FA+
Shop
Low Spectrum Autism
10 years ago
Hello everyone,
So many of the furs locally know this but it is something I haven't really spoken about publicly. Over the last several months I have been visiting the doctor to get tested for Autism. It was interesting taking the tests I was given as an adult, but the urge of sister and mother compiled me to get tested. I was able to find a doctor's office here in Austin willing to test me and hey insurance covered the cost. After a bunch of visits, lost track of the number, my test results were given to me today.
From what I am being told, I have what they called "Low Spectrum Autism." Now I will not get into personal details and such. From what the diagnosis read, I have abnormal emotional range experiencing things on a higher scale, feel compelled to nurture people close to me, and a tendency to replace words and their meanings.
The original doctor gave me the recommendation to keep a journal of my thoughts and emotions in order to find ways to deal with my "LSA." I have been keeping one, and have been writing in it every couple of days, no fewer than once a week. I will be looking into research, not to combat the symptoms but to find ways around them. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
With that being said, I am still very...sadden by this news. My hope was to hang on to being "normal" as possible and now that has kinda turned on its head. Now I don't want to sound like I being a jerk here, but I on a personal level have not come to terms with having "LSA." If anyone can provide some help, I would appreciate hearing whatever your wisdom has to offer.
Thank you for reading,
KaGe Bearshep
So many of the furs locally know this but it is something I haven't really spoken about publicly. Over the last several months I have been visiting the doctor to get tested for Autism. It was interesting taking the tests I was given as an adult, but the urge of sister and mother compiled me to get tested. I was able to find a doctor's office here in Austin willing to test me and hey insurance covered the cost. After a bunch of visits, lost track of the number, my test results were given to me today.
From what I am being told, I have what they called "Low Spectrum Autism." Now I will not get into personal details and such. From what the diagnosis read, I have abnormal emotional range experiencing things on a higher scale, feel compelled to nurture people close to me, and a tendency to replace words and their meanings.
The original doctor gave me the recommendation to keep a journal of my thoughts and emotions in order to find ways to deal with my "LSA." I have been keeping one, and have been writing in it every couple of days, no fewer than once a week. I will be looking into research, not to combat the symptoms but to find ways around them. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
With that being said, I am still very...sadden by this news. My hope was to hang on to being "normal" as possible and now that has kinda turned on its head. Now I don't want to sound like I being a jerk here, but I on a personal level have not come to terms with having "LSA." If anyone can provide some help, I would appreciate hearing whatever your wisdom has to offer.
Thank you for reading,
KaGe Bearshep
First off, I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's in Educational Psychology/Counseling. I have worked with children/young adults with special needs for almost 10 years now.
I understand how being labeled can make you feel "Not normal." and it is something that you were hoping against. I empathize with you.
However, at the end of the day, You are still you. You are still the person you were yesterday, last week, last month, etc. I have been approached by many individuals who ask me "Do you think I am autistic?" or similar. I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, I cannot make that call. I have inklings from having been through school and working with individuals who are. But so many times a 'label' can make the individual feel less worth.
I just want to tell you that you are still YOU. There are benefits to making this self realization. You may find better adaptive strategies to cope. For example, one autistic individual I've worked with, and consider a friend, hates touch. He never understood why and he always thought something weird was wrong with him. When it came out that he was autistic he finally decided that it must be why he hates touch. ( every person on the Autism spectrum is different! ) But it did help him feel more at ease within himself. He realized he wasn't alone and that there are others like him.
As for you, I am sure all you friends and family, love you just the same today as they did for always. Everyone has something that makes them 'not normal.' I have a WHOLE books worth, lol. But it really is okay to be You. If you want to chat, feel free to Note me. I wish you much comfort and have no doubt that you will settle within yourself and become stronger.
You are you, and a good person, don't change that *hugs*
What else i know about autism is that everyone who has it has different "symptoms" or problems that arise from it. Some are much worse than others.
Methods can also be learned to help you get past any difficulties in your life you may have been having from your autism. With help and support you should be okay.
Just please don't think of it having autism makes you not normal. Normal is just a sitting on a washing machine.
Seriously though, seconded, thirded. There's something about an escapist fandom that invites people that just don't quite fit in the usual box. I wonder sometimes if I'm "on the spectrum" too. For lots of folks it's not a problem per se, but a useful thing to be aware of and a way of understanding how you react to things, like knowing what might set your temper off or when you need to be alone or with other people.
You've made it several decades without being hurt by this, as far as I know, that means it's something you've got good practice in working with!
1) It looks like people have said pretty much everything I'd say already.
2) Oh, hey, you live in Austin! How about that!
Anyway, back to being serious. Like people have said already, being diagnosed with this doesn't actually change you. A diagnosis is just a label, a name, a category. It's not who you are. Getting a diagnosis is a double-edged sword. Some people are happy to 'know' why they feel the way they do, they want that label so they can understand what's going on with them. Others, well...are like you, being given that label becomes a terrible burden because you just wanted to be 'normal.'
But I'll let you in on a little secret that psychologists know...there is no normal. Everyone has something going on in their head. Being 'normal' is just knowing how to live with it. The most important thing is being happy with who you are. If you were happy with who you were before being diagnosed, then you don't need to worry about changing anything. Keeping a journal of your emotions and feelings might help you better understand the 'what' and 'why' of how you feel, and that can be a good thing, no matter who you are (because it's like learning something new about a subject you are an expert in: yourself), but I don't think you need to worry about "fixing" anything. Because it seems like there is nothing to fix.