Which ASD traits do you not have?

[Progster]

I've seen a lot of thread discussing various symptoms of ASD. But as we all, know, ASD is a spectrum, and though we all share certain traits or symptoms, each person is different and will display a different combination of traits, to varying levels of severity; not all of us tick the same boxes. Take the AQ test, for example. Aspergers Adult AQ Test Quiz Online: Autism Spectrum Quotient Most of us will have taken this test at one point or another. My score was 41/50, which means that there are 9 boxes which I didn't tick. I think that there are very few people who take this test and actually tick all the boxes.

So, my question to those on the spectrum is, which boxes don't you tick, or which symptoms/traits don't you have? They don't have to be from the AQ test, but it is useful as a reference point. These are some traits I don't have:

I enjoy reading fiction (especially sci fi), and I can imagine scenes from the fiction that I read, though I do have difficulty working out the character's intentions.

I enjoy doing things spontaneously, as long as it isn't interrupting anything I'm already doing.

I don't have a fascination with numbers or dates, though I do notice patterns and certain things like number plates.

I'm not good at remembering phone numbers, unless they have a pattern in them. I'm lucky that my phone number has a pattern.

I don't talk a lot about my special interests to others, that is, unless someone asks me about them; I'm not a very talkative person. Instead, I withdraw into myself and think about them all the time when in company with others.

I don't mind different kinds of food touching each other, and I like food to be spicy and varied, not the same all the time.

Some people on the spectrum don't like travelling, novelty or changes to their routine. For me, sudden changes will upset me, but not changes which are known about and planned for in advance, such as holidays - I like going on holiday and travelling, though it feels strange at first and takes a while to adjust to a new environment. I get bored easily, I like learning new things, and sometimes I like to have new experiences - just not all the time

 

[Berianireth]

I have a 42/50. When I was formally evaluated a few years ago I had a freakishly high score for a female my age. I was fairly startled... I had sort of begun to get comfortable with the idea that I was just "jerky" at conversations. :/ At least I'm not a jerk?
Anyway... if there is one trait I don't have it is that I definitely DO perceive tone of voice. The problem is that I will often still have a difficult time connecting a tone of voice with the intentions/emotions behind it. I'll hear someone raising their voice at me but it will take me a few seconds to realize I am talking to them over a fan from ten feet away and they're PO'ed because now they can't concentrate.

 

[clg114]

My score was also 41/50 and your list pretty much applies to me. Except for the fiction, I like facts. Most everything that I read or watch is based on facts. Learning is fun for me and this is how I continue to learn. I guess I'm a information freak. Well, according to my wife that is at least half right.

 

[Adora]

Well I always had problems looking people in the eye,I have strong interests and get attached to them,I get startled by loud noises,I'm hypersensitive and I'm very shy but if you get me going on a special interest I won't shut up about it. Also get the anxiety aswell which can make life difficult at times.but I don't have empathy problems though sometimes I think my husband thinks I do,I love fiction,I'm not good with numbers,and while I don't like change I don't have a huge routine like my brother does,and while I do also struggle with sarcasm and sometimes take things too literally I still have got a sense of humour it's just the sarcastic jokes I miss sometimes.

 

[Vinca]

42/50 in the AQtest

I definitely DO perceive tone of voice

I feel/experience the tone of voice, much like I feel/experience the tone of a piece of music. I either experience an unpleasant feeling or a pleasant feeling as a respone. I'm not really able to distinguish the subtlies of what different tones are trying to communicate and I wouldn't be able to translate the feeling I have in response to a given tone, into words, but possibly into some form of drawing.

I don't think I over talk about my interests, but I think that is partly due to having heads people speak negatively about anyone who could 'talk until the cows come home', so I am very conscious of not over-talking. But if I knew someone would listen and not mind if I talked ad infinitum, I probably would.

 

[Ylva]

35/50.

I don't care either way if food touches other food, but if someone else dumps food on my plate I don't eat it. I like reading fiction because it's like watching a movie in my head. I was the one making things up when I played with the other children. Characters are typically described, and if not there'll be hints along the lines of "he was a tall man [chapters later] …he looked up at the other man" etc. And if there's really no description, I'll make one up. I have no particular interest in numbers, but mathematical concepts are interesting.

When I'm watching a movie, I can't guess what the characters intend, but that's just because like with normal interaction it's hard to separate intentional body language from unintentional; in most novels it's fairly easy to tell. I had to think about the "prefer people over things" one, because it did not immediately occur to me that books are things, heh.

Who can tell when people are bored? They are too "polite" to tell me or let me know through any available means.

 

[Slithytoves]

I have no significant problems with eye contact, starting and maintaining conversations, reading nonverbal cues, perceiving sarcasm and humor, understanding figures of speech, having expressive affect, putting myself in another's shoes, enjoying fiction, needing extreme routine, and a couple of others that escape me at the moment. I don't mind foods touching and have a broad palate.

My deficits related to socialization and language used to be much more severe than they are now. I've worked extremely hard on these over the years and have been lucky to be able to adapt. My psychiatrist and I prefer the RAADS-R over the AQ because of this, though we wish there was another category, "True only was I was 30 or younger".

 

[Progster]

Thanks for your replies so far

For some of the answers in the AQ test, I put 'slightly agree' or 'slightly disagree' because many of the symptoms are things which I can do to some extent, but not nearly as well as other people, such as understanding humour - sometimes I get a joke or sarcasm, sometimes I miss it entirely. Others were more relevant when I was a child. Things like whether I enjoy fiction are more difficult to answer, because though I enjoy fiction, I only enjoy certain kinds of fiction, sci fi or fantasy. And as for understanding people's intentions, well, I can often guess from the situation and sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't, but it's not true that I don't understand at all - I just have a great tendency to misinterpret people. I'm not too good at reading body language and I don't know what people might be thinking or feeling based on their body language alone, I always focus on what people are saying and not their body language, but experience over the years has taught me many things.

My deficits related to socialization and language used to be much more severe than they are now. I've worked extremely hard on these over the years and have been lucky to be able to adapt. My psychiatrist and I prefer the RAADS-R over the AQ because of this, though we wish there was another category, "True only was I was 30 or younger".

I agree with you that the RAADS-R might be a more accurate test, or the AQ might be more accurate if it were calibrated to take account of someone putting 'slightly agree' instead of 'sligthly disagree' to indicate the level of severity of that particular trait.

My score was also 41/50 and your list pretty much applies to me. Except for the fiction, I like facts. Most everything that I read or watch is based on facts. Learning is fun for me and this is how I continue to learn. I guess I'm a information freak. Well, according to my wife that is at least half right.

Yes, I like facts too, and love to learn. I watch a lot of documentaries and read a lot of non-fiction too.

 

[Suzanne]

The first time I got 30/50 and the second time 43/50 and the difference being that with the first time, I was pressing slightly this and that and also lol being too literal! So when I took it the second time, I thought more about the questions and where they say: do you find it difficult etc, rather than how I thought was: a total you cannot do it.

Anyway: I do not have a bland face or constant staring in to space and monotone voice. I can go into staring mode but can shake myself out of it.

I do not look any different to an NT until I start talking lol

Not mathematically minded at all and actually hate maths. We are poison to each other

I can look people in the eyes now, without having the sense of their head getting bigger and bigger and thus, need to look away; however saying that, I am too aware of looking in their eyes and that rather confuses me. I still have my moments and especially on meeting those I feel uncomfortable with.

There are certain foods I cannot eat, but to be honest, I think this is even with NT's. I don't like mixing food up for the simple reason because I do not like to see colours blending in; tends to make me feel a bit sick.

I cannot draw to save my life!

I am not so into my own world that I can throw off how other people are with me; so can easily get hurt.

I also think that I am empathetic. I can imagine what it would be like to be in the other shoes. I also can read emotions and can detect changes in the voice and thus, fully aware when someone is bored with me and this is usually because they have shown such kindness to me, I do go off on a bit of a tangent and soon enough, see their eyes slipping to the side. I however, only do this occasionally. Most times, I am very quiet and when I get into an obsession, I am burning to talk about it, but rarely do and it frustrates the heck out of me. Actually the obsession feels like I am entwined with it; so when it is mentioned, I have this really strange feeling and want to stim like made lol

Just today, I was chatting with this lady ( she is lovely) and she said to me that she finds me very bubbly and yes, I told her I have aspergers and she looked thoughtful and then said: ah yes, I have heard of that and we started to chat about it. She then said: oh of course, the other day, when I was about to tell you a joke, you said you might not get it and you didn't did you and I said that no I didn't get it. She finds aspies fascinating and loves the familiar word: aspie and she said: is that why you don't answer up in the meeting? I explained that I want to, but just cannot do it and yet, when I have a talk, I am ok and that is because I can act ie I am not me.

 

[Suzanne]

My score was also 41/50 and your list pretty much applies to me. Except for the fiction, I like facts. Most everything that I read or watch is based on facts. Learning is fun for me and this is how I continue to learn. I guess I'm a information freak. Well, according to my wife that is at least half right.

Me too is an information freak! I do like fiction but also prefer fact

 

[AsheSkyler]

I score between 29 and 35 when I take it. Probably what knocks mine low is I have a lot of "slightly" answers. But I think of the AQ as more of a social test than an autism test and find it very limiting anyway.

- I like doing things the same way, but I also enjoy experimenting from time to time.
- Sometimes I enjoy chit chat and don't have much problems figuring out what they're really saying. Sometimes I even enjoy social occasions and meeting new people, but that's rare.
- I can be a good diplomat.
- I am not good at remembering phone numbers, but I don't know where that goes on the Aspie list.
- I've got a good imagination, so I can easily picture things, including characters I'm reading about. I was always good at "playing pretend".
- I love fiction and fantasy and I have no problem with creative writing even if I'm not as good at it as some of my writing buddies. Thus, it's also not hard for me to imagine what it's like being another person.
- I have little trouble working out character's intentions. Which makes watching movies a pain in the butt since most of the plot directions look dead obvious to me, and that was before I started visiting TV Tropes.

 

[ChrisC1983]

39... just like with asheskyler, i have a few "slightly" answers. the biggest reason for them all is because it all depends on the situation i'm in (for example, i can imagine objects and scenery pretty well when reading or listening to a story. but when it comes to people, i know how they should look and can figure out what the words are explaining after reading through more of the description but when i immediately think of it i have these distorted almost monster like images of people)

my biggest problem is that i've pretty much had 0 help the whole time.. so now i'm trying to figure out how to pretty much function. i know i need to get used to sounds and lights and such.. but they still instantly bother me. i carry a bottle of advil with me anytime i can

 

[EdR]

31/50

I am not surprised that I merited a borderline score.

 

[Datura]

So I just took the AQ test and scored a 26. Higher than the control group, but lower than would indicate Asperger's.

I suppose some of the non-aspie things I do are:

• Though I love research and documentaries, I also adore fiction of various genres, I always have.
• I used to play make believe with other children, and now I play make believe with other adults.
• I actually do enjoy socialization and meeting new people.
• I don't tend to dominate a conversation, in fact, I am very quiet and usually let the other person talk. As a result I tend to attract very talkative people.
• I enjoy being spontaneous on occasion, but freak out when my plans are disrupted.
• My sensory issues aren't very severe
• I don't tend to offend people very often because I try my best to be polite and considerate, but I do sometimes get accused of extreme rudeness. This is the worst in the workplace. I was once accused of exhibiting "the epitome of unprofessionalism" and was promptly fired thereafter. I thought I was doing so well.
  
• My voice modulation is quite melodious most of the time, unless I am stressed or data-dumping, then my voice can become hurried and monotone. When I was younger my voice was much more monotone and droning.

I find that most of my negative aspergic traits have become much better with age. There was a time that I hated socializing, or craved socialization but just didn't know how to go about it. I used to ignore people, and wear a blank expression all the time. This has also changed. I believe there is a lot to be said for age and life experience, and I can only imagine that mild autism is harder to diagnose the older one becomes.

Oh, one obsessive thing I used to do when I was younger is that I would always eat my food starting with vegetables, then starches, and finally proteins. I did this until a very observant uncle of mine pointed it out and told me it was symptomatic of a mental disorder that was associated with low intelligence. I also learned that eating one dish at a time is considered rude in some cultures. I thereafter became self conscious about it and made an effort to eat more randomly.

A also dislike my food touching, especially if there is some kind of sauce or a notable temperature differential. Generally this isn't a big deal though, just gross.

 

[watersprite]

41 was my score just now. If I am interested in something, I love collecting info. about it. But for example if someone talks to me - verbally - about a subject I'm not interested in, it disappears. I have never been able to remember information that was given to me verbally: I have to see it to learn it. At university I wrote everything down, and to study for tests, I re-wrote my notes until they were stuck in my head, then, during exams, could scan them in my head - this mostly worked pretty well. Sorry I got off on a tangent.

 

[zurb]

I'm definitely not into numbers and dates which this quiz seems biased towards.
People can't get a word in edgewise? Nope, its the other way around. I was always taught to wait my turn, but it never comes. NTs seem to just jump in over top of each other.
Lots of the traits I answered more NTish because I've learned to do so. You do pick up something over 45 years.
Can I work out intentions. Well, I think I can. But I might not reach the same conclusion as others!
Taking turns on the phone - sure, I know its my turn. I just don't know what to say!
In these types of quizzes, I will seldom take the extreme option - not sure if that's just me, or an expression of my aspieness.
Aspies often seem to exhibit extremes of behaviour. eg, too quiet or too loud. In quizes like this, only one option tends to be picked up, or else they cancel each other out.
Quiz is too problematic to be accurate IMHO.
MOO, YMMV.

 

[Ylva]

In these types of quizzes, I will seldom take the extreme option - not sure if that's just me, or an expression of my aspieness.
Aspies often seem to exhibit extremes of behaviour. eg, too quiet or too loud. In quizes like this, only one option tends to be picked up, or else they cancel each other out.

I love that we are partially immune to availability bias. Questions like those, I'm like, "Well, that was true in these three memories, but not in this other memory, so does it qualify as yes or maybe?"

 

[AsheSkyler]

True that. About the only things I could strongly agree to was going to a museum over a threatre, because I rather like going to museums to look at all the neat stuff, and I hate going to the threatre because of the audience and how cranked-up the volume is on the TV. Now, if it was a choice between going out to a museum or staying home to watch an animal documentary series, I'd be hard pressed to pick a side.

 

[StephF]

I don't have an issue about food touching on my plate unless it is something I don't like such as coleslaw.

 

[Progster]

Thank you for your answers, I find them most interesting to read

The very first time I did that test out of curiosity, I got lower score, mainly because as Suzanna says, I took a lot of questions very literally and failed to see the general point they were making. Also, at that point, I had more of a social life - I had one or two friends whose company I enjoyed, and I was a bit more relaxed and confident, and I had more energy. After my burnout I didn't feel that I had so much energy and withdrew a lot socially, I'm affected by depression and that reflects on the score. Also, I'm usually fairly quiet, and although I often come across as socially awkward, I know how to be polite and I don't think I normally come across as rude - or at least, that's what I think because actually I don't know how I come across to others - people don't tell me that I'm being rude to my face.

A couple of people have said that they are social, or desire to be and sometimes enjoy social occasions - I don't think it's true that being an Aspie automatically means not enjoying social occasions, or not wanting to be with other people. It tends to be assumed that Aspies are all hermits or overly anxious - indeed many are, but it is possible for an aspie to be "active but odd", to appear to be relatively confident, to socialize a lot and to enjoy being with people and have a small circle of friends But, that person is still an Aspie! I am very anxious, but can fake confidence to some extent.

Oh, one obsessive thing I used to do when I was younger is that I would always eat my food starting with vegetables, then starches, and finally proteins. I did this until a very observant uncle of mine pointed it out and told me it was symptomatic of a mental disorder that was associated with low intelligence. I also learned that eating one dish at a time is considered rude in some cultures. I thereafter became self conscious about it and made an effort to eat more randomly.

I also was obsessed with eating things in a certain order as a kid, and I always inspected or examined my food before eating. I still do the food inspection, but not longer have to eat it in a certain order.

I cannot draw to save my life!

I also think that I am empathetic. I can imagine what it would be like to be in the other shoes. I also can read emotions and can detect changes in the voice and thus, fully aware when someone is bored with me and this is usually because they have shown such kindness to me, I do go off on a bit of a tangent and soon enough, see their eyes slipping to the side. I however, only do this occasionally. Most times, I am very quiet and when I get into an obsession, I am burning to talk about it, but rarely do and it frustrates the heck out of me. Actually the obsession feels like I am entwined with it; so when it is mentioned, I have this really strange feeling and want to stim like made lol
J

I can't draw either, I'm not a particularly creative person. But being good at art is a splinter ability, as is being good at maths or at music. Not all autistic people have high ability in these areas, that's another myth.

I can also imagine what it's like to be in another person's shoes, but only if I have had the experience myself and therefore know what it feels like - otherwise I have difficulty relating to the person.

Yes, often I really want to talk about something and I sometimes want to say something in a conversation which interests me, but can't because I wait for the gap which never comes; as Zurb says, NTs have a way of jumping in over the top of each other. Sometimes I get so frustrated at not being able to speak that I wave or flap my hands to catch their attention and make them stop talking so I can speak!