Asperger Syndrome: How I Was Diagnosed With Autism

I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when I was 21 years old. Although I had displayed social-communication deficits during my high school years, there were not addressed until I was a junior in college. Unlike high school, I was entirely friendless in college and was ultimately displeased with my social and academic experience. After expressing my dissatisfaction multiple times, I was eventually taken to see a licensed clinical professional counselor in my hometown Chicago during spring break. This is how I was officially diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

Diagnosis

During my evaluation, I sat in a private room with a professional counselor and was asked many questions regarding my past and current social experiences. I answered each question honestly and never felt ashamed about sharing my personal experiences about interacting and communicating with people.

I felt that I was in a safe environment that was free of judgment. In my mind, each question was to help my counselor gain and record data in order to properly evaluate me. I would have been doing a huge disservice to myself if I responded to questions untruthfully to avoid embarrassment.

Post-Diagnosis

A couple of weeks later, I was informed by my counselor to having multiple symptoms consistent with Social Anxiety and being on the Autism Spectrum. I easily accepted my diagnosis, as it was confirmation that there was a reason why I behave the way I do socially.

Unfortunately, not much had changed after my diagnosis. Despite knowing that I was mildly autistic, I didn’t know how to navigate my autism through the rest of my college years and as a young adult. Although my college experiences didn’t improve, I’ve never looked back and wondered how things may have been different if I had the right assistance and support. That is my story of how I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

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