Diagnosis Pending with Brad | Real Life Aspergers Interviews

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I think the project of interviewing other Aspies is a good one.

[@autismfromtheInside]

Thanks Lewis :)

[@WilliamFontaineJr]

This interview made me cry. What a heroic young man up against the world. He’s headed toward success you can feel it. Thanks for the wonderful interview sharing such fine people.

[@andreabuntpercy]

Thanks Brad and Paul. This is so helpful and enlightening to me. I am not formally diagnosed, but 200% certain informally. I wish you well, Brad, in your search for meaningful work and finding an employer who values your special strengths. A couple in my extended family (my son's wife's family) acknowledged my situation right away once I told my daughter-in-law. She spread the word! They likely saw my autism before I did because two family members had already been diagnosed. Once I found my way to my own diagnosis and authenticity..... that's what opened the door to an understanding and open welcome from the whole family. I wish you the same with whatever progressive employer-to-be you're hired by.

[@robertneedham7670]

This is powerful! To hear the testimony of other adults on their path to diagnosis is helping me to understand that the effort is worth it, that we can be taken seriously. I have only recently begun to understand why I was so different from my peers, but it is as Brad said...Once you start learning, it becomes a special interest. I am decoding my life history as I read, research, and watch videos of others' experiences. Thank you, and congratulations!

[@-belue-6697]

CONGRATS BRAD! It's great feeling to be believed on something you knew was your truth for a very long time, even life long! 👍😎👍😎👍✌️🖖🤘🙏🏽

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

Love it. I had a really hard day. "I have to start somewhere," is the best attitude.

[@melissad8824]

Awww, congrats to Brad on the diagnosis! That was lovely to read at the end. I was very much in suspense throughout the interview wondering how it would turn out for him. My biggest fear in seeking an official diagnosis is what if they look at me like I'm nuts and say "you're not autistic, you're ________" and it's something that is not even remotely close to ASD and I end up feeling like an idiot. ASD seems to so perfectly explain so much about me, my life, my kids, my father even in retrospect. (Everyone just thought my dad was really eccentric and controlling with anger management issues, and now a year after he's passed away it ALL looks like ASD in him, and I really wish he were still alive so I could discuss the possibility of ASD with him and see if he agreed or if getting a diagnosis and therapy could have helped him understand himself and others better, help others understand him better, and help him cope and communicate better. Now I'll never know any of that.)

[@simontillson482]

Yep. I fear that too. There is an alternative, I guess. Just dont bother, unless you have to, like that guy did. It does mean you have to find a way to break it to your employer though. This is why a lot of aspies work in creative industries, like Gaming, Computer Science, Film, TV and Radio. Ever hear people say ‘those actors - they’re very sensitive creatures. We have to be kind and ignore the screaming. Its fine, its just the way they are’. Want to be an actor yet? Lol...

[@life-curious]

Thank you for sharing this - It means a lot. I'm pretty certain I have this. It's harder because I'm female, so it's hidden under the radar. I never went for an official diagnosis for Aspergers (yet), but in the past, the psychologists whom I have visited loosely diagnosed me as having social anxiety and nothing more. That really frustrated me because I already know that I have this, but I consider that to be only a symptom of something much deeper. I Look forward to many more interviews like this in the future. :-) Take care.

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

It's okay. I am pretty sure I am also. My previous counsellor said that I probably have social anxiety, and to her than that I am "normal for what I have been through."

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

I do hide it a lot. I learned to. I feel like I have to.

[@JAMQWERT]

I am going through the same thing right now. I have to wait until end of Sept to start the diagnosis process and because I am an adult female, it will be all the more difficult getting people to see my Autism/Aspergers as women hide themselves well to survive (which is exhausting and I'm sick of hiding now). I have always felt like I don't belong on this planet, which has been confirmed by society at large over and over. It is so hard to wait for a long time to be assessed, pay the vast sum of money it costs (in Australia) and then risk being told you don't fit into that group either, not because you want to belong to a group but because it rocks your confidence of your assessment of yourself. When I first heard about Aspergers , I thought : "Oh My God, there are other people like me and this type of character has a name!?! I'm not just an alien dropped off just to observe human nature and report back (which I always thought I was)" I like what you said about walking around in a fog and then starting to have a solid foundation being built up again based on your new realisation of yourself and the fear of having that taken away if they say you are not ASD. That is exactly how I feel. I am hopeful it will be a positive experience, but I am so used to being unrelatable to other humans, I am terrified by this whole process. I also think it is funny that the people who assess you are all NT. Let's get some Neuro Diverse people to work in the field... they could recognise better than any one else and know the struggle too (maybe you Paul!). I also like your time table suggestion as I need to have something safe to put my back up against to start my day. I have a million little things I try to do and I get stuck in the mess of my needs and end up going in circles. Thanks for both of your insight in this interview!!! From an Undiagnosed Aspie in North Queensland

[@jenlovesthisstuff]

JAMQWERT taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/moving-towards-a-female-profile-the-unique-characteristics-abilities-and-talents-of-asperwomen-adult-women-with-asperger-syndrome/ I self referred to Tania and am so glad I did. She was wonderful and did an amazing job in diagnosing me. She was extremely thorough and is an expert in late diagnosis of adult females. All the best on your journey.

[@JAMQWERT]

jenlovesthisstuff thanks I'll check it out!

[@derrabbit7289]

Fully understand the getting beat up by life part!

[@VivekaAlaya]

I hope i will recieve my diagnosis tomorrow, after 10 one 1h meeting with a neuropsy. i'm so afraid she.will tell me I'm a fraud. so i loved.to listen to brad and hear he got his. thanks paul

[@VivekaAlaya]

just to give a feedback, neuro said i.am what they used to call.aspergers ^^ relief to make sense

[@Sarteth]

I am so relieved to find out about Brad. He reminds me a lot of myself, except I'd found a job for myself early on and I've stuck with it. Where I have excelled the most is in printing. What I actually do is take customers' orders, process any files they send to make them print-ready, prepare them for the presses, and setting up the files to run on the 3 digital presses. For me, it's all problem solving, much like IT is. Hopefully he finds a job where he can put his problem solving fluency to good use. It's clear to me from how he described his schedule he's got the capacity for it.

[@BarbaraMerryGeng]

What a lovely young man. Wishing him all the best - however which way the analysis turns out . He’s going to always land on his feet - I’m sure ✅✨💚✨

[@AtomHeartBat]

I have my 1st appointment tomorrow for a diagnosis. I took a test that says if you score from 34 & higher, it is probable that you're in the spectrum. I took the test several times to test my sincerity and all times I scored above 41. An online test does not mean a lot, but it's a start.

[@murtazaarif6507]

How did the diagnosis go for you?

[@ginastotallybodaciousunive2375]

Thank you so much for this video. I just went yesterday to ask my doctor for an evaluation and it has affected my emotions greatly. Today I feel nervous because I am going to talk to the person who plans the evaluation and I have said before that I felt rediculous wanting an evaluation and now I'm coming back with wanting an evaluation. I find this an obsession to know. If I would go by the private system it would cost alot of money that I don't have now but I would have more chances to be properly diagnosed. But through the public service it will take atleast two years and in the mean while it is still possible to get services. So I will ask to try the public service and try to get enough money for the private while I am waiting. I cannot say I am 99 percent sure I have aspergers especially since I have adhd. But my social interactions are very stressful and awkward and many other symptoms seem to be present. People who know me well agree. I feel for every one that has to go through this it is very stressful and confusing at times. It felt good to hear this testimony because I can feel really insecure and confused going through this process and realizing that others find it difficult makes me feel more comfortable with my emotions. So thank you :)

[@-belue-6697]

OH MY GODS! The whole thing about jobs and how you described not fitting in. My added thing is I can get confused on abstract concepts of instructions anD need a different way to process in time and then once I get something, it's like I get it for life and it makes perfect sense, but everything is sooo fast and immediate and thE world expects everyone to know something exactly from the second you start something, but that's not at all how an Autistic brain works...For me anyway! Sorry, I'm verbose! 😋...These interviews are great! Keep up the good work! 👍😎👍😎👍

[@Takykardee]

I feel that so much, most people think i'm incompetent, uninterested or just plain stupid. Thought so too until recently.

[@autismfromtheInside]

Thanks! I'll do my best :)

[@simontillson482]

Its ok, im verbose too. You should see some of my youtube comments!

[@redrockasrama7215]

Brad, Congrats on getting a diagnosis. I am also going throygh formal testing but they had mercy on me and told me I was autistic before receiving my final report. I enjoyed hearing about your schedule. I just moved and im very rutein driven but I also have chronic fatigue and extreme perfectionism. Idd love to do the same thing everyday because of the consistency but health and balance are difficult to manage on a daily basis. I hope you get what you need and best of luck moving forward in life. Im sorry they are making you wait. This is my second diagnosis so I have been through that wait before. This time I was diaggnosed privately by someone who is on the spectrum so the experience has been like night and day compared to the first go round.

[@michaelhunt2222]

Really interesting seeing other people’s perspectives

[@kaktuslieferant218]

Really interesting. I still have issues with my daily structure because after one bad day it takes days or longer for me to go back to my structured day plans but I'm working on it. Thank you for the interview. :)

[@simontillson482]

Oh my god. I relate to this 99%+. Wish id seen it sooner, thats all. Im not weird! Hurrah. Unfortunately, most people will still think im from another planet. Ho hum. How to be acceptable and non-scary, without making an entire fake persona (or entirely hiding your own) just to get by. Hmm. Working on it. This helped. I guess we all have a few pieces of the puzzle. Thanks for bringing them together so more of us can be healed.

[@jenlovesthisstuff]

I'm really enjoying your interview series, Paul 👍 Thanks Brad for sharing your story. I hope an official diagnosis makes life easier for you. It has definitely done that for me as now I can focus on my strengths and give myself the time and space when I need it too. All the best 😊

[@pamtufnell6751]

You know when your diagnosed or self diagnosed your symptoms feel worse is coz you notice more

[@silvera4352]

This was a great interview. Thanks

[@TeamAutismpedia]

Special books for special children does a lot of interviews they are really good

[@autismfromtheInside]

thanks for the tip. I'll check it out

[@pamtufnell6751]

I forget where the schedule is and cant do it on a phone

[@sharonensor7471]

Great vid.

[@terrybrady1644]

Thank you

[@-belue-6697]

The thing about school being too much to process and being crap at math...ME!...I'm 40 and being Autistic, personally I have learned WAY more outside of school in my adult life than I ever did in school...Stay in school kids! Allot of Autistics love school and maths. I have Dyscalcula and Dyslexia, so numbers are a jumble and confusing math wise...but I use to memories bar codes on like soap and shower bbottles growing up. It felt like a fun stimto help me focus on one thing at a time...For me, I wasn't diagnosed in school, so I NEVER got to work at my own pace, in my own way. It was allot going on, too repetitious (I get really confused with repetition from others or the environment), it wasn't visual enough (too many list without putting visuals or further explanation...even just helping me mentally visualize)...I was going to say something else, but pardon my ASD, I FORGOT! 😋...But yeah, I'm wondering if not being diagnosed until adulthood or not realizing until adulthood cause it was never mentioned or you we're expected to just be like everyone else, when your brain and body is not that way plays a role...Cause I've only really heard about people with Autism talking about how they are great at maths and sciences and I'm like NOPE! WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT? 😋...I love science and have learned allot in my own ways as an adult, but yeah...I don't know, that school part struck a cord with me...Let'S see what else this video has in store...It's cool so far! 😎🎃✌️🖖🤘🙏🏽

[@-belue-6697]

HAHA! Memories=MEMORIZE! 😂 (Shakes fist at auto correct)

[@Wizardess]

I see a sideways takeaway from this interview. Brad was on pins and needles awaiting the official word. All the while he is describing how his self-diagnosis led him towards a collection of behaviors that tamed his life turning it more functional for him. Regardless of the official diagnosis he had already built himself some excellent coping tools. A diagnosis that says he does not have Aspergers is immaterial, he still has the skills. That's how I've been coping with my life for more than half of 3/4 of a century. Finding what works for you trumps any official diagnosis. The only downside is you still have to look in order to complete your personal puzzle. Heh, I wonder if I will be lucky enough to solve all of my personal puzzle before I die. At least the closer I get to solving that puzzle the more at peace with myself I become. {^_^}

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

My mom will not believe me at all. Lol

[@mariai.g.r.2786]

Great interview! Did Brad get his diagnosis? I hope so!

[@autismfromtheInside]

Yes!

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@autismfromtheInside dope

[@joshbonner9409]

I was actually diagnosed when I was 10!

[@BenRawPower]

Josh Bonner sweet!!

[@erikbreaman9124]

It's supposedly easy in EU and AUS. In the US it basically doesn't exist...

[@chee60]

My son is 19. All along I knew something was amiss. Brad sounds a lot like my son. My son built his own computer, builds his own guitar pedals, taught himself to play guitar, and has just gone back to school for electrical engineering . And then I look at myself. I was always in the high groups in public school, I never had an interest in dolls....I used to look at science books all the time....I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. Are we aspie?

[@simontillson482]

Yes. Id say so. Hope you’re doing good. I didnt know anything about aspies when i was a kid. I just got beaten up a lot... 😜 I studied electronic engineering at uni, and was having a great time until I came down with glandular fever. I tried and tried, but could not recover my physical health, and my mental health declined severely. After four years, I gave up and left, tired, broken, unable to even feel who i was half the time. I followed my dreams anyway - i joined a computer games company and found others like me. They were nutty as fruitcakes, and I loved each and every one of them. My health was still bad, though, i had IBS, panic attacks, severely low mood (doctors threatening to put me in a mental hospital if I refused antidepressants). It wasnt all bad. Its a relapsing-remitting cycle thing. I was eventually diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome. At this point, I decided I had had enough. Even though I was on my knees, I knew the only way out was to educate myself, and maybe others around me, if I could. I learned a lot of bio-chemistry, basic chemistry, genetics, all sorts. Little by little, I fixed things. I went to Uni in 1991. I felt like myself again only 6 days ago. Im now 49 years old. Im super healthy (actually thinking about going totally veggie next year) and happy again. I don’t think I’ve felt like that since before Uni. Im terrified it’ll all blow away again, but excited that I’ve at least achieved this. If I die now, I’ll still be quite chuffed with that. 🙂

[@JessFuzz17]

I have a few questions. First, why is a 'textbook wrong' to invade an aspie's personal space? Last, is it only useful to tell employers that you have ASD if you need accommodations or should you always tell an them?

[@BenRawPower]

Classic stuff

[@-belue-6697]

One good day and 10 bad days...My recovery period from the world and SPD and other physical ailments! I know that my PROPRICEPTIVE and VESTIBULAR overloads can make me have more physical stuff and other senses and conjoining ailments...pain and chronic sensory overload fatigue...Yeah, I'm just saying cause I feel your pain mate! 🎃

[@janethomas78]

MSM dietary supplement, really helped me. People want to talk to me now-- I am so much more relaxed and able to self regulate. 1000 mg every 12 hours-- it cost $8.88 for 90 at Walmart. I highly recommend this.

[@turtleanton6539]

Xdddddd

[@mariocondello2282]

I'm an Aspie and nailed over 300 ladies, is this normal ?

[@turtleanton6539]

No