Exploring Asperger's

[knot_sweet]

I got Aspie 92 / 200, Neurotypical 97 / 200

Oddly though, I got very low Neurotypical talent score, which is ADD / ADHD and a very low Neurotypical communication score, which is Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Everything else showed up average.

So about what I was expecting.

I suspect a lot of it has been learned skills I've picked up over the years.

 

[ecstaticsub]

Good news: generally college treats weird people really well - high school is much harder on most non-conformists - in college suddenly smart and offbeat are the new normal. My cousin's an example of someone who's Aspie, and flourishing in college - was dignosed, though her mother met this head on with total denial. I think the diagnosis wasn't completely wrong, but she's probably on the shallow end of it.

She has friends, fandoms to draw, and a likely career in gaming stuff - sometimes those monolithic pursuits work out well. (She's graduating this year) A lot of her relationships are online and long distance, but there's really nothing abnormal about that at this point in time, is there?

She's a little socially "off" but I relate really well to her. She'll probably never give much of a rat's ass about fashion or doing stuff just because other people do. She's completely dry non-partying and straight edge and her mom and my mom are idiotic enough to see this as a failing!

I'm definitely NT, but I have an affinity with people who aren't for some reason. It's funny, I was a lot like her as a kid, but I do read others well and put ever so slightly more stock in norms.

I'm also definitely not triggered by the sensory stuff either, bombs can go off around me if I'm doing something I want to do, noise gets filtered out all the time.

Thanks. I think she will do okay socially at college, too. (esp where she has chosen to go) I had been hoping she would learn to be more aware of the world around her before heading off on her own. At least she will have the college buffer years before being completely out on her own.

 

[sereneone4u]

Wow

Your Aspie score: 100 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 117 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

 

[Stella_Omega]

Aspie score: 123 of 200
neurotypical score: 86 of 200

how are you guys posting pics of your graphed result?

There's actually a URL posted under the graph-- Big blue letters. You have to highlight it to C&P

 

[catalina_francisco]

Wish my son had been diagnosed a lot earlier as it might have made a lot of difference to where he is with his life now, and how he feels about himself. I had been asking for help almost from the day he was born simply because I could see (as could many others) that he was very different and it was going to create problems for him and make it difficult for him to be a part of the world. Didn't help as once he was up and walking, doctors and psychiatrists became more interested in checking his IQ and telling me I had a boy genius and delighting in his high intelligence. Problem is being a genius and brilliant does not automatically equate to coping with life and others. Must say it was a relief when we finally got a diagnosis in NL, and by a specialist in the field who could tell just by seeing him across the reception area. At least we had a name and support for understanding his reality.

As a baby he cried almost constantly and didn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time (and that long was rare) for months. He did get the strongest sedative prescribed which didn't even touch him. Apparently this should have been the first sign he had Asperger's as many do not react to medicine the way the rest of us do. This later resulted in him having ingrown toenail treatments where his toe was cut into with him feeling everything and not being believed by doctors until we found a great Chinese doctor who didn't know why anesthetic didn't work on him but believed him and actually took the time to try alternative ways of giving it to him until she found a method which at least dulled most of the pain for minor surgery.

He couldn't look anyone he did not know well, in the eye, another sign which was often taken for rudeness and which was one of the biggest things which helped in his eventual diagnosis a few years ago. As a child, he would disappear at his own birthday parties to play alone. In fact, even when he was crawling, he would do anything to crawl away from other children and do his own thing, getting severly agitated if anyone came near. Then there was the fixation thing where he would become obsessed with one thing and that was all he wanted to do. As a crawling baby he began with big plastic blocks...that moved to an obsession with Lego which he made the most amazing things from and even had Lego reps gobsmacked at what he could do as a 6 year old and how quick. I had lots of Lego robots wandering the house in those days!! These days it is computers and computer games. He lives in his room with a collection of PC's, some he has built himself, and only comes out when he has to and goes back behind closed doors as soon as possible with minimal to no communication during his time out of it. Other things which apparently are common and which he has are very high levels of hearing (uncannily so and also to a point where noise can send him into panic attacks); difficulty with fabrics and clothing (he claims there are no clothes at all in NL which he can wear); and from an early age I realised he had incredible vision while at times being almost blind in other ways which seems related to stress. If I dropped a dressmaking pin in the carpet, I could always ask him to come look for me and he would spot it straight away from across the room...was amazing. He also has massive depression and has gone through suicidal phases from about the age of 7; migraines that last for days; panic and anxiety attacks; physical pain; and vision problems. So though he is 27, life is far from where he would like it and we continue to try and find solutions to help him live in a world which often does not understand it is not something he can just get over and begin being like everyone else. It is a learning process for both of us.

Catalina

 

[Stella_Omega]

I just found this article, thought I would add it to the thread;

The Discovery of " Aspie" Criteria

There is a lot in it, including some of the first really specific clear advice on communicating with an aspie-- stuff I have never put into words untill recently. people will say; "oh, you did a great job!" and I will say; "really? What did I do well?" Because I want to know what my percieved strengths are.

This made me laugh;
"Aspergerese", a social language characterized by at least three of the following:

1. a determination to seek the truth
2. conversation free of hidden meaning or agenda
3. advanced vocabulary and interest in words
4. fascination with word-based humour, such as puns
5. advanced use of pictorial metaphor

yeah... none of that is me, nossir...

 

[Betticus]

Your Aspie score: 133 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 98 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

Ok, what do those scores mean?

 

[LWulf]

I could almost tell what they were looking for in each question, but then some questions I felt horribly pigeon holed.


Your Aspie score: 67 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 152 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

.....

 

[Allyourbase]

Out of curiosity, I took the dutch version. It sounded a bit Flemish to me though. I guess one should take psychological tests in your own language?

I did read an article somewhere, by the way, about bilingual people who find it easier to talk about traumatic or sensitive things in the language they don't consider their native tongue. Makes sense to me. I do that a lot in daily life.

I was wondering about those questions regarding attraction, gender identity and sexual preferences. And that question about pain tolerance/enjoyment... Are Aspies natural kinksters, is that what they implied?

Anyways! It seems I've succesfully weeded out all the social anxiety, absorption and obsessive compulsive behavior I had as a kid. That's what two therapists, a coach, a priceless partner, a lot of determination and a ton of buddhist meditation can do, I guess? Conclusion: I'm of the "I'm weird but I can help it"-kind. I have no excuse...

 

[Allyourbase]

And in English some questions actually do sound really different... !

 

[Betticus]

I had a thought. What if Aspergers is not an abnormal condition but a natural stage in the evolution of the human brain?

 

[Stella_Omega]

I had a thought. What if Aspergers is not an abnormal condition but a natural stage in the evolution of the human brain?

I don't think it's even a stage in our evolution-- I just think it's one of the several variances in human prain architecture.

Noe of these things matter so much00 untill we have a chance to focus a society on more than subsistence.

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/index...ved-papers/79-the-discovery-of-aspie-criteria

 

[graceanne]

I was wondering about those questions regarding attraction, gender identity and sexual preferences. And that question about pain tolerance/enjoyment... Are Aspies natural kinksters, is that what they implied?.

I've often wondered about people who say they liked pain, even as children. My son will deliberately burn himself, and then tell me it feels good.

 

[Stella_Omega]

That website is by a guy who espouses a theory that aspies are neanderthal holdovers... He thinks that sado-masochism might be part of a neurological heritage as well-- and I just made his theory sound much more reasonable than he does

 

[Allyourbase]

I've often wondered about people who say they liked pain, even as children. My son will deliberately burn himself, and then tell me it feels good.

'Liking pain' and 'liking pain' could be different things. I'm a masochist to a certain extent, and what your son does is really different from how I experience it. I only like it when I'm aroused, and it still really hurts then at the same time. Your son sounds like someone with a bit of... whatsitcalled (*googles*) congenital analgesia. I now wonder if you can be a masochist when you don't really feel pain... ?

That website is by a guy who espouses a theory that aspies are neanderthal holdovers... He thinks that sado-masochism might be part of a neurological heritage as well-- and I just made his theory sound much more reasonable than he does

Ohmy

Then again I wouldn't care much if I really was someone with neanderthal brain characteristics. Explains a lot

 

[Noira]

Well. What do you know, I am apparently socially normal. Maybe I should relax a bit, chill, the test says I got this thing.

 

[Que]

Every time I stumble across this particular subject it rings true.

My youngest daughter late in life baby who is currently six and a half Has been to innumerable developmental specialist and geneticist they're quite sure she has some sort of genetic anomaly but they can't pinpoint it.

The genetic markers for such an anomaly I share with her at one point one of those particular anomalies was AI leading indicator of Aspergers they said but they don't think she has Aspergers.

She's on diagnose somewhere along the autistic spectrum fairly high functioning and her developmental delay is gap is shortening...Likely due to her innate high IQ.

My ADHD seems to manifest itself in pressured speech however I wonder if that is not a little bit more aspie than anything else.

I obsess and pattern recognition exercises.

 

[Stella_Omega]

This Aspie thing just keeps on coming on.
I'm reading this book-- The Journal of best Practices and I am laughing at half the page, and facepalming on the alternate ones.

I consider myself pretty high-functioning, and the author of this book does too. But he's making me aware of some of the subtle effects of this particular brain condition that I have never pieced together before.

Arrgh. Sometimes I think I was better off before my diagnosis. Now, i feel like I have to FIX IT and this book reminds me that Aspergers cannot be fixed, only managed.

 

[FurryFury]

She will be okay. *hugs*

She will find "her people" and in college the kids don't care that others are different like they did in high school.

What is the difference between being extra quirky and being Aspie? We were told out daughter had traits of Asperger's when she was 6.

She will be going off to college in the fall. I'm worried. She is very smart, I am sure she will excel academically.

But she different. She is one of those kids who dresses differently and behaves differently not because she wants to be different but because she simply is. She is a natural non-conformist which is fine. But it does make her somewhat of a bully magnet. She has friends but I know she is made fun of, too.

How do I protect her once she is out of the nest? I've tried to give her life skills but I think she will have to figure out most things on her own. She is a little stubborn. (she is still a teenager after all )

I need someone to tell me she will be ok.

 

[FurryFury]

I avoid crowds when possible. I call myself noise phobic too but I'm not aspie like. In fact, I read people well and can easily manipulate them for the greater good.

Couldn't have said it better myself: the crowded room thing is why I avoid big social gatherings cos I just stand there nodding my head when it seems the right time. I can feel my brain trying to decypher all the suddenly random noise coming out someone's mouth and sometimes I get it about five mins later, which isn't great for sparkling repartee...
And I'd go along with the rest of it... thought it was just me

 

[KoPilot]

Hey I took the test. I'm buzzed right now, which is probably great for honesty's sake, but I can't extrapolate for shit right now, so I'll just leave it here.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I hate not having these skills. I hate living with people who expect me to have them, but who are incapable of telling me what they even are.

I hate it that when I ask a question I get anger instead of answers.
Just now I slapped my own face hard enough to leave marks-- it hurt less than the frustration does.

Xanax time, I think.

 

[FurryFury]

*HUGS*

I hate not having these skills. I hate living with people who expect me to have them, but who are incapable of telling me what they even are.

I hate it that when I ask a question I get anger instead of answers.
Just now I slapped my own face hard enough to leave marks-- it hurt less than the frustration does.

Xanax time, I think.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I hate not having these skills. I hate living with people who expect me to have them, but who are incapable of telling me what they even are.

I hate it that when I ask a question I get anger instead of answers.
Just now I slapped my own face hard enough to leave marks-- it hurt less than the frustration does.

Xanax time, I think.

yeah, I'm having one of those "fuck I hate this" spells right now, so you have my sympathies.

The bit that's causing me grief at the moment is not knowing how seriously to take other people's commitments. I made a date to spend quality time with somebody very important to me, who I haven't seen in ages, spent two weeks looking forward to it and counting the days... and then the day before, they told me "oh, my SO's showing up unexpectedly tomorrow, gonna have to cancel".

If anybody remembers the Community episode where they run a psych experiment on Abed, that's very much like how this interaction has felt over the last six months. There are reasons why they're behaving like this, huge amount of stuff going on in their life, but that doesn't make it any easier for me to handle.

Basically I have to divide the world into three groups of people: (A) the ones I trust implicitly (friends and lovers), (B) the ones I can safely disregard (most of the world) and (C) the ones who I can't ignore but can't just take on trust. Dealing with C is exhausting since I have to spend so much mental energy on processing, trying to figure out what they really meant, how they will interpret what I say (instead of just taking it at goddamn face value like it's usually intended), etc etc.

And recategorising somebody from A to C is... not fun.