Re: paranoia?

April 16, 2008

mariliatavares wrote: " ... <snip> ... I always thought my son was

aspergian but the latest profession he was taken to said he lacks one

aspect to be aspergian: he writes well ... <snip> ... "

If that's her reason for discounting AS in your son, then she had

better start doing some serious reading on AS.

Dan Aykroyd, the comedian, writes very well.

Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon, writes very well.

Spielberg, the movie director, writes very well.

Numan, the musician, writes very well.

Vernon L. , the Nobel Price winner, writes very well.

And ALL of the them have been diagnosed -- as adults -- with AS.

There are a number of others I could mention as well.

Being able to write well does not discount a diagnosis of AS if the

individual has AS.

I would strongly suggest getting a knowledgeable second opinion for

your son's diagnosis since it is obvious that the current medical

professional with whom you are dealing does not have a thorough

understanding of Asperger Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Raven

Co-Administrator

April 16, 2008

mariliatavares wrote: " ... <snip> ... lately he has been like paranoic:

he feels there are people after him ... <snip> ... "

Maybe they are. Maybe he's being bullied by his co-workers and

supervisor while at work. It doesn't always have to be physical to be

considered bullying. There's such a thing as mental terrorism which is

intended to unbalance the victim so that the victim appears to be

paranoid.

mariliatavares wrote: " ... <snip> ... people at work even suggested he

took vacation, as he is not doing his work well ... <snip> ... "

If he's stressed or being bullied or being targeted for mental

terrorism he wouldn't be doing his work well either. And since when is

it the business of 'people at work' to tell him when he should take a

vacation?

mariliatavares wrote: " ... <snip> ... Does asperger have these

traits???? Persecution, inability to focus on stuff? ... <snip> ... "

Any diagnosis could have those traits if bullying, victimization,

emotional terrorism, et al is happening to the individual. It could

even happen to someone who does NOT have a diagnosis at all.

mariliatavares wrote: " ... <snip> ... Lately he often loses keys,

money, glasses...things that he would never lose when he was a kid ...

<snip> ... "

Could be from the bullying and emotional terrorism.

Could be from getting older as you have stated he is already an adult

and working a job.

Could be he's just pre-occupied with something else.

COuld be depression as well.

Only a licensed medical practitioner with a thorough understanding of

Autism Spectrum Disorders will be able to tell you for sure.

Raven

Co-Administrator

April 16, 2008

" I always thought my son was aspergian but the latest profession he

was taken to said he lacks one aspect to be aspergian: he writes

well. "

I am listing out the criteroa that North America and the World Health

Organization use to define AS. As you will see, the criteria that

this woman has given is not on either list. Additionally, you ought

to consider that most of us in this forum are diagnosed AS and we

write will and make ourselves understood without a problem.

From the DSM IV (What North America Uses):

http://www.autism-in-the-christian-home.com/DSM-IV.html

DSM-IV 299.80 FOR ASPERGER'S DISORDER

A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at

least two of the following:

(1) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors,

such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and

gestures to regulate social interaction

(2) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to

developmental level

(3) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or

achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing,

or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

(4) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

B. Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior,

interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the

following:

(1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and

restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity

or focus

(2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional

routines or rituals

(3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger

flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)

(4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in

social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language

(e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used

by age 3 years).

E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development

or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive

behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the

environment in childhood.

F. Criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental

disorder or schizophrenia.

From the ICD 10 (What the World Health Organization uses):

http://www.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/

F84.5 Asperger's syndrome

A disorder of uncertain nosological validity, characterized by the

same type of qualitative abnormalities of reciprocal social

interaction that typify autism, together with a restricted,

stereotyped, repetitive repertoire of interests and activities. It

differs from autism primarily in the fact that there is no general

delay or retardation in language or in cognitive development. This

disorder is often associated with marked clumsiness. There is a

strong tendency for the abnormalities to persist into adolescence and

adult life. Psychotic episodes occasionally occur in early adult

life.

You said:

" But followed her instructions: my son only need some psy to

help him with social stuff, and to talk about his stuff, maybe

cognitive therapy, perhaps a drug to helpm with social phobia. He did

not want to take the medicine...but lately he has been like paranoic:

he feels there are people after him, people at work even suggested he

took vacation, as he is not doing his work well. "

If he IS taking the medincine, the ONLY one allowed by the US Food

and Drug Administration to be prescribed for autism is Risperdone,

and that is only to get rid of irritability, not the autism. There is

NO KNOWN DRUG that can treat or cure ANY FORM of autism, so if he is

taking a drug, it either isn't working, or making his symptoms worse.

But from what you say, I would tend to believe that he is being

bullied at work and reacting accordingly.

" Does asperger have these traits???? Persecution, inability to focus

on stuff? "

Aspies do feel persecuted when bullied. When away from such

environments, they do not feel persecuted. Our inability to focus is

usually the result of stress.

" Lately he often loses keys, money, glasses...things that he would

never lose when he was a kid. "

It's the result of stress.

" Could asperger develop schizophrenia or other mental sickness? "

No. The genes for Asperger Syndrome have been mapped. The genes for

schizophrenia have been mapped. They are different genes which cause

these disorders. They are not related, though it is possible for

people to have both, I suppose, although that would be quite rare.

Administrator

April 17, 2008

ROFL! Gosh, all us Aspie 'don write's none well!

And that " professional " got a Doctorate?! Fits my argument about how an AA

from a business college can know more about programming principles (specific

areas of) than one with a masters degree. Same goes with business degrees.

I've NEVER heard of the writing difficulty but the opposite, Autistics

(severe ones need motor control systems & special training) are BETTER at

written communication than verbal!

It takes visits to SEVERAL doctors to get the right one or accumulate enough

information (diagnosis) to get the ASD diagnosis. I saw over a dozen before

one finally realized I was Asperger's. Few actually know the condition let

alone REALLY read up on it.

Keep trying, ask but don't argue, just keep seeing (you and your child)

counselors and Psychiatrists to find one that is knowledgeable.

There is a sort of Paranoia condition mostly due to intellectually adding up

information that most people don't notice normally. Unfortunately

misunderstandings and problems caused by other persons can lead to problems

in a person with our condition.

Asperger's does not lead to other conditions. However harassment by peers

and public opinion can force something to happen.

I feel that NOT from my Asperger's but from being harassed, robbed, and the

mind games by a few people over a year ago could have caused a new condition

though the doctors and I are not sure and they now say I don't have those

problems now. As an example.

Randy Garrett

Antioch, CA USA

-----<---{(@

paranoia?

I always thought my son was aspergian but the latest profession he

was taken to said he lacks one aspect to be aspergian: he writes

well. She said since he has this ability to be understood by people

who read him, then it lacks the third aspec to constitute an

aspergian case. -i forgot the other two she pointed he has.Well, I

still thi k that I have aspergian traits, my son does, as well as my

husband. But followed her instructions: my son only need some psy to

help him with social stuff, and to talk about his stuff, maybe

cognitive therapy, perhaps a drug to helpm with social phobia. He did

not want to take the medicine...but lately he has been like paranoic:

he feels there are people after him, people at work even suggested he

took vacation, as he is not doing his work well.

Does asperger have these traits???? Persecution, inability to focus

on stuff?

Lately he often loses keys, money, glasses...things that he would

never lose when he was a kid.

Could asperger develop schizophrenia or other mental sickness? Thank you,

Marilia

Thed problemm is that now

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9:34 AM

April 17, 2008

*raises her hand*

A teacher has told me that my writing is better than many of my peers.

She also said that it was worth occasionally struggling to read my

handwriting. XD

April 17, 2008

Aha! I always had a tendency to write faster than my hand can move

(unfortunately I print instead of cursive style) as well as my notes getting

really cryptic [example note:]. It's not a writing impediment so much as a

difference in my way of doing things that most doctors would say is within

the range of normal.

Cryptic example note as an illustration: " timing next Monday " so what the

(bleep) is " timing " ? Probably " Time Change " for example, my mind knows it

but a year later I won't remember. I learned in business college some sort

of shorthand (not dictation) plus other sources. When a person sees a long

list of such cryptic notes and does NOT know the circumstances they can get

a false opinion about it. Oddly enough a lot of Psychologists will make

that mistake but not realize it for various reasons. That's why I never

jump to conclusions about a doctor until I've done a long evaluation that

fortunately I know how to do in general.

I didn't realize that it (writing variations) could be a component of most

Asperger's. A lot of so called NT's have different little behaviors so that

it's why a diagnosis is so hard. A lot of doctors have bad handwriting for

example WITHOUT being Asperger's! However having Asperger's can tend to

somewhat a different writing style, technique, etc.

However in self analysis I always am doing I have had problems not writing

fast enough most of the time. Most people don't obsess with " getting it all

down on paper " as the thoughts go. I do. Hence trying to write faster than

I can. And my notes are unprocessed and have a way of being unintelligible

to most people yet I've heard many people (including counselors) say it's

the same as with a lot of other people.

It's not a serious problem or condition. A lot of people have trouble

writing English clearly so NO ONE can say about a persons' condition based

on handwriting problems beyond a severe condition coupled with others.

Flat out not being able to write can be many other things from motor control

problems due to a Neurological condition or Dyslexia for example. Even if

a doctor observes handwriting problems in a person they can " quip " about

" having Dyslexia " but as my experience with my hearing impairment a certain

word may not be " heard " (aka: noticed!) or spoken by the doctor: suspected

but not DIAGNOSED.

Variations in writing styles as well as penmanship is so absolutely normal

as any teacher (from the old days anyway) can tell you. Nowadays some

teachers will actually say he/she is " ADHD or Autistic " or whatever out of

irrational thinking (aka: thinking out loud what they should keep to

themselves!).

It's so fun to identify the THOUSANDS if not millions of " quirks " that I and

fellow Aspergians have which actually can contribute to designing Artificial

Intelligence software - a project I hope to get involved in someday due to