Does anyone have autism?

[Matthew74]

I'm at least borderline. If I ever get on Medicaid I'd like to be evaluated.

The problem I'm running into is that there appears to be no good definition of "autism". Everyone refers to the DSM, but the DSM does not have a proper definition. It lists diagnostic criteria instead. It doesn't say "what it is", but it says "how to recognize it". The criteria are also problematic, but I'll spare you the explanation. Some facts: There is no identified "cause" of autism. Almost a third of autistics also have epilepsy. (IDK if there are any stats on how many people with epilepsy also have autism.) Both autistics and PWE have high rates of depression.

After giving it a lot of thought, I realized that if you have a brain disorder (like epilepsy, tumor, brain injury, etc.), you will probably have at least some "autistic" traits. If someone were diagnosed with autism first, it would obvious when they developed epilepsy (for the most part). On the other hand, if you were diagnosed with epilepsy first, you might never be evaluated for autism (unless it was obvious).

• So, is anyone here autistic? Has anyone thought about this?
• Another question might be: Do you think you socialize "normally", or do you always feel "different"?

I'm not looking for medical advice or diagnoses, etc. I just want to know what you think, or what your experience is. I did a search on this forum, and read what I could find.

Thanks,

Matthew

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Matthew, that’s a great question!

I'm not sure you can generalize about epilepsy and autism, if only because epilepsy is just a catch-all term -- there are so many different varieties, with many different causes. In my case I would say that I don't have any of the signs of autism (though I wouldn’t be upset if I did), and I’ve never considered that possibility. But my epilepsy is relatively late-onset (mid-30s) and probably related to a pediatric concussion. Maybe those are factors that are less likely to correlate to autism or aspects of autism that are on the spectrum.

I’m interested to see what others have to say...

 

[valeriedl]

As Nakamova said I've never considered this.

I've done a little reading about autism on the internet and it seems that most people show signs and are diagnosed with autism when they are children. I didn't have any symptoms of autism then and I didn't have nonepileptic seizures.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 27, they aren't sure of the cause but I had two strokes in my brain while I was in the hospital. That's when my seizures started. I still don't show any signs and all my seizures are caused from epilepsy.

 

[Nakamova]

There was a CWE member who was diagnosed with autism as an adult, long after her epilepsy diagnosis. Here's the thread: https://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/threads/being-tested-for-asd-as-an-adult.28293/#post-363649

 

[Matthew74]

I still don't show any signs and all my seizures are caused from epilepsy.

Valerie, my dad had a stroke when he was in his 20s (?) because of heart surgery. When he was 60 there was no sign of it on his MRI. The damage was completely gone.

 

[Andrew]

You may find this of interest:
Autism & Epilepsy & General Epilepsy Experiences | Epilepsy Forums (coping-with-epilepsy.com)

 

[Plasticmask]

(Raising paw) Yes, I've been "on the Spectrum" all of my life.