Patients who come to us often have two types of profile. Some have heard about Asperger's syndrome and find themselves in the description found on the Internet, in a book, a report or a testimony. Others are referred by their care network who wonder if this diagnosis might fit.
Patients report long follow-ups while exploring various leads. However, the diagnoses made did not cover all the difficulties or suffering perceived by the patients (Zecca, et al., 2021; Galli Carminati, et al, 2022). In fact, most of our assessment patients are over 30 years old and have a turbulent journey. Many people come to us to find answers to this feeling of weirdness, of being out of step with others and society. As soon as we start the history-taking interview, they can share their thoughts and reflections with a professional who understands what they are experiencing because of our specialization. It is then a mixture of relief, questioning about their newly revealed functioning and sometimes even anxiety that the patients can share with us.
Then comes the time of the group, once the discomfort of the novelty is overcome, there is a fluidity of sharing with peers who think or function like them, and with whom it is easy to express themselves without using thousand words. They can take off the social mask and share their experiences, stop forcing themselves to respect all the social codes to be « normal ». What a relief being among Asperger’s !
Keywords: ASD, discussion group, diagnostic errancy, diagnosis and care, adapted therapeutic group