What would you make of these results?

[Dexter]

I came to the realization yesterday that I may be on the autistic spectrum. It occurred to me when my brother touched me on accident, and I instantly jerked away, and he said "are you autistic or something?" He seemed somewhat serious when he said it, and a light bulb like went off in my head. It was like "Oh ****, that would kind of explain everything."

I'm just looking for further insight into my quiz results if anyone could offer any. I know it says that I'm likely neurodiverse, and what that means, but if anyone has anything specific they would like to share about my results, I would be glad to hear it, since I don't currently know a great deal about this disorder. I do plan on conducting further research, if anyone would like to recommend any books as well.

Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 133 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 91 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)

 

[Judge]

Welcome to AC, Dexter. Perhaps it would be a bit of an understatement to say, "You've come to the right place."

Of course there are many online tests one can take...why not take them all? Use them as a guide of sorts, but never as a sole means of self-diagnosis. Perhaps the ultimate thing you can do short of a formal diagnosis is to read here and interact with us, and see how much you may have in common, in whole or in part.

It's a profound feeling to go through life feeling you're totally alone and out-of-sync with the whole world, only to come here and find so many who share this bizarre sense of social alienation. And that how your entire existence can suddenly make sense.

 

[Dexter]

Thank you for the welcome. I will probably seek a proper diagnosis at some point. I wanted to read The Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome by Dr. Attwood to gain an in depth understanding of this condition before I see anybody.

That's the main thing I've always felt, social isolation. Over time I've figured out a lot of social skills through reasoning and observation of others (plus a strong desire to fit in), and even though I can interact with people without them noticing my natural antisocial behavior (it requires effort), I still feel that sense of isolation, like the people around me are apart of something that I'm not. That's the best way to describe it anyway. I wouldn't say I'm incapable of personal relationships though, but it seems like I only connect with very specific types of people. I actually had a girlfriend at one point, but she had a specific personality that I was able to click with.

I'm 18 by the way, if that's relevant.

 

[Tom]

It kind of reminds me of a figure '8', but one that got in a fender bender. That big arrow pointing to Aspie relationship is notable. So I'll guess it means you will have a minor car accident on your way to propose to an Aspie.

 

[KinksFan]

Welcome to Aspies Central!

 

[OliveOilMom]

Hi and welcome! I would say that if you suspect you may have AS and it's important for you to find out then you should first do some research into it and then make an appointment to see a medical professional to discuss your suspicions with them. There are many people who think they have it after reading about it or being around someone else who is on the spectrum, and in many cases they have been proved to be right after going to a doctor. Many others were found to have something entirely different. The problem with self diagnosis is that many different things share signs and symptoms and it's always better to have someone trained and objective to assess you and diagnose you.

It's especially important to get an official diagnosis if you think you may need accommodations because of it. If you simply think you have it based on some reading you have done and people on the spectrum you have talked to, and you just want to use some of the same techniques that are taught to people on the spectrum then I wouldn't see much of a need to go get a real diagnosis. If you think you have it and using coping techniques that are commonly used ends up helping you then I say go for it.

The only problem I see with self diagnosis is when people start seeing AS as a way of life, a way of thinking and acting and expressing yourself within a culture instead of a medical condition with physical as well as psychological and processing symptoms and signs. Lots of people feel that anyone who feels they have it should be able to claim it and identify as being on the spectrum, but I think that if it's a very important part of someone's identity then they need to get the proper documentation for it, just as they would any other medical condition. Another important point to remember is that assuming you are on the spectrum and attributing your problems and issues to that, may cause you to allow another medical or psychological condition to go undiagnosed and untreated which can lead to a worsening of the symptoms and the condition itself. This can result in a lower quality of life and in some cases an untreated condition can cause serious health issues.

I'm not one of those people who refuse to even consider that someone else could be on the spectrum if they don't have an actual diagnosis, but I would always urge someone to see a medical professional whenever they suspect they may have any medical condition.

Welcome, and I hope you enjoy it here.

 

[Vanilla]

Welcome

Firstly, I just wanted to mention that I'm a big fan of the TV series, Dexter. In terms of books, and resources, Tony Attwood's book is a good starting point, so you're on the right track. Doing a YouTube search of Tony Attwood can also be helpful. We do have a lot of great books, in our resources library, that you can browse through, and read member reviews on. Otherwise, as Judge mentions, simply participating on the forums, can be a tremendous learning experience. I hope that you feel quite comfortable here. We do have a great community, and to many of us, this place feels very much like home.

 

[Kari Suttle]

Like someone above said, I would take quizzes online and do research of symptoms of aspergers syndrome (now called high functioning autism, but you will find more results if you look up aspergers syndrome). That's what i did, and i used that as a starting point. Like you, family was the first to suggest it, out of the blue too. I took it from there, pretty much, and did my own research and took quizzes online after i found out they existed. Reading other people's experiences has been tremendously helpful, as well.

I'm only self-diagnosed but from the very beginning (of suspecting it) my parents have been in total agreement with me. Eventually i'll probably seek a formal diagnosis, but i have enough going on in my life that now just isn't the time. I would want to put a lot of time and effort into finding someone who is not only experienced with high functioning autism, but with diagnosing women as well.

 

[Andrew206]

Welcome to Aspies Central Dexter.

 

[raspyaspy]

Hi and welcome! I would say that if you suspect you may have AS and it's important for you to find out then you should first do some research into it and then make an appointment to see a medical professional to discuss your suspicions with them. There are many people who think they have it after reading about it or being around someone else who is on the spectrum, and in many cases they have been proved to be right after going to a doctor. Many others were found to have something entirely different. The problem with self diagnosis is that many different things share signs and symptoms and it's always better to have someone trained and objective to assess you and diagnose you.

I agree with the benefits of diagnosis. A lot of people are claiming aspergers for the slightest social awkwardness now, somewhat like people are claiming to be "nerds" as though it's cool because maybe they like one slightly nerdy thing, but they were never obsessed, teased, beaten up, taunted, harassed--the social implications of the word for me personally, growing up being called a nerd, so I take offense to them taking nerd street cred like a rapper from the upper east side claiming to be a gangster.

But...

Not all therapists can or will diagnose, you have to look for someone who deals with autism spectrum specifically. And if you are someone with severe anxiety issues, looking for a new therapist and trying to fit it into your schedule is pretty hard to deal with. My therapist was asking leading questions about autism and about borderline personality as I later realized, but she wasn't a psychiatrist or an official diagnosis-person. As an adult it seems to be harder to diagnose, and right now impossible to, so to avoid a lot of pain and money I'm going to wait if ever to get an official piece of paper.

Online tests tend to ask some "leading" questions that a person familiar with autism spectrum would easily be able to identify, consciously or subconsciously. I just don't trust them. I'd rather hear stories of actual life experience. I'm not going to reject you because you want to be part of my highly-rejectable club =)

 

[zurb]

Do you really see people claiming to be aspies who aren't? I don't understand why someone would do that.

The online tests are interesting to do, but I wouldn't give them too much credence one way or the other. Better to read some good books like Tony Attwood's complete guide, and posts here, and see how it resonates.

 

[raspyaspy]

People do start claiming things you wouldn't expect for whatever psychological reason. MPD had to change it's name in part to distance itself from the ties to many people illegitimately claiming to have multiple personalities for attention and making the legitimate cases difficult to be taken seriously. My ex claimed to have this, and as messed up as she was, I knew she only started showing symptoms after meeting and crushing on a person with multiple personalities. There were various contradictions she made which proved it false, coupled with the fact that she always tried to identify with some outsider identity or another, which indicated to me a more severe problem I wished she had actually looked into.

I don't think the blowing up of (who knows how many legitimate) people claiming to be on the spectrum is more along the lines that the definitions are confusing and also, in some cases, not even correct. It isn't really possibly to know how many people are really on the spectrum, I may not even be (which would surprise me greatly). That is why I'd rather hear that we share similar life experiences and feelings.

 

[OliveOilMom]

Do you really see people claiming to be aspies who aren't? I don't understand why someone would do that.

Anytime people diagnose themselves with something there are going to be many who are wrong. People are starting to hear about AS now and people who have had a hard time in life and don't have good social skills or aren't liked, etc could naturally try and find a reason for it. Having AS could explain their troubles and why they don't have friends. When someone has had troubles like that in life they naturally want it to be because of some reason that they can't do anything about. It's a lot easier to accept "I never had friends and barely any relationships and people don't like me because of how AS makes me act and come across to others" rather than "Nobody really likes me because I'm a self centered jerk". I'm NOT saying that AS makes you act like a self centered jerk, I'm simply using an example.

Also, people with personality disorders may know that something is wrong with them but not know what is wrong with them so because the internet has everything you ever wanted to know about anything, and because there are tests to diagnose you with anything out there, they could easily take the AS test and get a score that says they probably have it. Hypochondriacs could easily do that as well. I know that when I had my panic disorder and agoraphobia I was a terrible hypochondriac. I was convinced that I had anything and everything that crossed my mind and was constantly researching things. I'm so glad we didn't have internet back then!

The trouble with online tests is that they are subjective. While subjective answers are important on some topics like what you think and feel, there are many things that you can't answer about yourself objectively. You need a professional to diagnose you with the AS not only because it can mimic many other things, but also because it's pretty complicated to diagnose.

Just being nerdy and not having social skills and having extreme likes and dislikes of things and feeling overwhelmed by stress or sensory things are not the only issues with AS. There are lots of other things that the online tests don't cover.

I don't think it's very important to get a diagnosis especially after middle age unless you need it to get disability or you have severe issues that a diagnosis could help in getting accommodations or therapy for. It's important for kids to be diagnosed so that they can get the therapy they need to learn to adjust to the world and fit in, and so that their parents can adjust things at home for them so they are more comfortable but it's also important for the parents not to go overboard with it to the point where the kid is not at all prepared for the real world.

I think my youngest son has a touch of AS. I've seen a lot of symptoms with him. I told him about it and asked if he wanted to go see someone about it but he's not interested in it. He doesn't have social problems but he has quite a few other issues that are AS issues which made me suspect it in him. He may not have it at all, but the intensity of the issues he has makes me think he does. He told me that he's doing just fine and if he ever has problems that he needs treatment for from it then he would see somebody but until then he's not interested. He's hardcore about taking life as it comes and learning to deal with it the best he can. He was born completely deaf in one ear and didn't talk until he was four years old. We were terrified back then because we thought he had something wrong with him. He was doing fine developmentally otherwise but he just didn't talk. They couldn't really test his hearing very well at that point in time but they could tell he had some issues with that ear. It was only later on that we found out he was completely deaf on that side. When he was little they said he could get an implant when he was older but he said he didn't want one. We thought he would change his mind when he was old enough to get it but he never wanted it. If he's that serious about not trying to get anything done about a problem as important as being completely deaf in one ear, then he's not really ever going to care about whether or not he has AS. However, I never told his teachers or anyone that I suspected he has AS because he wasn't diagnosed with it and the problems that the AS caused for him were things he was going to have to learn to deal with in life anyway. It took a lot of time and work but he's finally learned to deal with those things, which is good because he's got a job now and if he hadn't learned to deal with those things he couldn't have kept it this long and be doing as good as he is at it.

So, in some instances it's good to have a diagnosis and in others it's not really needed.