Posted by thuso on July 5, 2005, at 20:52:15
In reply to Re: What makes a dx official? » thuso, posted by alexandra_k on July 5, 2005, at 19:26:34
I’m still just looking for a yes/no/I don’t know answer and why.
Below is just a more detailed explanation to your questions. All my information below is from either my own research or from talking to the pdoc I worked for. I just forgot to ask him about if I should take it as an official dx. Oops! :-P
> A dx is just a DESCRIPTION of a cluster of symptoms. It doesn't explain the symptoms. It just describes them.
> I don't see how a dx offers you an explanation. It just redescribes the problem.I know that the DSM is just a description of symptoms, but a dx basically puts you in a category. Since so much research has been done and books written about different disorders, by having a dx a person can point a family member or friend to a book (or website) that will make your behavior and actions more understandable to them. I understand that a dx in of itself is not an explanation for behavior, but with AS it would explain why my brain works and functions the way it does. That’s what people keep telling me they don’t understand.
> ??? You need to find out what is helpful to you and to the way your brain is wired. I don't see how it is helpful to consider your brain MUST be wired a certain way because you have a dx or MUST NOT BE wired a certain way because you don't have the dx. Clinicians should assess YOU not make assumptions about you on the basis of dx. It is true that most do not extend that courtesy. :-(
>Whether or not you are on the autistic spectrum is really a yes or no answer because either you are or aren’t born with it (I’m not including the whole autism/immunization debate). The reason I brought up the idea of the wiring of the brain is that those with AS approach problems and issues differently then everyone else. It’s much more systematic in nature. This means that if I need to change an aspect of my behavior, the method of change would need to be shaped in a way that my brain can process the information and then turn it into action. Just because a person doesn't have an AS dx doesn't mean their brain doesn't work this way. It’s just with an AS dx it would bring much more understanding (at least for me) as to how my brain works and how I need to approach things. It’s really hard for me to explain.
For example, a symptom that people with AS often have is social isolation/awkwardness. For a non-AS person the goal would be to get out more and make friends or deal with the person’s social anxiety. It may be suggested to join a club or volunteer somewhere to make friends. It’s different for a person with AS. Ultimately, it is going to be the same goals, but one of the issues a person with AS has is that they have a very hard time understanding social cues and non-verbal communication. Those are two things that most people take for granted. To teach an AS person how to not be so socially awkward and isolated is to show them how to recognize certain non-verbal clues. Then how to take all that information and analyze it (the whole systematic thing I was mentioning) to try and figure out a person’s motives. Basically, a person with AS often needs a different approach to problems because of the way their brain works and doesn’t work. That’s why knowing how my brain is wired can really help me understand how to approach problems that I need to fix.
You'll often hear AS described as having an extreme male brain. Being a girl, the first thing people will associate me with is having a female brain (ie. more empathetic), which is the extreme opposite of me. It's sometimes shocking to people when I don't show empathy or when I analytically process a problem better than a majority of guys. It’s great to out analyze a guy because it humbles them really quick. They don’t’ like when girls beat them at things. Hahaha! :-D Ok...back to the questions...
> >It would also be helpful if any of my kids exhibit similar symptoms because then I'll have a history of AS dx to back up any of my suspicions.
>
> ???
> But if they have the symptoms then that sounds like a problem - regardless of your dx or history.
>After working for a child pdoc, I saw exactly what the poor parents of these kids have to go through to get help from the government. It’s not as easy as just saying the kid has symptoms. If my kids are like me and don’t cause any red flags, then having a documented history of my problems can be helpful in pushing for testing to be done on them. I don’t want my kids to go through any of the hell I went through in school.
> > After all these years of no one believing me about my struggles, I now have proof that I was never lying.
>
> I don't see how having a dx is proof of that.I was referring to my LD’s, not the AS. The numbers are my proof, which are what those dx’s are based on.
Does this answer your many questions? ;-)
poster:thuso
thread:523892
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050628/msgs/523988.html