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My counselor says that I have ADHD, not autism.

1984

1984

Active Member
I feel like autism(specifically Asperger's) makes a lot more sense for my past and present symptoms. I'm going to try to see if I can get tested, but in the meantime what are some good resources/ online tests that I could use to rule out autism?

The information I found about ADHD suggests that 60-70% of people with ASD also have ADHD so it's not unreasonable to believe that I have ADHD, but the idea that I'm not also ASD does not seem to fit.
 
You said "counselor". Not "doctor".

Over the years here I've seen any number of members who required a second opinion or even more to confirm what they already knew. Which for some was something between both a struggle and a nightmare. But their perseverance paid off.

Let's start there. Considering not only a medical professional, but a specialist as well.

It's what I would want if I felt compelled to get a formal diagnosis. Even then, there are no guarantees of them leading to a conclusion/diagnosis that you can live with.
 
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Technically speaking it is between 40 - 60% of autistics who have a comorbidity with ADHD. But then again up until 2012 ADHD and autism could not occur simultaneously in the same person according to the DSM IV...

I have autism and ADHD. I was alive before the DSM - IV was written. One condition did not excuse itself. Both have always been there.

A second opinion is never a bad thing to get.
 
It's been my experience that most people, including physicians and other health care workers might not be able to recognize someone with an Asperger's condition. I understand why some folks are fine with their "self-diagnosis",...but a center specializing in adult autism testing will be your best route to obtain the answers you seek. I found the information and testing quite useful for myself.
 
Why not both? I was diagnosed at age 50 for AD(no H)D. I was fine with that, but then at 60 I was diagnosed with Asperger's/PDD-NOS/ASD1. I get tired of saying this, but after seeing over a dozen psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and counselors, it took a job search adviser to recognize I had ASD.
 
I saw a psychologist who could not make any diagnosis before being referred to a Psychiatrist (medical doctor) who specialized in adult autism. The psychiatrist diagnosed me with ASD-1 the first time I met with him. I would try to see a doctor who specializes in adult autism assessments.
 
Maybe your counselor thinks they're doing you a favorite with that, assuming you would like to be rid of the label.
 
Nothing about my life, especially my childhood, makes sense if I don't have Asperger's. I'm trying to remain open minded and unbiased but at the same time I don't want to go back to just not knowing why I am the way I am.

My counselor is pretty old school so maybe he still thinks that ASD and ADHD are mutually exclusive diagnoses. Based on the information I have been able to find on ADHD, I'm fairly certain that I have it as well.
 
1984 said:
Nothing about my life, especially my childhood, makes sense if I don't have Asperger's. I'm trying to remain open minded and unbiased but at the same time I don't want to go back to just not knowing why I am the way I am.

My counselor is pretty old school so maybe he still thinks that ASD and ADHD are mutually exclusive diagnoses. Based on the information I have been able to find on ADHD, I'm fairly certain that I have it as well.
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I probably should have said this in my earlier post, but counselors and therapists are generally not qualified, either legally or by training, to make a diagnosis. Their function is to help you to deal with the condition, whatever it is. They SHOULD be trained to recognize the characteristics and suggest an evaluation by somebody who can make a diagnosis. It is my personal experience that they cannot recognize these things.

I once went to a therapist who asked why I was there. I told her my problems, which amounted to a list of the diagnostic criteria for ASD. She concluded I was shy and had social anxiety, and just needed to go out and meet more people. Which, of course, I was unable to do.
 
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