Psychological aspects of the late diagnosis of AS

The principal purpose of this bachelor's thesis is to survey the psychological aspects of a late diagnosis (in adolescence and later) of the Asperger syndrome (also known as the Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's disorder). For this purpose the author has identified the theoretical assumptions on the basis of which she addresses the impacts of the identification of a diagnosis on the persons' mental state, emphasising the specifics of this process for the diagnosis of the Asperger syndrome. The author then uses these assumptions for performing a qualitative analysis of the testimonies of some people in whom the Asperger syndrome was diagnosed after the age of 30. The respondents talk about their lives prior to learning of their Asperger syndrome, about the influence that this new information has had on them, about the way in which they made the decision to undergo diagnostics, and of what they were afraid and in what they hoped. The conclusion of the thesis summarises the areas with which the identification of an Asperger syndrome diagnosis interferes. KEY WORDS Asperger syndrome diagnostics adulthood psychological aspect