Pre-Invention Aspie

I'm self diagnosed and fit most of the criteria for having Asperger's.
If this diagnosis is correct and is something a person is born as then I was and aspie before it was invented.

As a kid the solution for a lot of the "issues" possibly related to Asperger's was "ass whippin". I was raised as an only child, not with my other siblings or actual parents, kept in, not allowed to interact with other children. Toys bought were loner toys, built for single individual consumption. Had a bicycle I couldn't ride. A baseball glove I could seldom take out of the house. Other kids were seldom allowed over. Once in school there was a huge push to make good grades, be a top student. There was no emphasis on playing sports or music.

By the time I was 15 I managed to start to sneak away from home to make some contact with other kids, make it to the basketball court in the next town. I didn't go well socially, possibly due to having no viable body language, among other things. My focus has always been on stuff I am and do, most of which has nothing to do with other people, so there was little common ground, nothing to interest others, or about others that interested me.

A down side of it is the ostracism and ridicule received for the effects of what turns out to be this syndrome. Another is how it affected getting jobs, maintaining employment, even managing money.

And of course, relationships were rocky to none, mostly none.

I didn't read, discover, Asperger's until about 3 or 4 years ago. It never came up during any therapy or testing by the shrinks I had for depression.

So how did I "cope" before finding out Asperger's existed? There was no fix at the time, not that there are any "fixes" now. The key was not caring about what others thought, still feel good about myself, and realize that I might not be sick, evil, or "bad", just different. Yes, as negative as this strategy might have been, I had to go on, so I took greater control over who I allowed in and out of my life, how, and when. I tried to turn this lemon into lemonade. Now that there's more resources and contributors, I'm seeing more ways to work with this state of being.

What is especially curious is that my job skills, the work done, involves interacting with lots and lots of people. I was one of the best but it was at something I never liked. Naturally enough my most liked jobs were the ones where there were no people, like field technician on equipment that was in the boonies.

Saying this as being one myself, I suggest, with that childhood you described, the ability to interact well with others in your job, even if you don't like it, the lack of any special interests, sensory problems or overloads, and so forth… have you ever informed yourself about schizoid personality disorder? It's a differential diagnosis to autism, and its sometimes very hard to distinguish between the two. My second advice, therefore, is to seek a professional diagnosis, if possible, for what may help in the first case, may be of no use in the latter and vice versa.

Yes. I don't fit that.

Why should I seek "a professional diagnosis"? I'm not unhappy, troubled, or sick. I did well. There has never been any lack of special interests, just the opposite. I used my aspie traits well, had lots of fun. I've done so many Bucket List items that the list itself has to be replenished periodically. I have no "sensory problems or overloads, and so forth". And "Help" with what?

Hi StrikesRule

If you don't feel you need a diagnosis or help dealing with it, and are happy just doing your own thing, then that's fine- and I don't think you'd be alone in that stance on it.

I've considered seeking out a diagnosis- it would potentially help me seeking out disability services and supports. Also, I already have a fairly complex diagnosis, and it is easier to explain to professionals a diagnosis rather than describing a bunch of symptoms each time, which are open to their own personal interpretations (read: different diagnosis every time I see someone different). I've needed the extra support to deal with other issues including trauma.

I think everyone's different, having a diagnosis and being able to understand it is important to me, but others may feel very differently on it.

2ost wrote:What is especially curious is that my job skills, the work done, involves interacting with lots and lots of people. I was one of the best but it was at something I never liked.

I work in a customer service/sales role. I can do it competently, but it's exhausting and I need recovery time the next day.

StrikesRule wrote:I used my aspie traits well

Aspie traits are not always problematic. I had a job at one point, long before autism/aspergers had ever been mentioned, and my traits made my ability to do that job superior to that of anyone else I worked with. At the time I had one employer telling me my meticulous nature was over the top and a "problem"- while at my second job, meticulousness was exactly what was needed to present work at the high quality standard that was expected. Also, I have heard of employers who have sought out autistic people for jobs because of some of the qualities they have that the average person doesn't.

Yes!