Traumagenic quasi autism? Failed 1st assessment

Hazelspoon said:

the earliest traumatic memories I can identify is my mother berating me for having "no social skills" and other kids excluding me and mocking me for my precocious speech and odd demeanour.

Not relevant at all to a quasi-autism diagnosis, which would require you to be unloved in your early years - but very relevant to a female-type AS diagnosis.  (I personally knew a Romanian ex-orphan very well.  Her autistic traits were very like my own apart from disinhibited attachment - which is characteristic of quasi-autism.  She wasn't ill-treated, but there were so many children and so few staff that she had no attachment figure, and would attach to any adult who showed her affection).  So I've no idea how he worked out that you had QA!

I have so much stuff that simply is not a symptom of PTSD. The way my brain constantly repeats snatches of music or speech and I have to sleep with the radio on to drown it out.   the love of shiny things, the feeling when I'm in a room full of people that is like nails down a blackboard...

I can identify with all of these, except sleeping with the radio on for I'm too tired (I've always had a nightlight though).  With me the snatches of music repeat during the day, especially if out walking alone.  Often the same music.  I collect like a magpie - crystals, rings, marbles, little coloured glass animals, hang shiny things in the windows, etc.   I've had these traits all my life.  I often wear Roma-type long skirts with shiny bits in them.  I hate walking into a room full of people, and the way they all turn to look at me.  Aaargh!  This happened recently.  I walked in, heard all the voices jumbled together, went all panicky, and got out quick.  I just couldn't face it.  All this is pretty autistic.

I don't get it. If he's autistic and very intelligent and can spot where I do or don't miss a social cue, then surely another autistic person is capable of learning these things!

I don't get it either.  Sometimes I even wonder if these people are being paid to fob off as many women with autism as possible.  Male gatekeeping, hmm, maybe.

So you're into 'male' stuff.  Yes that could explain the way he acted.  I have very many interests, half of them could be seen as 'male' type interests - such as radio & electronics.  I used to draw endless complex circuits as a child, and built a valve radio transmitter at 13, and ran a pirate radio station.  Males were certainly very impressed!  This is so autistic too. 

Did you know that EDS is closely linked to autism?    planetautismblog.wordpress.com/.../ 

Yet another clue!  It all adds up to me.

I'm so tired of having these soul bearing assessments and keep getting knocked back.

I know the feeling.  This happens far too often, and it shouldn't.  Training of most MH professionals in autism is abysmal.

I feel like I'll be offending the assessor personally and  might bump into him when I have my trauma therapy. Awkward!

I get like this (same building) but I've come to realise that offending people who misdiagnose is a non-issue when getting an accurate diagnosis is concerned. It's like taking a watch back to the repairers because it still doesn't work. It's their fault they're not up to the job, not yours for 'offending' them. It's difficult when these people appear to be nice people, but even so it's your life that they're playing with.

Yes, it is exhausting - and we Aspies easily get exhausted. The drop-out rate must be high, and we know the misiagnosis rate is sky high too.  I think the NAS should be doing more for women on the spectrum. If there's no local self-help group, it might be worth you and your new friend setting one up, as I'm doing, for there's a growing need for them - especially with support services being cut.

Hazelspoon said:

the earliest traumatic memories I can identify is my mother berating me for having "no social skills" and other kids excluding me and mocking me for my precocious speech and odd demeanour.

Not relevant at all to a quasi-autism diagnosis, which would require you to be unloved in your early years - but very relevant to a female-type AS diagnosis.  (I personally knew a Romanian ex-orphan very well.  Her autistic traits were very like my own apart from disinhibited attachment - which is characteristic of quasi-autism.  She wasn't ill-treated, but there were so many children and so few staff that she had no attachment figure, and would attach to any adult who showed her affection).  So I've no idea how he worked out that you had QA!

I have so much stuff that simply is not a symptom of PTSD. The way my brain constantly repeats snatches of music or speech and I have to sleep with the radio on to drown it out.   the love of shiny things, the feeling when I'm in a room full of people that is like nails down a blackboard...

I can identify with all of these, except sleeping with the radio on for I'm too tired (I've always had a nightlight though).  With me the snatches of music repeat during the day, especially if out walking alone.  Often the same music.  I collect like a magpie - crystals, rings, marbles, little coloured glass animals, hang shiny things in the windows, etc.   I've had these traits all my life.  I often wear Roma-type long skirts with shiny bits in them.  I hate walking into a room full of people, and the way they all turn to look at me.  Aaargh!  This happened recently.  I walked in, heard all the voices jumbled together, went all panicky, and got out quick.  I just couldn't face it.  All this is pretty autistic.

I don't get it. If he's autistic and very intelligent and can spot where I do or don't miss a social cue, then surely another autistic person is capable of learning these things!

I don't get it either.  Sometimes I even wonder if these people are being paid to fob off as many women with autism as possible.  Male gatekeeping, hmm, maybe.

So you're into 'male' stuff.  Yes that could explain the way he acted.  I have very many interests, half of them could be seen as 'male' type interests - such as radio & electronics.  I used to draw endless complex circuits as a child, and built a valve radio transmitter at 13, and ran a pirate radio station.  Males were certainly very impressed!  This is so autistic too. 

Did you know that EDS is closely linked to autism?    planetautismblog.wordpress.com/.../ 

Yet another clue!  It all adds up to me.

I'm so tired of having these soul bearing assessments and keep getting knocked back.

I know the feeling.  This happens far too often, and it shouldn't.  Training of most MH professionals in autism is abysmal.

I feel like I'll be offending the assessor personally and  might bump into him when I have my trauma therapy. Awkward!

I get like this (same building) but I've come to realise that offending people who misdiagnose is a non-issue when getting an accurate diagnosis is concerned. It's like taking a watch back to the repairers because it still doesn't work. It's their fault they're not up to the job, not yours for 'offending' them. It's difficult when these people appear to be nice people, but even so it's your life that they're playing with.

Yes, it is exhausting - and we Aspies easily get exhausted. The drop-out rate must be high, and we know the misiagnosis rate is sky high too.  I think the NAS should be doing more for women on the spectrum. If there's no local self-help group, it might be worth you and your new friend setting one up, as I'm doing, for there's a growing need for them - especially with support services being cut.