adults with asperger's

hi, just wondering if there are adults with asperger's in this forum, or just parents with ASD kids?

[Beldan4]

*raise* 30 years old, unmarried, childless male.

[Jena_C]

I am the mother and our daughter has been finally diagnosed with AS at the age of 25.
She's now 27.    I am keen to know more about this subject in adult.   In her childhood
this dx was not that common unfortunately.  She is high functioning and academic but
struggles with many aspect of life.  
Jena

[spunkykitty]

i was diagnosed at age 42... i m now pushing on 44... growing up was one long crazy ride... but i survived thanks to my home environment - dad was also (undiagnosed) ASD and being odd was more valued at home than being normal... my most normal sibling tried very hard to be 'odd' as a result... topsy turvy i guess... but adulthood, esp middle age, is very very tough... this is when we r expected to 'mature' according to the NT specifications, and of course all hell has broken loose...

how do u all cope ? let's share some anecdotes...

hey jena, i hv been reading as much as i can on this ... u can get some interesting readings on the internet of u google 'adult asperger'...

tony attwood's books on asperger's are also good general reading

right now i m devouring "Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult Asperger Syndrome" by Valerie L. Gaus

cheers to all and let's keep exchanging thoughts...

[missyaftc]

The crazy thing is no ones ever guess iam till you live with me.
I've always been able to hide everything (being the shy/quiet type? then it al comes out..........
whats wrong with you.
Paranoia, cant talk (get things across) cant do this cant do that.
I jsut tell people when they have had enough or act like im the weird one.
I say
"Iam who iam"
That phrase is my favorite.
Im weird andlove it...........
But all the syntoms of being depressed and everything else that goes along with bi polar, autism, aspergers. at 44 I finally eccept myself well.......... 75% of the time.
Missy 44 Mom of 5

[loremaster8953]

Im 20 years old and sort of this aspergian "cyborg". I have a touch of it. I can communicate points very well, though, and am very capable in most other things. I was paranoid when i was in high-school, but at that time i was also a hard-core Christian. Christianity as a developing Aspergian did not jive with me. Well, high school in general did not jive for me...I think the story goes like this : Aspergians are like Vulcans. When they grow up in a world that is run on different absolutes that what they suspect them to be, they feel out of sync and lost. And when this cuts into their confidence, and sense of self-worth, they become self-conscience. The key is to, like with everybody else, find yourself. Only Aspergians more often find themselves in logic, math, music, and things of this nature. Things that require a deeply analytical mind. I know that it is my candy:)

[MJIthewriter]

*raises hand* I'm a bit late posting here. I was dxed at age 6, now am 25, almost 26 in a few days.

[MJIthewriter]

correction: I was dxed PDD NOS, but otherwise everything else is the same.

[Shorty7777]

I do not have Aspergers, but my husband is an undiagnosed Aspie. We both have no doubt he has Aspergers, but he does not wish to actually seek a diagnosis at this time. We have been married 9 months now and although I am very happily married, there are aspects of the Aspergers that I have to deal with everyday. I have come to accept them though and do not in anyway try to "change him" or allow myself to get frustrated over things that simply are. For example, he has certain routines and procedures he must follow everyday. If he does not, it leads to much anxiety and frustration. (the way he gets dressed and puts shoes on, weighing himself daily and recording it, writing in a log daily, etc.) My husband is a wonderful man who may seem a little odd to others. He struggles with actually feeling his emotions and expressing his feelings. He tries so very hard to both provide for me and be pleasing to me as a husband. He does an excellent job and I feel very blessed to have him.

[spunkykitty]

hi jena, i m sorry this post comes so much later... sometimes that is what happens to me... i take ages to process and respond...

there are some resources though not many out there for adult asperger's... if your daughter  is interested to read these and also take part in the process of self discovery, it wld help her tremendously to come to terms with her 'difference'... and u can also go thru these resources simultaneously. take a look at the books published by kingsley: http://www.jkp.com/
just type in "asperger's" in the search... some are very good books...

another very good author on asperger's is Tony Attwood: http://books.google.com/books?as_auth=Tony+Attwood&source=an&ei=haMtSvqKNIqBkQX0w-ySCg&sa=X&oi=book_group&ct=title&cad=author-navigational&resnum=4
i highly recommend u read the "Complete Guide" first...

i hope this helps... and... AFFIRMATION is something that i found was the main thing that kept me going and helped me greatly in my young adult years... and even now... affirmation of our positive unique aspie qualities...

may i ask what her profession is? is she in an academic career?

[spunkykitty]

hi, and again sorry for the late response. (see my reply above)...
welcome to the wonderful world of adult asperger's! :-)
i'd love to hear some of ur views on asperger's and how u cope...
cheers!

[spunkykitty]

thx for ur response and note. i totally identify with those things u mentioned... but kudos to u for being able to handle a rich and full life - i think in many ways we shd appreciate ourselves a lot more just for the fact that we are doing so well in a confusing world that does not always 'speak' our 'language' and we hv to learn how to speak theirs! bravo!

[spunkykitty]

i completely understand ur views... i grew up in a christian background as well... but i hv come to terms... for me, my own beliefs are my own - i still believe very much in God, but i m against organised religion.. religious institutions of any kind are limited by their own insecure boundaries... as an aspie, i find there is so much more depth and breadth and height to what IS... why limit ourselves?... thx for ur post... yes often times i feel lost, an alien in this world of NTs but other times i can see how much my specialness can bring and has brought to the lives of the people who love me - it's a lonely road cos nobody really understands u, but for me, love and acceptance are more important than understanding... and i hv been fortunate enough to find that among a very few special NT friends !! i wish the same for u too... x

[spunkykitty]

hey MJ, i am a writer too! thx for posting... pls do share some of ur views here!

[spunkykitty]

hi shorty, i m so heartened to hear abt ur love and appreciation for ur aspie husband... yes yes yes we need more of u around !!!! ... i come from a few generations of aspies... my grandad had his routines which were sacred, so did my dad... and me too but less rigid, for me, it was where things were placed within my ordered mess... pple wld try to tidy my room and i used to fly in a rage when someone moved my pencils !!!

[mtgoat911]

i was diagnosed 2 yrs ago, i am 34, i am not around much but if you send me a message it goes to my email
xo

[Oubilette]

my son is 7 1/2 and was recently diagnosed with ASD.
He's so much like me, but we do have our differences.
First is I'm undiagnosed ASD.
I'm good with words: writting, reading, etc.
He's very bad.
I can communicate pretty well with people. I say it has something to do with practice.
He's...not so good. xD but getting better.
We're both nuts, and we love it. Both my husband and my 1 yr old daughter don't get us, but that's okay.

I have a feeling I get the ASD from mmy father's side-he is "weird" and eccentric. My grandma was always that way too. I couldn't be happier with how I am.
Keep in mind that in a lot of cases (not all) there is a family member who has a form of ASD. with aspergers it looks like it can come as many forms as there are people. It's fantastic ^_^

[Mozartcowgirl]

Aspergers here.... 7  children. in the medical field.my mothers side of the family .. i am sure.. undiagnosed aspergers allllll around.

[spunkykitty]

welcome all of ya! i can see i m in great company! thx for replying!