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

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The following (the A-SHED) is a way of exploring difficulty levels in the different areas affected by autism. It was developed by John Clements and Ewa Zarkowska and put into the book Behavioural Concerns & Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Explanations and Strategies for Change that you can get from Jessica Kingsley Publishers if interested.

I'm posting it because it's one of the few "profile" type ways of describing autism that I mostly actually don't mind. And someone just told me that there is a need for categories, and I find the categories this gets into much more useful than the categories the person was describing as useful themselves. So I figured I ought to demonstrate it instead of just saying "I don't like this" to all the other category systems.

Yes, there are major problems with parts of it, but sometimes it helps me describe things that I would otherwise never be able to describe in a million years. Instead of giving a single "functioning level" it rates a person's different skills. (Although if you wanted a single "functioning level" you could always rate yourself on it and then average out all the different numbers you get. The higher the number the worse the difficulties, between 1 and 5.)


Also, they only describe numbers 5, 4, and 3. You have to sort of imagine what 2 and 1 would be in rating someone in those areas.

I use it a little differently than it was designed, so my instructions are going to be different from their instructions. This is how it works for me, YMMV and you can always modify it any way you want yourself if you don't find this useful.

My first modification to it is that I will use decimals, not just whole numbers. So for instance if something is exactly between 3 and 4, I might use 3.5. Or if it's closer to 4 than 3, then maybe 3.7. Or whatever.

My second modification is that I do ranges. I have a sort of autism where I have a "baseline" level of abilities, and then I have to "climb" to another level of abilities that does not last long and always goes back to the "baseline" the moment I drop it. Other people may have abilities that just sort of swing between different ones. So for instance, if my baseline is 5, and the best I can do is a 2, then I'd write 5-2 as my range on that one. Note of course that the "best" part of the range may not be always possible for me so it's very possible for me to get stuck at 5, 4, 3, or whatever in between numbers there are. And if I only really am in one of the categories, I'd write the range as 4-4, or 5-5, or whatever.

My third modification is that there was at least one of these things that just had me going WTF. Because it described difficulties with understanding time sequences as something that would necessarily cause anxiety for a person. Whereas I'm so totally unaware of time that it causes me little to no anxiety at all. So on that one I actually put myself at a 6 rather than a 5, even though there's no true "6" on there. But I'm very wary of doing that -- I wouldn't even do it if my problems were "more intense than a 5" unless the intensity caused such a qualitative difference in how this worked for me, that I just could not at all bring myself to write a 5. (Because otherwise this would be overused and it would be way too easy for lots of people to rate themselves as 6 with little understanding what that would mean, so I just would only do this under really specific circumstances.)

At the end, there's something that's supposed to be a chart. This thing will not let me print charts. The chart just shows your scores. So just imagine that the left-hand column is the words that I've written out for each category, and the right-hand column is the score in that category. When I show how I scored myself, I'm more likely to write the scores under each category because it's just easier somehow.

If you really want to give yourself a single score, all you have to do is add up your scores in each category. Then you divide that whole thing by 14.

Another tip: It's best to concentrate more on the descriptions, and less on the actual name of the category. Because I would normally rate myself as having at least decent self-awareness, but then I actually never get above a 5 in that category in that I always have trouble understanding why I'm upset and have a constant litany of medical disasters that I get into (I'm honestly not sure why I'm alive) because I can't understand and communicate things about pain and other medical symptoms.

So anyway, the following is word for word (the best I could do anyway) what the A-SHED is described as in the book.

************

Autism - Supporters' Help to Explore the Difficulties

This is a problem-solving job aide not a developed assessment. It is meant to show the major impacts of what we mean by autism for an individual. It is to help refine what is meant by the diagnosis, inform better our understanding of behavioral issues and contribute to the setting of priorities for the individual.

Go through each section and circle the rating that you think best applies to the person that you know. Transfer the individual ratings to the summary profile chart at the end.

Difficulties in understanding
Social Information

Includes difficulties in understanding the meaning of other people's facial expressions, difficulties in giving information (too much or too little), difficulties in adjusting behavior that the person knows causes distress to others, not initiating with others to tell them (by gesture, word, sign, picture) what your wants/needs are.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Seems to lack all understanding of other people; does not register how they are; does not seem to realize that other people can be helpful; seems lost in own world and to take no account of others, may perhaps just treat them as like other physical objects in the world.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Does initiate to other people about wants/needs at least some of the time but will often initiate in a clumsy, odd or aggressive way; does not really understand distress in others and may seem to deliberately do things that cause distress.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has many good ways of interacting with others but still makes mistakes that upset others or cause them to reject the individual.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE


Understanding language

Includes near complete inability to get information from the speech of others, significant hearing losses, ability to get information from the speech of others but only at a slow rate so that the individual is easily overwhelmed by speech, a good ability to understand but always at a literal and concrete level.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Is almost completely unable to get any meaning from the speech of others. At best may follow everyday instructions given in context.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Can follow everyday instructions and may be able to understand rather more but takes a lot of time to process verbal information and gets overwhelmed/upset by too much speech so that in practice only a very limited amount of information taken in.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has generally good understanding of familiar information but does take time to process so that care is needed to present information in manageable chunks. Still needs to experience situations in order to learn about them -- cannot really prepare for things by 'having them explained'.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Understanding time lapse/event sequences

Involves difficulties in really understanding when important events will happen so that can only be given information just before an event happens, constant worrying about when he is to do certain things or when certain people will be around (a lot of when questions), generally good understanding of what is said but great difficulty when given a sequence of things to do (tends to mix up the order).

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Great care has to be taken in preparing for upcoming events and this is an important day-to-day issues (not just about occasional events). The worrying about 'when' is constant. Information about event sequences can only be given over very short time frames (for example, what will happen in the next hour rather than what we are doing today or this week).

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Care does have to be taken in preparing for events but this is mainly around occasional, out of the ordinary events. There is worrying about 'when' every day but it is not intense and hard to distract from. Can understand event sequences for no more than one day at a time.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Can be prepared for events at least a day in advance but no more. There is some worrying about 'when' but it is not every day. Although generally well able to understand things, does get into difficulty when it is important to remember the sequence of what is said.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Difficulties in self expression

Self-awareness -- understanding personal feelings/wants/needs

Seems to get upset and know that something needs doing but does not seem to know what it is (for example, may lead you around, getting more and more upset but not seem to know what it is she wants). Has general difficulty in reporting on feelings -- will respond to questions about how she is feeling with answers that seem out of line with what you can observe the person to be experiencing (for example, will say she is happy, although as far as you can see she seems to be upset in some way). Can report on feelings but often unable/makes errors in judging what has caused those feelings. Can show unusual responses to pain -- definitely feels pain but will sometimes have things happen that are clearly painful but seem to have no impact.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

On most days gets in distress but without seeming to know why. Has a history of serious medical problems which she has not reported although in general is well able to report on pain and discomfort and the reasons for it.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Sometimes gets in distress without seeming to know why but at other times can identify the reasons. Can report on emotional feelings but cannot identify what has caused those feelings and cannot explain why she did what she did if she acted out those feelings.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Is good at identifying general wants and needs and can sometimes identify what has caused emotional feelings such as happiness, anger or sadness. Not good at understanding the links between emotional feelings and own behavior -- does not give plausible explanations when asked why certain behaviors occurred.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Awareness of need to communicate

Is aware of own wants and needs and will work hard to sort them out but does not communicate with others to get them involved in the process -- will always try to work it out on his own. Also included here difficulties in using communication for any other purpose than to satisfy immediate wants and needs -- thus although he communicates about wants and needs, does not communicate in terms of sharing information and general conversation.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Never initiates any form of communication with others.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Will sometimes initiate communication about some immediate wants/needs but not very often and would always prefer to sort things out for himself.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Will generally communicate if wants something and cannot get it for himself but never initiates communication for any other purpose.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Difficulties with the means of communication

This extends from the complete absence of any kind of recognizable communication skill, to having limited means of symbolic expression (words, signs, icons pictures), to having good symbolic skills but sometimes difficulty in finding the right word/symbol

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has no means of communicating with others in ways that they are likely to understand. At best those who know the person well understand the meanings of certain sounds, looks, movements but a newcomer would not be able to read these meanings.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has some basic gestures such as leading others to things. May be able to point or uses a small number of meaningful words, signs, icons, pictures but can only communicate about a very few things and cannot put together sequences of symbols.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has a range of symbols that she can use and this is generally adequate for communicating about everyday wants and needs. May be able to put together sequences of symbols but it is mainly about immediate concerns. We would count in here people who are sometimes able to communicate in complex ways but often run into word-finding difficulty so that in practice their communication breaks down often.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE


C. Problems in thinking

Problem-solving

Included here are difficulties in imaginative activities, problems in coping with unstructured times, problems in dealing with unfamiliar situations that arise and difficulties in making choices.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Has no imaginative play and does not access symbolic media such as books and videos. Cannot cope at all with unstructured times and must have activities organized and directions provided at all times. Cannot cope at all with unfamiliar situations and cannot cope with being offered choices.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Does access some symbolic media. Can find ways of filling unstructured times but not for very long and not all the time. Can sometimes find ways of solving problems (for example, finding where a drink is) but not always. Can cope with some choices but only if presented in a two choices format with both items visible.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

CAn organize own time but for no more than an hour or two (could not organize to fill a weekend). Will sort out everyday problems in familiar environments but could not be relied on to always do this. Can cope with choices between three and four items but cannot deal with open-ended choices ('what do you want?').

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Tightly focused attention

Included her is the exclusive focus on a single topic/activity to the exclusion of all else, or at the other extreme the complete inability to handle a lot of stimulation present simultaneously -- it is part of the same problem of being able to process several items of information in a prioritized fashion.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

All transitions (stopping one thing, starting another) are difficult. It is very hard to distract from any topic or activity on to which attention has been locked. In many ordinary situations the individual gets overwhelmed by the amount of stimulation.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Transitions can be made but they always require careful management. Likewise it is possible to distract but time and care are always needed. Copes with most everyday situations but easily overwhelmed in new situations.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Transitions and distractions generally managed well but still depends on a TEACCH type system for this. Will sometimes get very stuck and find it hard to move on and is sometimes overwhelmed by stimulation.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Binary thinking

Judges situations in very categorical ways with no gradations ('grayscale'). Cannot tolerate making mistakes, things not being just as he wants them, being corrected, losing at games.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

On most days there are confrontation about things not being just as they are wanted, people not doing exactly what they are supposed to do, making mistakes, losing. In general those around the person feel that they are walking on eggs.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are regular difficulties around these issues, perhaps not every day but certainly every week.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

The individual is beginning to learn to tolerate making mistakes and being corrected but care is still needed about this. Likewise can sometimes cope with losing and things/people not being exactly as they should be.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Perseveration

The difficulty is getting stuck repeating a behavior of some kind and getting more distressed as the repetition goes on. The person may show signs of trying to stop the behavior themselves (for example, banging their head to make thoughts go away, self-restraining their hands) and the person will usually be relieved if they are forcefully stopped and moved on.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

On most days this issue arises -- there is distress and intrusive interventions used to move the person on.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are regular difficulties around these issues, perhaps not every day but certainly every week.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

This does occur and needs to be considered in the support plans for the individual but it is not a major area of concern.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

D. Personal sensations -- sensory, physical, and emotional difficulties

Sensory modulation and phobias

This covers the distress caused by specific sensory experiences and specific feared objects (phobias).

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

On most days there is distress around these issues. The person has or is thought to have multiple sensory stressors and in different domains (sound, touch, taste, sight, smell).

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are a small number of sensory stressors but these do occur regularly and always have to be thought of in planning things for the person. The person may have a specific phobia (for example, dogs, wind) and these require accommodation when making plans.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are known stressors and/or phobias but the individual generally copes well but it still means that certain ordinary situations are avoided if possible.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Physical well being

This covers both general health (resistance to infection) and recurring specific health problems such as ear infections, dental problems, sinus problems, bowel problems.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are alway concerns about the person's health and frequent medical consultations. The person is under constant or frequent treatment (for example, antibiotics, laxatives, allergy meeds).

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

There are recurring phases of ill health but clear phases of positive good health can be identified in between. REpeated treatment is needed but, again, there are treatment free periods.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

The individual is known over time to have a vulnerability to particular health problems (for example, ear infections, bowel problems). All those supporting the person need to know about this issue. These problems may arise three to six times a year. However most of the time the person sustains good health.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Emotional well being

This covers the tendency always to process negative information/experiences but ignore positives; intense bursts of negative emotionality; general tendencies to get over-aroused and out of control; extended phases of low mood, lack of tolerance, irritability, withdrawal sometimes recurring ('cyclical') sometimes as part of a 'one off' breakdown.

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

On a daily basis the individual dwells on negative things and becomes intensely distressed. There are daily occurrences of intense emotional outbursts. The person is recognized as being in a phase of loss of well being and medication is being used/considered to address this. Any or all of these are leading to the individual's life being much more restricted than it otherwise would be and support plans focus heavily on this area.

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

The person is clearly not enjoying life as much as they normally do. Negative processing biases are evident on a daily basis, moods are often negative and intense and there are three to four major outbursts a week. There may be signs of an extended down phase and there are some restrictions on the person's life. Support plans focus on this area and medication is being considered but not yet used.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

The above problems are clearly a cause for concern and a focus for support plans. Whilst the individual is not enjoying life as much as she might, the difficulties are not leading to actual restrictions in her life.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

E. Control of physical movements

This covers general clumsiness, the tendency to make eye-catching body movements (a.k.a. 'stereotypes'), the adoption of fixed, frozen postures and apparent movements that occur outside the person's control and that they make obvious efforts to inhibit (for example, self-restraining).

5. A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Movement problems are evident every day, definitely interfere with the person's life and are the focus of specific support plans. This will usually be because the person is spending a lot of time on 'stereotypes', is often getting stuck and needing help to move on or is having frequent movements that appear out of control and have a major impact (for example, leading to injury of the self and others).

4. A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Movement issues are a source of concern and focus of support plans. They arise several times a week but there can be days where these issues do not arise.

3. AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

This is a known area of need and everyone who supports the person has to be aware of the issues. There is some impact on the person's quality of life but this is limited provided that support plans for these issues are followed.

2. A SMALL IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE
1. NO IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE

A - SHED SUMMARY PROFILE

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Personal feelings/wants/needs

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration

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

Physical well being

Emotional well being

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS

***************

So here is how I would fill mine out (remembering that I am not using it the exact same way they would use it:

A - SHED SUMMARY PROFILE

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information
5-4

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language
5-4

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences
6-3(*)

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Personal feelings/wants/needs
5-5

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate
5-4

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Means of comunicating
5-3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving
5-4

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention
5-5

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking
4-3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration
5-5

PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES -
Sensory modulation and phobias
5-5

Physical well being
5-5

Emotional well being
2-1

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS
5-5

So if I were to simply give myself overall numbers, my "baseline" is 4.79. And my "best" is 4. So my "overall range" would be 4.79-4. (Or 5-4 if you're going by whole numbers only.) But it's really more useful to look at the numbers in each category to see particular strengths and weaknesses. My "best" area is emotional well-being, and my "worst" areas are tied between control of physical movements, physical well-being, sensory modulation and phobias, perseveration, tightly focused attention, and personal feelings/wants/needs.

(*) The reason that I put a 6 on that one is as follows. The "5" for it is this: "Great care has to be taken in preparing for upcoming events and this is an important day-to-day issues (not just about occasional events). The worrying about 'when' is constant. Information about event sequences can only be given over very short time frames (for example, what will happen in the next hour rather than what we are doing today or this week)." But, I am so oblivious to time most of the time that I literally cannot get all worked up about "when" because the whole idea of "when" is mostly foreign to me. So I put in a 6th category because it seemed like this was due to having worse time issues than a 5.

As I said elsewhere, though, I really don't encourage putting in a 6th category everywhere, even if you seem to have something more severe than the 5th one. I only did it because there was literally no other category that fit my baseline skill in that area and I could not force-fit myself to it at all whatsoever. There are plenty of others where I feel like I could go a level more severe but I just rated myself as a 5 because the 5 mostly fit, it was just that it could have gone more intense if they'd wanted to describe it that way. Example is in the area of sensory issues, because my sensory issues are so severe that they affect my understanding of the environment, not just sensory discomfort. But I didn't think that required putting a 6th level on it anyway, so I didn't. 5 fit me just fine, it was just there's more than that going on. So I stayed with a 5.

I very much like the detailed nature of the A-SHED categorisation system. Thank you, anbuend, for posting it here. .

No problem.

Looks interesting, thank you. Need to look at this again when I've more brain energy.

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

Here's mine.


DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Social information
4

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Language
3-4

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING - Time lapse/event sequences
3

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Personal feelings/wants/needs
3

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Need to communicate
4-5

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION - Means of comunicating
3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Problem-solving
3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Tightly focused attention
2-3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Binary thinking
4-5

PROBLEMS IN THINKING - Perseveration
4

PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES - Sensory modulation and phobias
3-4

Physical well being
2-3

Emotional well being
3-4

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS
3-4

Over all that gives me a range of 3.1 to 3.7

I score:

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information
4

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language
2-3

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences
2

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

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate
4

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Means of comunicating
3-1 - usually able to communicate in complex ways but often run into word-finding difficulty so that in practice my communication breaks down often.

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving
1 except I have problems choosing between two irrelevant choices.

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention
2.3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking
1.5

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration
1

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

Physical well being
1

Emotional well being
1

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS
1.2

Average: 2.

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Social information
3.5

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Language
2.75

DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING -
Time lapse/event sequences
3-4 - This one's wording wasn't helpful in understanding it at all.

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Personal feelings/wants/needs
3.5-4.5

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Need to communicate
2-3

DIFFICULTIES IN SELF EXPRESSION -
Means of comunicating
1-2.5

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Problem-solving
2.5-3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Tightly focused attention
2-3

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Binary thinking
2.5-4.5

PROBLEMS IN THINKING -
Perseveration
2.75-4

PERSONAL SENSATIONS - SENSORY, PHYSICAL,
EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES -
Sensory modulation and phobias
3-4

Physical well being
1.5-2.5

Emotional well being
2-4.25

CONTROL OF PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS
2-3.5

Average: 2.428571... - 3.5

Here's my score:

I. Difficulties in understanding
A. Social Information = 2.5
B. Language = 2.5
C. Time lapse/event sequences = 3

II. Difficulties in self-expression
A. Self-awareness = 3
B. Awareness of need to communicate = 1.5
C. Difficulties with the means of communication = 2.5

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

IV. Personal sensations
A. Sensory modulation and phobias = 1
B. Physical well being = 1
C. Emotional well being = 2

V. Control of physical movements = 2

Average = 2.07

Social Information - 3
Understanding language - 1
Understanding time lapse/event sequences - 2
Self-awareness -- understanding personal feelings/wants/needs - 1
Awareness of need to communicate - 2
Difficulties with the means of communication - 1
Problem-solving - 1
Tightly focused attention - 2
Binary thinking - 2
Perseveration - 2
Sensory modulation and phobias - 3
Physical well being - 2
Emotional well being - 4
Control of physical movements - 1

I am sure I underestimated some and overestimated some, but they seem correct to me at this moment.

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

II. Difficulties in self-expression
A. Self-awareness = 3
B. Awareness of need to communicate = 2-3
C. Difficulties with the means of communication = 2-4

III. Problems in thinking
A. Problem-solving = 2-3
B. Tightly-focused attention = 3-4
C. Binary thinking = 2-3
D. Perseveration = 2

IV. Personal sensations
A. Sensory modulation and phobias = 3-4
B. Physical well being = 1-2
C. Emotional well being = 2-4

V. Control of physical movements = 2-4

I keep reading this thread but I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. It seems pretty straight forward but something doesn't resonate. I can't figure it out.

Is this something used by people that provide assistance services to help plan individualized assistance?

Yes, it is. Which is why, despite being one of the better ones, it still has that "someone who didn't live this made it up" feel.

Wrapping my brain around it took more effort than I expected, but I'd already set it aside for a day or so because the first reading left me confused.

The time lapse/event sequences confused me a bit as I have issues with scheduling things too soon - I generally need 4-7 days minimum advance warning for a lot of things, and doing something on the spur of the moment or with very little warning can cause a lot of anxiety or even keep me from doing it entirely. There are not many things I'll do on a moment's notice, and those primarily due to necessity, and I still don't care for them.

WOW! Me either. I have been visiting this again and again the past days and I just cannot wrap my head around it. It "feels" to me that it is made for people who are more severly affected in physical ways than I am or who are more "disabled" overall and requiring services. It is a "group" that I really do not have any sort of insight into outside of the ones who post here. I didn't want to say anything earlier because I thought it was just me being stubborn but this one really doesn't work at all for me at all as I require no services (heck I provide services to people). I intend to hit it harder at some point in time to make sense of it as other seem to have done this.

The time lapse/event sequence one confused me as well. Mostly because my sense of time is so bad that the whole idea of getting worked up about something I can't even perceive is confusing. And because they really only went into one possible way of having trouble with this stuff.

What I'd really like to do some day, is to modify something like this to reflect our actual lived experiences, as then it would be much less confusing to a lot of people here, and also more useful. I also hadn't anticipated how many people wouldn't have experienced the things described on it (as I've experienced most of them).

This scale captures some very important issues. But what strikes me is that it too fails to capture the diversity of those on the spectrum.

One thing I've concluded regarding this scale is that these issues manifest differently in me because the expectations placed on me are different. Since I have no dependency on services, I am expected to deal with life on my own. So while I might not overtly display these traits, I am embedded in a more complex environment were sometimes even mild deficits in these areas can be a big disadvantage.

I can see every one of these things having affects on my work and family. Maybe that's why I didn't like the level 2 and 1 designations. I see significant interference in my day to day life, but it happens at a different level. Almost like we are pushed to live in the level of complexity that most likely allows the autism to create problems.