A-SHED -- rating/categorizing autism-related difficulties

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This is how I would rate myself growing up...

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information - 2

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language - 2

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences - 1

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Personal feelings/wants/needs - 2

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate - 2

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving - 1

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention - 4

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking - 4

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration - 4

PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES -
Sensory modulation and phobias - 4

Physical well being - 2

Emotional well being - 4

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS - 2

I would need a lot of help to come up with a system that worked for a wider range of people, and went from our actual experiences of the world rather than someone else's guesses about us.

I definitely agree that it's a problem where this particular system doesn't have the range to really show people's difficulties if they're not in the 3-5 zone. (And unfairly makes it sound like "2" is really easy when it's not. Ideally what's "2" on this would be a much larger number on a better rating system.)

I'm not good at coming up with quantitative descriptions of abilities. That's one reason I'd need help. In most areas I'd have real trouble knowing what order to put things in, etc.

I also don't know everything about every possible experience, obviously, so I'd need help there too.

I suspect one really good thing would be to make it go up to at least 7 or 9 or 10 or something, so there's more detail allowed.

Of course that would make it harder for some people to use.

This is why trying to do things like this make my brain hurt. >_<

And why I was glad to find this even with its flaws. But I agree we definitely need something better equipped to deal with a range of experiences on the spectrum.

This has changed over the years, but this is what I am like now at 16.
Difficulties in understanding

Social Information =1.7
Language = 2.2
Time lapse/event sequences = 3.0

Difficulties in self-expression

Self-awareness = 2.2
Awareness of need to communicate = 0
Difficulties with the means of communication = 2.1

Problems in thinking

Problem-solving = 3.0
Tightly-focused attention = 3.1
Binary thinking = 3.2
Perseveration = 3.8

Personal sensations

Sensory modulation and phobias = 2.1
Physical well being = 0.8
Emotional well being = 3.4 (I am irritable at times but not depressed)

Physical movement control= 2.2

Average: 2.3

5 YEARS AGO................

Difficulties in understanding

Social Information = 1.8
Language = 2.4
Time lapse/event sequences = 3.3

Difficulties in self-expression

Self-awareness = 3.8
Awareness of need to communicate = 0
Difficulties with the means of communication = 2.3

Problems in thinking

Problem-solving = 1.8
Tightly-focused attention = 3.4
Binary thinking = 4.0
Perseveration = 3.6

Personal sensations

Sensory modulation and phobias = 2.4
Physical well being = 0.8
Emotional well being = 3.0

Physical movement control= 3.2

Difficulties in understanding

Social Information = 2.4
Language = 3.0
Time lapse/event sequences = 4.8

Difficulties in self-expression

Self-awareness = 4.7
Awareness of need to communicate = 0
Difficulties with the means of communication = 2.4

Problems in thinking

Problem-solving = 2.7? I can't really remember
Tightly-focused attention = 5.8
Binary thinking = 5.0
Perseveration = 3.6

Personal sensations

Sensory modulation and phobias = 3.8
Physical well being = 2.8
Emotional well being = 3.0

Physical movement control= 3.8

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information
3
DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language
2
DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences
1. - a lot of worrying about “when”, but nothing else.
DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Personal feelings/wants/needs
1.5
DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate
3.5. I'm very good at sorting things out for myself.
Means of communication
2.5
PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving
2.5
PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention
3.5
PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking
3.5
PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration
2
PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES -
Sensory modulation and phobias
3
Physical well being
1
Emotional well being
2
CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS
1

Average: 2.3

Whew... I FINALLY took the time to make some abstracts from the words in this to where I think I am. THAT is the main problem for me with this system. The descriptions read so "abstract/disabled" to me that I have to really make the leap to what does that mean for my life. Once I was able to wrap my head around that and then to imagine a 2 versus 1, I was able to come up with this score but I do not feel very confident in it.

I. Difficulties in understanding (2.3)
A. Social Information = 3
B. Language = 2
C. Time lapse/event sequences = 2

II. Difficulties in self-expression (2.3)
A. Self-awareness =2.5
B. Awareness of need to communicate = 2
C. Difficulties with the means of communication = 2.5

III. Problems in thinking (1.6)
A. Problem-solving = 1
B. Tightly-focused attention = 2
C. Binary thinking =2
D. Perseveration = 1

IV. Personal sensations (2.5)
A. Sensory modulation and phobias = 3.5
B. Physical well being = 3
C. Emotional well being = 1

V. Control of physical movements = 2

Average = 2.14

BTW: Thanks for finding and sharing this. I actually think there is value in understanding where I am on the overall spectrum and you have given me a LOT of great insights into me and how I related to this disorder through this and your other posts/observations. One day, I hope we have the chance to meet so I can thank you in person for all your work.

Hmm, well, I guess I could give it a shot... I agree with your ranges idea; these are different for me at different times, depending on how well I can access the things I know and can do; ironically, right now I'm at the more severe end of all these ranges because I've been stupid enough to try to take on a normal class load...
I have ignored the state I am in during meltdown, at which point pretty much everything goes straight to 5, because I'm not usually in meltdown.

To me, this one focused too much on superficial traits and didn't go into the whys enough. And I really hate how they have no description for most of the area I seem to fall into. I also had a feeling of force-fitting myself a lot. I get the impression that this system is probably pretty good for lower functioning autistics but really sucks at describing higher functioning autistics because it lumps a great deal of range into 1 or 2.

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Social information - 2

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Language - 1

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Time lapse/event sequences - 3

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Personal feelings/wants/needs - 1

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Need to communicate - 1

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Means of communication - 2

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Problem-solving - 2

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Tightly focused attention - 2 (or 3, no idea what they mean by TEACCH)

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Binary thinking - 3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Perseveration - 1

PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES - Sensory modulation and phobias - 3

Physical well being - 2 (asthma and hypoglycemia)

Emotional well being - 2 (mostly good but attacks of depression and anxiety)

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS - 3 (clumsy, poor motor learning, hypermobility but no compulsive movements)

So my mean is 2. But often I felt like 2 probably was implying more severe problems than I have and 1 was implying no problems at all, so I'd force-fit into 2 and shove whatever was my worst areas of difficulty into 3 even though they better fit into 'more severe 2'.

This I think is my favorite of these systems, because it admits that we have different levels of difficulties in different things. It really bothers me when people assume our abilities to read people, plan things, and not overload from sensory input are the same.

For myself:

Difficulties in understanding (average 2.5)
Social Information: 3-4
Understanding Language: 1-2.5
Understanding time lapse/event sequences: 2

Difficulties in self expression (average 3.25)
Self-awareness -- understanding personal feelings/wants/needs: 3(?)-5 (Distress without knowing why is very me (including periods of near every day), and I very definitely have alexithymia. On the other hand, I'm good at recognizing things like when I'm hungry, thirsty, or tired, though that's partially because of physical notices (migraine triggers end up easier to notice when headaches are starting). I also don't think I have issues with the medical stuff... If I had to give myself only one number it'd probably be about 4.3)
Awareness of need to communicate: 3-4 (Average has definitely gone down since high school but same range. This was what caused me to work with a therapist, because being unable to ask for help caused a teacher to think I didn't do my work, lied about it, and shouldn't be in the school.)
Difficulties with the means of communication: 2

Problems in thinking (average 2.1)
Problem-solving: 1.75 (I might not eat until it is physically necessary to prevent a migraine because of the inability to make a decision, but I usually tend to end up figuring something out, and don't have issues outside of decision making)
Tightly focused attention: 1 (I multitask (switching tasks very quickly) very well for an aspie, I view it as "I'm constantly multitasking anyways, with having so much sensory inputs and needing to cope with that, if I can remove some of those, I have processing power for whatever else I need to do")
Binary thinking: 3.5 (Whether I can cope is very dependent on what it is. I can tolerate losing, but can't tolerate people misusing definitions or confusing forall and there exists. I end up in long arguments until my boyfriend pulls me away)
Perseveration : 3-4

Personal sensations -- sensory, physical, and emotional difficulties (average 4.125 if I give myself a 5 on physical)
Sensory modulation and phobias: 5
Physical well being: 1(?)-5 (Really, I'm all over the charts on this one. Very resistant to infection. On the other hand hypothyroidism, chronic headaches, monthly doctors appointments, and physical therapy needed for muscle tension. I have no idea where that puts me. I only have the chronic health issues, not the day to day ones. I might actually qualify as a 5 though...)
Emotional well being: 4 (I think I only have 3-4 major outbursts a week...)
Control of physical movements: 2-3 (Of course I had to take a break from filling this out because I spilled my cocoa all over the table...)

Overall average: 3.1

Difficulties in understanding

Social Information = 3.5
Language = 4
Time lapse/event sequences = 4

Difficulties in self-expression

Self-awareness = 4
Awareness of need to communicate = 3
Difficulties with the means of communication = 3

Problems in thinking

Problem-solving =3
Tightly-focused attention = 3
Binary thinking = 4
Perseveration = 4

Personal sensations

Sensory modulation and phobias = 5
Physical well being = 5
Emotional well being = 4

Physical movement control= 2

Average 3.67