At one point I asked myself if it was wrong to write about giftedness and Asperger syndrome when I'm actually not officially diagnosed. Here is why I think it isn't wrong:
My self-diagnoses weren't based on just one resource, but several ones of different nature. When using the internet as a resource I always look for confirmation of an information source by looking for a second, similar one.
When I started to suspect I might be gifted, I didn't know anything about it. I started reading lots of lists with characteristics and I took some free online IQ tests (although I currently believe that they have few value). When I started to accept the possibility of being gifted, I registered at a forum where I got to read more stories like mine and where I also got some confirmative answers on my story.
Then I went to see a gifted NLP coach for gifted and highly sensitive people and she also confirmed that she recognised my giftedness while I came to her with some problems and views that are typical for gifted people. She recommended me a few books so I could get more information. I contacted the author of one of those books because he wrote about some specific characteristics of highly gifted people (IQ of 145+). I recognised myself in his description but couldn't believe that I'd be that smart and still go unnoticed for so long. He told me that you are the person who knows you best and if you really recognise yourself in the description, than it is probably about you.
Getting a formal diagnosis of giftedness where I live is way too expensive (about €1000/$1300) and I would never do a Mensa test because I'm afraid of tests and I tend to fail or score much lower when there is time pressure and little sounds from other candidates that keep me from concentrating well. I therefore have simply accepted that my self-diagnosis is correct and I am indeed higly gifted.
Then one day I saw a link to the AQ test on a giftedness forum. People where mocking the test, said that it was in no way an indication of autism when you score high, and then proceeded to laugh at their 'high' scores of 20. I myself scored 34, and I accepted the possibility of having Asperger's as long as I didn't find anything that would clearly discart that possibility. I still haven't found anything.
I have taken other free online tests too. More extensive ones. And I keep scoring clearly in the Asperger's region. I started to read characteristics lists (although for Asperger's there are not as many systematic lists as for giftedness). I bought a book (Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Simon Baron-Cohen) and kept recognising myself in the descriptions. I introduced myself on a forum: same reactions as with the giftedness; recognition and confirmation by other Aspies.
I talked about it with my partner, and even though he laughed and joke about it at first he now also says that if this self-diagnosis seems right to me, it probably is. We went over the Spanish Wikipedia page on Asperger Syndrome and with each characteristic I told him a story about how I thought that one related to me. This self-diagnosis won't change me, I am still the same person. But being able to explain all my quirks and even having someone backing me up and having lots of patience with me, makes me more confident.
We are now two years later, I've read a lot more and I am completely sure I am autistic (yes, you know, in the meantime the terminology changed, so I've even learned to live with that). It helps me to solve everyday problems and to be more at ease with who I am. In the beginning I thought I needed real professional confirmation, but I don't. I needed confirmation from myself.
I think it is completely acceptable to self-diagnose a condition which needs no medical treatment if that helps you explain and accept who you are, as long as you are thorough in your research: lots of double checking and using different sources (books, internet, forum, coach).
My self-diagnoses weren't based on just one resource, but several ones of different nature. When using the internet as a resource I always look for confirmation of an information source by looking for a second, similar one.
When I started to suspect I might be gifted, I didn't know anything about it. I started reading lots of lists with characteristics and I took some free online IQ tests (although I currently believe that they have few value). When I started to accept the possibility of being gifted, I registered at a forum where I got to read more stories like mine and where I also got some confirmative answers on my story.
Then I went to see a gifted NLP coach for gifted and highly sensitive people and she also confirmed that she recognised my giftedness while I came to her with some problems and views that are typical for gifted people. She recommended me a few books so I could get more information. I contacted the author of one of those books because he wrote about some specific characteristics of highly gifted people (IQ of 145+). I recognised myself in his description but couldn't believe that I'd be that smart and still go unnoticed for so long. He told me that you are the person who knows you best and if you really recognise yourself in the description, than it is probably about you.
Getting a formal diagnosis of giftedness where I live is way too expensive (about €1000/$1300) and I would never do a Mensa test because I'm afraid of tests and I tend to fail or score much lower when there is time pressure and little sounds from other candidates that keep me from concentrating well. I therefore have simply accepted that my self-diagnosis is correct and I am indeed higly gifted.
Then one day I saw a link to the AQ test on a giftedness forum. People where mocking the test, said that it was in no way an indication of autism when you score high, and then proceeded to laugh at their 'high' scores of 20. I myself scored 34, and I accepted the possibility of having Asperger's as long as I didn't find anything that would clearly discart that possibility. I still haven't found anything.
I have taken other free online tests too. More extensive ones. And I keep scoring clearly in the Asperger's region. I started to read characteristics lists (although for Asperger's there are not as many systematic lists as for giftedness). I bought a book (Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Simon Baron-Cohen) and kept recognising myself in the descriptions. I introduced myself on a forum: same reactions as with the giftedness; recognition and confirmation by other Aspies.
I talked about it with my partner, and even though he laughed and joke about it at first he now also says that if this self-diagnosis seems right to me, it probably is. We went over the Spanish Wikipedia page on Asperger Syndrome and with each characteristic I told him a story about how I thought that one related to me. This self-diagnosis won't change me, I am still the same person. But being able to explain all my quirks and even having someone backing me up and having lots of patience with me, makes me more confident.
We are now two years later, I've read a lot more and I am completely sure I am autistic (yes, you know, in the meantime the terminology changed, so I've even learned to live with that). It helps me to solve everyday problems and to be more at ease with who I am. In the beginning I thought I needed real professional confirmation, but I don't. I needed confirmation from myself.
I think it is completely acceptable to self-diagnose a condition which needs no medical treatment if that helps you explain and accept who you are, as long as you are thorough in your research: lots of double checking and using different sources (books, internet, forum, coach).