I need understanding of autism

[reggiebush619]

I want to know more about autism. I have been told I was diagnosed when I was a baby, but I dont know for sure if I can have autism. I pretty much now am fine. I feel like normal. can you help me with this

[888mom]

Are your parents still alive?  Can you ask them why you were diagnosed?  They'd have to tell you more than just they thought when you were a baby.  Did they undiagnose you?  Do you feel that you have autistic tendencies now as an adult?  I guess questions to ask yourself might be if you have problems making and keeping friends or have problems communicating.  Do you have sensory processing problems?  (like that would be being overly or underly sensitive to various things like hearing, sight, smell, pain, etc).  

The Autism Speaks site does have a lot of information, but I no longer like them.  Many autistic adults do not like the Autism Speaks group for various reasons.  There are many curebies in the group and people who are into DAN doctors (it's a personal choice whether you are pro-DAN doctors or not) and people who think autism is an "epidemic".  Plus their puzzle piece thing they use as their emblem or whatever it is you call it... kind of offends many people including myself.  If they think my daughter is some kind of mysterious puzzle that they can't figure out how to put together... well, anyways, I dislike the symbolism they picked for their group.  I am all for therapy for my daughter.  She has some serious language delays.  Sure, she has her other issues too, including sensory processing problems (she gets occupational theray to help her).   I also  have sensory processing problems that I have had since I was an infant (they never went away... some got better and some got worse)...  so I've always kind of understood what things set her off and work on ways to teach her how to cope or avoid those situations.  well, anyways, the sensory thing she's getting therapy for too (I'm kind of envious a bit of that since she's overcome some of the sensory thing... and I'm in my late 30s and it's just too late for things to work on me... though I did try with an adult occupational therapist for a bit).   I was diagnosed with ADD in college, minor OCD several years back, and more recently with sensory processing disorder since my daughter's doctor chastised me about resolving some of my own issues to better help my daughter resolve her own (he noticed I had some serious issues with noise and visual stimuli when we had our daughter in for a visit... I evidently was a difficult person to communicate with according to him).  

Uh, so well, anyways... there have to be some groups that some adults with autism or aspergers or PDD-NOS could recommend to you...  Better to get a definition from someone who is autistic if you are an adult who has questions about themself.  There is one group I joined for autistics and autistic cousins (I'd consider myself a "cousin" since I have the sensory issues and not the social communication issues), but it's a closed email group and it sounds like you are just looking for information about what autism is.  It might be a group you'd join if you find out you do have autism or autistic traits and want to chat with similar people.

You may want to research aspergers and PDD-NOS as well as autism.  There are slight (and sometimes huge) differences between them.  Just don't get upset about what you read on various sites.  I think most are geared towards moms and dads of small children and they are freaking out if their kids have autism or not.

Anyways, hopefully some adults with autism can reply to you.  

Oh, and before you start going to see lots of doctors... make sure you have good insurance and that it is covered.  Some of the specialists are covered but then their tests that they do may not be unless you reach the deductible first.  And then you should ask yourself if your possible autism is impacting your life enough to go through all that to get a diagnosis.  Things like, is your social life okay or are you not doing so well there.  Are you able to hold a job or go to college.  Do you have problems at work or in school that you would need special considerations that a diagnosis would allow you to have.  I guess knowing whether you do or not would give you some peace just being able to know yourself.  But diagnosis or not, you are who you are.  Be at peace with yourself for that and don't try to be someone you aren't just because you think you should be like everyone else.

[timmysmom2005]

Hello. There is great information about autism at the autism speaks website. I would suggest reading up about behaviors of people on the spectrum and seeing if you feel like you fit any of the criteria. If you are really wanting a definitive answer you can have some very simple evaluations done by a neurologist.