Hello! I might have Aspergers/autism.

Hi there, and welcome to the community!  It's a friendly place and you should find a lot of kindred spirits here.

Asperger's is autism at the high-functioning end of the spectrum.  People with Asperger's can very often function 'normally' in having families, holding down jobs, running their own lives independently - but the condition means that they can have problems, to a greater or lesser degree, in a number of areas.  The best thing I can do is point you to the place on this site which gives a fuller description, so you can find out more.  It's here:

What is Asperger's Syndrome?

Regarding assessment, it seems to vary from area to area.  I live in Kent, and the process for me is that I was being seen by a mental health therapist who first suggested Asperger's.  She wrote to my GP, who put in a referral for me to the autistic unit in Sevenoaks.  I was then asked to complete and return the AQ questionnaire, which led to a home visit from an assessor.  He asked me a number of questions which convinced him, and he put me forward for a formal assessment at Sevenoaks - some time later.  The whole process for me, from initial referral to final diagnosis, was just over 2 years.  I was diagnosed in 2015, aged 56.

For me, the diagnosis has been overwhelmingly positive.  It has enabled me to make sense of my life at last!  All the problems I've encountered in social situations, and in certain workplace conditions.  Not only do I have those answers, but I can now also ask for reasonable adjustments in the workplace to accommodate any issues I may have.  High noise levels, for instance, or situations where I'm placed under a lot of stress - such as multi-tasking.  Fortunately, I now work as a support worker in an autistic trust, and my employers are very understanding and accepting.  Other people may have more struggles.  But the diagnosis still means you have rights.

As you've found, there are many different 'views' out there.  Lots of nonsense, too.  Even though autism is more generally known about now, it's still misunderstood in many ways.  Being a spectrum condition, it affects all people differently.  No two people on the autism spectrum will exhibit exactly the same symptoms and behaviours.  We're all unique individuals!

What things do you find particularly affect you?  Did your assessor think that your depression and anxiety could be rooted in problems you've encountered, possibly because of autism?  This was the case with me.  I had depression and anxiety for years.  The diagnosis has helped me to understand them better.  It's common for people to have these conditions with autism, as you'll find.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.  This is a safe community and you'll probably find you have a lot in common with many of the people here.  We won't think you're 'strange', or pass judgments.  You can feel safe in speaking freely.  We're all anonymous, too - though you'll quickly get to know everyone!

Here's the AQ test, which - if you haven't taken it yet - you will most likely take at some stage in your assessment.  Scores above about 30 are usually indicative.

Asperger's Adult AQ Test

Take care.

All the best,

Tom

Hi there, and welcome to the community!  It's a friendly place and you should find a lot of kindred spirits here.

Asperger's is autism at the high-functioning end of the spectrum.  People with Asperger's can very often function 'normally' in having families, holding down jobs, running their own lives independently - but the condition means that they can have problems, to a greater or lesser degree, in a number of areas.  The best thing I can do is point you to the place on this site which gives a fuller description, so you can find out more.  It's here:

What is Asperger's Syndrome?

Regarding assessment, it seems to vary from area to area.  I live in Kent, and the process for me is that I was being seen by a mental health therapist who first suggested Asperger's.  She wrote to my GP, who put in a referral for me to the autistic unit in Sevenoaks.  I was then asked to complete and return the AQ questionnaire, which led to a home visit from an assessor.  He asked me a number of questions which convinced him, and he put me forward for a formal assessment at Sevenoaks - some time later.  The whole process for me, from initial referral to final diagnosis, was just over 2 years.  I was diagnosed in 2015, aged 56.

For me, the diagnosis has been overwhelmingly positive.  It has enabled me to make sense of my life at last!  All the problems I've encountered in social situations, and in certain workplace conditions.  Not only do I have those answers, but I can now also ask for reasonable adjustments in the workplace to accommodate any issues I may have.  High noise levels, for instance, or situations where I'm placed under a lot of stress - such as multi-tasking.  Fortunately, I now work as a support worker in an autistic trust, and my employers are very understanding and accepting.  Other people may have more struggles.  But the diagnosis still means you have rights.

As you've found, there are many different 'views' out there.  Lots of nonsense, too.  Even though autism is more generally known about now, it's still misunderstood in many ways.  Being a spectrum condition, it affects all people differently.  No two people on the autism spectrum will exhibit exactly the same symptoms and behaviours.  We're all unique individuals!

What things do you find particularly affect you?  Did your assessor think that your depression and anxiety could be rooted in problems you've encountered, possibly because of autism?  This was the case with me.  I had depression and anxiety for years.  The diagnosis has helped me to understand them better.  It's common for people to have these conditions with autism, as you'll find.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.  This is a safe community and you'll probably find you have a lot in common with many of the people here.  We won't think you're 'strange', or pass judgments.  You can feel safe in speaking freely.  We're all anonymous, too - though you'll quickly get to know everyone!

Here's the AQ test, which - if you haven't taken it yet - you will most likely take at some stage in your assessment.  Scores above about 30 are usually indicative.

Asperger's Adult AQ Test

Take care.

All the best,

Tom