>Booze and benzo (not together!) are, of course, miracle medicines. Be careful about them; people with social anxiety (like me, and many autistic people) are some of the most susceptible people to substance addictions.</p>
<p>My parents are staunchly conservative and way too intuitive for my liking, if I even think of alcohol they’d definitely lock me away forever. </p>
<p>Other than that, my AS is relatively mild as well. I just don’t ever speak up in class and my conversations with people I don’t know tend to be awkward and slow. I also tend to have my obsessions in which I immerse myself that change periodically, so I guess that’s a visible symptom, too.</p>
<p>Forgot about the obsessions piece, but that would apply to me as well, although for me, they’ve always been the same, going back to when I was 2. Same with the conversations thing, which happens when I’m talking to people I know, as well as with strangers as you mentioned before. I actually speak up in class a lot and end up leading most of the discussions, especially in English and Spanish classes, and/or during any kind of debate.</p>
<p>i keep being accused of this. very weird.</p>
<p>My 12 year old brother has high-functioning autism and says some very strange and rude things (such as racist remarks). My best friend’s adopted younger sister has Aspergers, but she acts relatively normal (although she’s only 9).</p>
<p>I don’t have asperger’s or any other form of high-functioning autism, but I do have social anxiety which, combined with lots of isolation, has sort have caused me to be very similar (although I may have it, I can’t afford a psychologist, and I can’t go through my school so idk). I don’t really understand how to socialize :/// I always talk to loud or too quite, I can’t pick up on subtleties, I say the wrong thing a lot. I’m incredibly shy, and definitely have odd behavior. I only have one friend who is really tolerant and loves my quirkiness, but I always feel really weird being myself around others, I feel like I’m constantly being judged (dang you social phobia! lol)</p>
<p>The most annoying thing is when I’m trying to express myself when I’m upset. i can’t understand my emotions very well, and I get really frustrated when I get upset and I can’t describe why, like my brain goes blank when talking about how i feel whenever I’m upset. That, combined with getting upset really easily (bad crying spells in a school week and if I’m dealing with social situations that I’m not comfortable with if jumps to like 10 lol) I can’t control my crying when I get upset :/. I can’t express my feelings through words so tears I guess are my only means of doing so</p>