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BethChambers

Hello! Student with Asperger's looking for others with Asperger's for dissertation

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Hi everyone,

I'm a 21 year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome, and was diagnosed when I was about 7 years old. The symptoms have affected me my whole life

I'm now in the final year of my degree, studying BSc Psychology in London, which brings me onto my dissertation subject. You may or may not be aware (I only found out 6 months ago) that Asperger's Syndrome was removed from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in 2013, so it doesn't exist as a diagnostic category anymore. I would like to interview individuals aged between 18 and 25 who were diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome before the age of 16, so please let me know or send me a message if you might be willing to take part.

If you don't want to take part in the study and you just want to say hello and chat then that's fine because I'm here for that as well :D

Thanks for reading

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Hi everyone,

 

I'm a 21 year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome, and was diagnosed when I was about 7 years old. The symptoms have affected me my whole life

 

I'm now in the final year of my degree, studying BSc Psychology in London, which brings me onto my dissertation subject. You may or may not be aware (I only found out 6 months ago) that Asperger's Syndrome was removed from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in 2013, so it doesn't exist as a diagnostic category anymore. I would like to interview individuals aged between 18 and 25 who were diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome before the age of 16, so please let me know or send me a message if you might be willing to take part.

 

If you don't want to take part in the study and you just want to say hello and chat then that's fine because I'm here for that as well :D

 

Thanks for reading

 

hi beth

 

what do you mean removed from DSM?

 

im waiting for diagnosis as we speak and getting stressed waiting

 

if it has been removed as mental health illness then what am I waiting for?

 

I was hoping for help as my life has been upside down all the way and im 36 on sunday!

 

starting to feel a little destitute to be honest

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The term "Asperger's Syndrome" has been removed from DSM5, and it's now generally covered by a diagnosis of ASD Level 1. Some of the criteria have also been changed, meaning that fewer people are likely to get a diagnosis. Tony Attwood seems to explain it pretty well in the latest edition of his book "Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome".

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hi beth

 

what do you mean removed from DSM?

 

im waiting for diagnosis as we speak and getting stressed waiting

 

if it has been removed as mental health illness then what am I waiting for?

 

I was hoping for help as my life has been upside down all the way and im 36 on sunday!

 

starting to feel a little destitute to be honest

 

I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling like this. Asperger's Syndrome was removed from the DSM in 2013. If your doctor still uses the ICD-10 rather than the DSM-5, a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome is still possible, but the DSM-5 now only warrants diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder rather than more a specific diagnosis like Asperger's Syndrome or PDD-NOS. You can still get help for ASD, it's just that the labels have changed and therefore the way it's dealt with may be slightly different

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I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling like this. Asperger's Syndrome was removed from the DSM in 2013. If your doctor still uses the ICD-10 rather than the DSM-5, a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome is still possible, but the DSM-5 now only warrants diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder rather than more a specific diagnosis like Asperger's Syndrome or PDD-NOS. You can still get help for ASD, it's just that the labels have changed and therefore the way it's dealt with may be slightly different

 

Yes I think they are doing it in regards to ASD, although it looks like there may be a tendancy to change it again to ASC, so it doesn't sound like they're saying that something is disorderly about us, just 'our condition'.

 

it doesn't help much changing the names, I also don't relate as much to the term autistic as much as I do with Asperger

 

I have a nephew is autistic, now that I have been added to 'the spectrum' it has become necessary to describe him as 'severely autistic' which I think is unfair to him.

 

people who don't know much about 'the spectrum' or Asperger here me being termed as autistic and say no you're not, and now I have to explain to them all, which is bizarre unnecessary and somewhat degrading... as if someone in a wheelchair would have to sit there in the cue to the bus and have to explain and justify his condition to others?!

 

then there are the added comorbidities that will also drag things out...

 

personally I identify as having Asperger and dyslexia, high intelligence with low social skill. anxiety with little or no cause, aversion to lights lack of ability to maintain relationships etc

 

for me at least, autistic spectrum condition doesn't really explain much about a lot to those that don't need to know but ask and get confused?! I think regardless of wether or not the current legal classification is ASD or ASC to myself I will always be an aspie or someone having Asperger, they can fund any support under whatever name they choose but I am me and I don't like acronym's let alone be reduced to one!

 

whilst I seem to have a sort of silent mental connection with those that may be termed silent autistics, and would like to use my gift to help themto learn and make things, I do not believe that they know enough about 'the spectrum' yet to de-classify Asperger in its own right...so its in the autistic ballpark but I don't think it should be blurred into a number scale, so what am I then a 3 or 4 when my nephew is a 9?

 

how degrading to be a number and to have to explain the inner details of my condition to everyone I meet simply because now I have become an acronym with a numerical tag ??

 

oh dear, the system is a major drag isn't it

 

I thought I could get by without addressing the differences about 'me', but now I have to admit it and carry on my way, regardless of their meaningless tags, I just want official recognition now as I have to show my daughter that even with 'issues' one can still still achieve in life and be successful enough to have holidays by being strong and working through the problems that come by

 

it is simply trying to work with 'the system' that my confidene has once again been knocked. I bounce back every time don't worry, but being made to wait by the system is making me worse

 

soon as they get round to looking at my data after their office move, I can gain my acronym and go to cbt and meetings to understand myself and how to cope in the NT world better and have access to adult funding to go back to college to see if this time I can achieve my potential

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I haven't told my much older half brothers yet, but one of them has heard indirectly. He put a note on the birthday card he sent recently commenting on my "Aspergers Disease"! Not sure if it's ignorance that needs dealing with, or fear that it may affect him too, as I'm certain it's inherited through his side of the family!

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Moderator here. Has your research got ethical approval? If so from who and which university are you with please?

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Moderator here. Has your research got ethical approval? If so from who and which university are you with please?

 

Hello! Yes, I received ethical approval in August from our University Research Ethics Committee and I'm at London South Bank University

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Fair enough your study has been approved.

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Hi Beth,

 

Hope the dissertation went well - did you get the BSc?

 

What though was the subject matter for the dissertation? You covered the D.S.M. 5 problem, set criteria for interviews, and that was that it seems.

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