Sheltered

[Fullmetal]

I am not actively seeking a diagnosis, but recently, I did ask my psychologist if there was a definitive way to ascertain if I'm autistic or not. I wanted to know where my social struggles (lack of interest in being social) and poor empathy stem from / how to remedy them.

He says he can't tell if I have Asperger's or social anxiety (I know myself well enough, I don't have SA)... And I heard him tentatively say that word again, "sheltered". It's true that I was home-schooled up until college, but it's not as if I was locked in the attic for years. Not being in public school does not equate to complete and utter social ignorance, or a lack of awareness of how the "real world" works. (The "real world"? Where is that, exactly? Pretty sure I've been there this whole time.)

I had a neurological assessment a few months ago, and according to the brilliant doctor, my language skills were too good to be autistic. As if autistic people are incapable of coherent speech. Then he threw in the word "sheltered", said that he, too, didn't like tags in his shirt, and shooed me out the door.

Since that first attempt, I have not sought a diagnosis because I don't need one, since I think I'm capable of independency.

Not sure what my aim is here. I'm a little aggravated; and painfully aware of the fact that I'm investing too much stock in "finding answers". Receiving a gold "autistic" stamp won't change anything. I'll still have my social/sensory/emotional problems. But the gall of these psychologists! I'm mostly angry that these people are highly certified, but know so little about autism. I also feel as though, because I was AFAB (assigned female at birth), they refuse to look into it properly.

 

[Questella]

The Real World is on MTV! I saw it once, hated it, but it's very (was?) very popular... *concerning

I found my psych that did my diagnosis from Psychology Today, took his battery of tests over a couple days and I was right in there... he only did tests not further appointments, made me sad I kind of liked him, would of liked the option of a couple follow up, how are you doing post diagnosis. He gave me some references for other Dr's but nothing else worked out...

Is sheltered a clinical term? Like really? A joke from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by Phil, "Where did you find the school that gave you your degree? The back of a match-book?"
(In referring to the younger daughter and a child psychologist trying to give her a whack diagnosis.)

 

[toothless]

I am not actively seeking a diagnosis, but recently, I did ask my psychologist if there was a definitive way to ascertain if I'm autistic or not. I wanted to know where my social struggles (lack of interest in being social) and poor empathy stem from / how to remedy them.

He says he can't tell if I have Asperger's or social anxiety (I know myself well enough, I don't have SA)... And I heard him tentatively say that word again, "sheltered". It's true that I was home-schooled up until college, but it's not as if I was locked in the attic for years. Not being in public school does not equate to complete and utter social ignorance, or a lack of awareness of how the "real world" works. (The "real world"? Where is that, exactly? Pretty sure I've been there this whole time.)

I had a neurological assessment a few months ago, and according to the brilliant doctor, my language skills were too good to be autistic. As if autistic people are incapable of coherent speech. Then he threw in the word "sheltered", said that he, too, didn't like tags in his shirt, and shooed me out the door.

Since that first attempt, I have not sought a diagnosis because I don't need one, since I think I'm capable of independency.

Not sure what my aim is here. I'm a little aggravated; and painfully aware of the fact that I'm investing too much stock in "finding answers". Receiving a gold "autistic" stamp won't change anything. I'll still have my social/sensory/emotional problems. But the gall of these psychologists! I'm mostly angry that these people are highly certified, but know so little about autism. I also feel as though, because I was AFAB (assigned female at birth), they refuse to look into it properly.

theres a massive difference between homeschooled social issues and the social issues of autism,those shrinks are useless.
you really need to see a autism specialist who is competent in assessing females on the spectrum,id recommend it as you would finally have peace of mind for everything that goes on in your life.
i am LFA,but one so called autism expert [not a shrink] kept saying to me that a fellow resident of the care facility i lived in at the time was a lot more autistic than me and that she thinks my [mild!] intellectual disability is a lot worser than im diagnosed with and its therfor worser than my autism.

one point here,the lad she was talking about being 'worse' than me is a very brainy aspie,he has had a completely different life experience to me being aspie and academically smart and also spoilt like crazy-everything done for him and he only has to ask for something he wants [like a £5000 guitar,im not joking] and he gets it-im different my parents have tried very hard to make me independantly minded even though i cant be independant,i found out the reason she thought he was 'severely autistic' was because he stayed in his room all day and was 'cold', i am quite a 'warm' person because im not entirely introverted and because i am biologically female so im naturally more caring, but whats all that got to do with your severity of autism,beyond pointing out old stereotypes?

i honestly hate the way if your biologically female,you get seen differently in terms of your autism,i was diagnosed around 2 and a half because of the severity and stereotypical nature of my autism but my typical aspie sister was told at 19 she wasnt in any form autistic because 'girls dont get autism' by a pyschologist,the same went for a aspie support staff of mine,told she wasnt autistic because she was female,in fact they diagnosed her with personality disorder and said in their own way she was a pyschopath, she had to travel from manchester to sheffield on the train with her mum and they recognised her as aspie quickly and she got her diagnosis.

i think its a good thing to have a diagnosis, a lot of autistics; especially high functioning autistics function well in society and feel they dont need any extra understanding or support...until they take on to much and suffer from the dreadded autistic burnout,that is when you really could have done with a diagnosis first so you can access some form of support when you really need it.
sorry,i have waffled on,sorry.

 

[Fullmetal]

I appreciate the responses.

Yeah, this is the third time my problems have been dismissed because I was "sheltered". (I can't help but put it in quotation marks.) As if I'm Sarah from Telltale's The Walking Dead. Please. Nobody wrapped me in a blanket and protected me from feeling, thinking or existing.

i think its a good thing to have a diagnosis

Well, even if I wanted a diagnosis, he was rather adamant about me not being autistic. His reason being, "People with Asperger's don't have a sense of humor." I guess I made too many puns. Damn.

In order to obtain a diagnosis, I feel like I'd have to forcefully demand a test. I don't know why he hasn't done one already, solely based on the concerns I've voiced. I could surmise that he just doesn't want to.

Honestly, he is either old fashioned or poorly educated on certain subjects. He often says "transgendered", which is hilarious to me since it's not a verb.
Even funnier: "A transgender". Y'know... 1 transgender. Just one, not two. LOL.