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Certified "Mentally Disabled" Aspie?

Thanks for clarifying that Aura :)

Even in it's clinical sense, I don't feel labelling someone autistic as socially retarded is accurate. Our social skills are not delayed if we are functioning adults otherwise. We will not gradually develop certain social skills - we simply lack them, but we often have strengths that compensate in other areas.
If it's of any comfort, I suffered similar difficulties within my own family. I was not called stupid, but I was forever regarded as disobedient and disruptive. I was the perennial "naughty boy" and that never changed. You are in good company here :)

Well, again, I'm the one using the word "retarded." I don't mind it if it's true and if the words are not said with intent to insult behind them... well, maybe I am intending to insult myself, but, again, that's the family's voices in my head. I usually say I'm "socially inept." It's just words with the same meanings.

Well, I'm glad I'm not alone, thanks for the company :).
 
"Delayed" doesn't carry the same baggage as the 'R' word so is still in use. No child has been bullied at school with the words "delayed development" but countless ones have been called a "retard"

Exactly. I have been called a retard and stupid a lot growing up. Mostly by my brother. He skipped 6th grade, got straight A's in everything, went to Harvard and has a PhD and a bunch of other degrees from other universities.

My parents mostly just treated me like I was stupid and especially my mother was ashamed of me.
 
123 is an IQ significantly above the average. In that sense you are definitely FAR from stupid. All of us have a bit of stupid in us somewhere though, even the most successful. Arrogance and hubris are also their own kind of stupid ;)
 
( Clinical diagnoses of cognitive disabilities include autism, Down Syndrome, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even dementia. Less severe cognitive conditions include attention deficit disorder (ADD), dyslexia (difficulty reading), dyscalculia (difficulty with math), and learning disabilities in general.26 nov. 2018

As you see we BOTH seems to have said Cognitive Disabilities and according to youre proper diagnose YES you do qualify for Autism as am i

Dont worry dear i make this mistakes more or daily in here ( Giggles )

It's similar here Sarah. There are geographical areas where knowledge and understanding are excellent, but there are others which are appallingly weak. In the same way as I mentioned above, regarding the impression I get of autistic understanding Sweden, our understanding in the UK leaves much to be desired since there is plenty of improvement to be made.

A okey then i understand and agree my friend
 
( Clinical diagnoses of cognitive disabilities include autism, Down Syndrome, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even dementia. Less severe cognitive conditions include attention deficit disorder (ADD), dyslexia (difficulty reading), dyscalculia (difficulty with math)

I absolutely have this last one. I remember crying my way through algebra in high school.
 
@Aura Celeste,
I have been told that by peers, alternating with them being shocked (sometimes scared) when I figure out something way ahead of them.

I have a similar experience with my mother. I will hear someone speaking English with an accent and I'll say "Oh, she's French." My mother rolls her eyes like I'm being some form of linguistic racist. Then the woman turns out to be French, or Russian, or whatever the accent is.

I also have some kind of intuition about people and when I'm with my mother I am often forced not to abide by my intuition and, for example, we will get in a taxi with a taxi driver that I would never have gotten in with. He will end up driving past our destination. People always think these situations are just coincidence, like how could I have known we shouldn't have gotten that particular taxi, but there is nothing coincidental about it. I can sense people's energy. Often it gets interpreted as racism or some kind of discrimination on my part.
 
I absolutely have this last one. I remember crying my way through algebra in high school.

Somehow i believe we both share a Multitude of said diagnosis (in my case Side diagnosis of MBD & ADHD /same thing as ADD only aded Hyper activity ) and in some small way we both have a sort of brain damage my friend. And yes i have all of them Dyslexia,dyscalculia (difficulty with math), and learning disabilities in general. and a gazillion more
 
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I have been officially diagnosed as "mentally retarded" now. I guess the "pc" term is "disabled," but I don't want to mince my words. This is the diagnosis I have to live with now and, while I was quite happy at the prospect of being diagnosed with Asperger's, or even social retardation (because it's actually true), since I got this new label of "mentally disabled," I have been feeling very bad about myself and people who refuse to see me as I really am, not least because throughout my entire life, my family has been communicating, not least in straight words, that I am stupid. Well, now it's official. So every time my brother shouted at me that I was retarded, well... he was right.

Is it common for people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum to get told or diagnosed as mentally disabled? I don't mean mentally ill or suffering from a mental health issue, which is psychological. I mean mentally disabled, like someone whose brain did not develop right and thus has defective brain activity and processing ability.

I have been told that I cannot be evaluated for Asperger's, because I was born with a very rare genetic disorder which, due to circumstances beyond my control (my father), was not properly treated for the necessary amount of time. The result is that it affected my neurological development. Ironically, unfortunately, the symptoms are uncannily similar to the symptoms of Asperger's, so the psychiatrists said they would not be able to tell if I am suffering from Asperger's or my disorder.

My disorder literally hinders the development of the brain in childhood if not treated properly. My treatment ceased at age 3, but should have continued until age 6. I maintain, however, that I am not mentally disabled as people mean, but now I have been labeled this way, when I really wanted to choose my label as autistic, because I don't think I'm just stupid because of my disorder. I think people think I'm stupid because I have ASD.

I am very upset by this label I have been given. I have an IQ of 123, I graduated from university with honors. I have worked as a translator from several languages, one of them the grammatically complex Finnish.

So is it normal for people on the spectrum to be told they're stupid or "mentally disabled"?

The "cognitive disabilities" I have that caused my doctor (a specialist in my disorder) to give me this certificate, were:

“the patient describes moderate restrictions of cognitive functions in the form of slow processing of information, difficulties assimilating verbal instructions and slow learning. She also describes social difficulties with difficulty having contact with other people for longer periods of time, especially several people at once, but prefers to be alone."

What nobody ever takes into consideration is why I process information more slowly than other people and why I have trouble following spoken instructions and speech in general when people talk too fast--and I told my doctor--when I process information, I do it thoroughly and deeply, so, yes, it takes me longer and I get left behind when people keep talking, I'm still processing what they said earlier. But then I pick up details and flaws in logic that the speaker doesn't perceive. And still, they tell me I'm retarded.

I'm thinking about pursuing an ASD evaluation privately and not telling the psychiatrist that I have this disorder. If I could get a positive ASD diagnosis, I would be proud to call myself an "Aspie," rather than say "yeah, I'm stupid and slow, just like you think I am."

Ugh, nobody uses the R word any more, except as a very hurtful insult.

You should seek a second opinion IMO.
 
Teachers also called me a retard my whole life.

After a big deal was made out of my 130 IQ (I mean it isn't even that high, I figured out later) I was kind of like "So who's the retard now?!". After that they insinuated that all the other kids were retards and that I was the only smart one. That wasn't what I was going for, but unfortunately I was already at the point of feeling sorry for my teachers and just let them be.

With an IQ 123 it would be more correct to say that the others around you are the retarded ones.

"Cognitive disability" is not the same as "Stupid" or "Retarded". Retarded can only be used accurately when you talk about delayed development. So my delayed speech in childhood could accurately be referred to as "retarded speech development". Retard came to be used in the way it has been in describing those with severe disabilities that result in a child's psychology and capabilities into adulthood.

Stupid is low IQ, which you are not.

Cognitive disability can be a whole host of things. Just because intellectual disability is a cognitive disability doesn't mean that people with Dyslexia, ADHD or what you have have an intellectual disability. A case of "Some Doctors are surgeons" not being the same as "All Doctors are surgeons".
 
In the USA [maybe other places? I don't know] there is a diagnosis called "Mild Cognitive Impairment."

It is used for people that show some cognitive slowing somewhere due to lots of stuff. It means according to our education level, we "should" be better put together for academics than we are. I am not explaining it quite right though.

It is like the uneven profile in subparts of the WISC or WAIS intelligence test. I do have that and other Auties and Aspies have it too.

Your mother, father, brother, cousins and any other relatives who call or called you slow and stupid are wrong.

Your PKU doc did the best they could within the limits of their profession maybe. Unfortunately, it has triggered the tapes and voices in your head. I got some of them myself.

Do translators do freelance work? I don't know you but I wonder if that is a possibility.

Can you teach languages to little kids? Proofread academic papers for college students? Translate books? Move here so we could be friends? I would want you nearby and not your brother.

Do not despair. Well, even if you are having feelings over this do remember:

When we do not accept a "diagnosis" then it becomes a label and nothing more.

Families can be hurtful. Your knowledge of yourself as a smart Aspie and as a decent human being counts far more than anyone's mistaken opinion of you.

I believe in you. As tough as things are for you now, you deserve better.

You certainly deserve the love and understanding of your family. We do not always get that so we have to do it for each other and ultimately for ourselves.
 
@Aura Celeste

Did your physician literally say you were "mentally retarded", or "mentally disabled"? There's a huge difference, especially given the circumstances you outlined. My understanding is that someone scoring 120 on the IQ test cannot objectively be deemed to be "mentally retarded".

On the other hand, one on the spectrum of autism who has significant cognitive impairments can indeed potentially be subjectively deemed to be "mentally disabled". Where there is a deficit of executive functioning in play, such as memory failure, nebulous learning difficulties, overall concentration and decision-making in general.

That such impairments can be considered to be mild to severe. Where trying to live an adult life without "thinking skills" like being able to organize and prioritize, or lacking problem-solving abilities can be quite challenging. Where it is possible for a medical professional to evaluate someone to be significantly impaired in specific areas neurologically speaking to a point where they are considered to be unable to care for themselves independently of assistance. However that still doesn't make one mentally retarded.

Though what I see that may be so disturbing is how subjective this can be determined by a medical professional. Especially if one has actually lived a relatively independent life up to that point. By all means, under such circumstances I'd seek a second- maybe even a third opinion of a medical professional to gauge just how subjective and accurate such a life-altering medical judgment might in fact be.

 
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@Aura Celeste

Did your physician literally say you were "mentally retarded", or "mentally disabled"? There's a huge difference, especially given the circumstances you outlined. My understanding is that someone scoring 120 on the IQ test cannot objectively be deemed to be "mentally retarded".

On the other hand, one on the spectrum of autism who has significant cognitive impairments can indeed potentially be subjectively deemed to be "mentally disabled". Where there is a deficit of executive functioning in play, such as memory failure, nebulous learning difficulties, overall concentration and decision-making in general.

That such impairments can be considered to be mild to severe. Where trying to live an adult life without "thinking skills" like being able to organize and prioritize, or lacking problem-solving abilities can be quite challenging. Where it is possible for a medical professional to evaluate someone to be significantly impaired in specific areas neurologically speaking to a point where they are considered to be unable to care for themselves independently of assistance. However that still doesn't make one mentally retarded.

Though what I see that may be so disturbing is how subjective this can be determined by a medical professional. Especially if one has actually lived a relatively independent life up to that point. By all means, under such circumstances I'd seek a second- maybe even a third opinion of a medical professional to gauge just how subjective and accurate such a life-altering medical judgment might in fact be.

She has already explain her self reg this retarded statement earlier in this thread Judge

( Thank you all for your replies.

I'm sorry for how I expressed myself. The doctor did not use the word "retarded," I did. I translated the certificate in question from Swedish, which said what I think translates as "cognitive disability".)
 
The doctor did not use the word "retarded," I did.

I was being rhetorical- and addressing the original poster. That's really my point. The real difference between retarded and disabled.

However even then, such a determination by a medical professional is apt to be subjective, and certainly worth pursuing a second opinion rather than to accept as some kind of a "death sentence".

Nevertheless it's a scary proposition to think how Neurotypical medical professionals can "make or break us" in such a manner. Apart from how the bureaucracy may keep formal records of such things to damn us at a later date of their own choosing.
 
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That's really my point. The real difference between retarded and disabled.

A okey carry on then my friend

As been clarified earlier said statement has NOT been given by said medical faculty in this case

Here s the rest of her explanation same reply

( Also, I didn't mean to put my doctor down. He is not a psychiatrist or a psychologist and he wrote the certificate to help me. Sorry I did not explain the context. He is a PKU specialist, PKU being the disorder I was born with. He gave me the certificate to hopefully help me get a job that suits me, because the last few jobs I've attempted ended up traumatizing me due to ... my "social-sensitivity issues."

The "stupid" and "retarded," I realize, now come from my family and that is why I have been using those words to describe myself. They have always thought I was stupid. And now they've officially been proven right. My family is the reason I was so upset by the certificate, actually. I just am becoming aware of this now after reading your replies. I know what I am and I see how my mind works. Yes, I'm socially retarded and kind of proud of it, because I have traded social finesse for a deeper more meaningful mind and thought process. But that my family thinks I'm stupid and have always treated me differently from everyone else because of it... this is what is upsetting me.

My IQ was tested many years ago, so it was not by the doctor who wrote the certificate.)

Yes i agree
 
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She could get the opinion on it without the assessment and diagnosis.

Apparently they dont whant to Progster (im in the same boat actually as they have given up in diagnosing or digg for even more of my CLEAR multiple UN diagnosed diagnosis as they have stated that they cant expect to find all of my mutlible undiagnosed diagnosis (written statement from my Shrink in my latest evaluation were they found i had ASD )
 
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