Is Aspergers only a social disorder?
Thanks everyone. This has probably been the most defining thread for my symptoms. I can relate to everything on here that people took the time to define. Even though theoretically I could say I am socially disabled why should I?. I don't don "flaws or disabilities, faults" etc unless I have to. The rest of the world needs to be more thoughtful lol. Again thanks to everyone for their input. It's helped a lot.
Mummy_of_Peanut
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Joined: 20 Feb 2011
Age: 51
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,564
Location: Bonnie Scotland
OP, You say you are shy, but are not disabled by it and consider yourself to be reserved. Are you sure you're not confusing shyness with introversion? They are totally separate entities. Beng introverted is fine, you need your own space to unwind and re-energise. Being shy can cause major problems. At it's worst, shy people do not meet their potential and can become excluded from living their lives. This does not happen to people who are just introverted. Introversion does not prevent someone from being confident and assertive, shyness does (I know this all too well). Not all people with Aspergers are shy. Not all are introverted either, although I think the majority on here claim to be.
But, there's much to Aspergers (and any other autistic spectrum disorder) than the social aspects. Most people on here have sensory issues, many have obsessions, some have concentration difficulties (or can hyper-focus to an amazing level), poor co-ordination, mood swings, take things literally and so on. Everyone is completely different and no two people have the same list of traits or to the same extent.
_________________
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiatic about." Charles Kingsley
But, there's much to Aspergers (and any other autistic spectrum disorder) than the social aspects. Most people on here have sensory issues, many have obsessions, some have concentration difficulties (or can hyper-focus to an amazing level), poor co-ordination, mood swings, take things literally and so on. Everyone is completely different and no two people have the same list of traits or to the same extent.
I am both, but more introverted now then shy. As a young child I was shy and felt like everyone was out to get me. I fail to see how shyness is a disability but that's a little insensitive so I'll leave it there. The last thing I wanna do is condemn people for something I'm unable to comprehend.
I love the advice they give to a shy person, in a confidence course. "Just stop caring". I would like to see them say that to someone who does not care & say "just start caring".
I just don't like them saying "lack of confidence", rather than "it just takes time". It was ok to be shy, until they decided to grab hold of it. Like always, they cause a wake of destruction. We just like observing, before showing ourselves.
_________________
INTJ, Type5 Observer, Ecologists,
?When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.?
If there are no sensory issues then it is probably not an autistic disorder.
Sensory issues are only one of many possible symptoms. Lack of sensory issues does not rule out Autism, just as lack of any other single symptom does not rule it out. There is no single symptom one "must have" in order to have Autism. Autism is a collection of possible symtoms one must have the correct number of in the correct categories.
_________________
I'm not likely to be around much longer. As before when I first signed up here years ago, I'm finding that after a long hiatus, and after only a few days back on here, I'm spending way too much time here again already. So I'm requesting my account be locked, banned or whatever. It's just time. Until then, well, I dunno...
I think for most people, social problems is only half of the condition. If you look at the DSM, catagory I is social issues, catagory II is obsessions, sensory issues, motor problems, and rituals and routines. There are often many other mood disorders, learning disorders, or other connections that are often co-morbidly connected. For me, aspergers is mostly social (about 90%) for many its not. Although in the media they seem to focus mostly on the lack of social skills.
Aspergers is currently characterized, in the US under the DSMIV (diagnostic manual), as a disorder with impairments in social interaction; along with restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities.
However, in the DSMV under the current proposed revision, the disorder is soon to be subsumed under the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and becomes a disorder that is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction; along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities
In the US, per current diagnostic criteria in the DSMIV, this:
http://www.autreat.com/dsm4-aspergers.html
(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
(A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
(IV) There is no clinically significant general delay in language (E.G. single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)
(V) There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
(VI) Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia."
And proposed revised in the DSMV, in the US, sometime in the near future, this:
http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevisions/pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94#
Must meet criteria A, B, C, and D:
A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:
1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,
2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.
3. Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and in making friends to an apparent absence of interest in people
B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of the following:
1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases).
2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).
3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).
4. Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects).
C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities)
D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning.
Mummy_of_Peanut
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Joined: 20 Feb 2011
Age: 51
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,564
Location: Bonnie Scotland
_________________
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiatic about." Charles Kingsley
That's how it is for me as well. Not to sound emo but my life's been pretty unfair so I guess I never noticed or allowed myself to feel that way. I totally agree with you though. I should be in College right now but I hate people in general so much that I just decided not to go and rough it for the rest of my life.
However, in the DSMV under the current proposed revision, the disorder is soon to be subsumed under the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and becomes a disorder that is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction; along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities
In the US, per current diagnostic criteria in the DSMIV, this:
http://www.autreat.com/dsm4-aspergers.html
(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
(A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
(IV) There is no clinically significant general delay in language (E.G. single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)
(V) There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction) and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
(VI) Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia."
And proposed revised in the DSMV, in the US, sometime in the near future, this:
http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevisions/pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94#
Must meet criteria A, B, C, and D:
A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:
1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,
2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.
3. Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and in making friends to an apparent absence of interest in people
B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of the following:
1. Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases).
2. Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).
3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).
4. Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects).
C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities)
D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning.
Anyone else have problems with the rainbows on that site? Had the first tick of the whole day due to the intensity of that lol.
Due to social disorder all other problems are cropping up.
If i cant make friends i cant understand social cues
i cant hold onto jobs due to good peer relationship
i cant have good relationship with relatives and that effects my marriage
all aspects of life are badly harmed due to lack of social skills and appropriate interaction
which leads to depression, loneliness and isolation
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The only thing right in this wrong world is
WRONG PLANET
dizzywater
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Joined: 3 Feb 2012
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 275
Location: sitting by the computer
I just don't like them saying "lack of confidence", rather than "it just takes time". It was ok to be shy, until they decided to grab hold of it. Like always, they cause a wake of destruction. We just like observing, before showing ourselves.
Thats a new one on me "just stop caring".
I was always described as very shy as a child, I believed them that the name for what I had was "Shy & oversensitive with an overdeveloped sense of justice". But I was very bright too, so no problem.
I was walking proof that shy people could be more confident and assertive than any other children! If I heard someone complaining about some injustice I would march over to the perpetrator and have it out with them, really shy!
Its a lot more than "shy". Now I know what "shy" really means I know that wasn't the problem. I was clueless as to how to become included in other childrens' play and couldn't tell them apart easily anyway. Then if I was included I would be secretly wondering why we were doing these things in this game, which made them not much fun anyway. Not to mention my mistaken belief that I was really a boy in disguise (until puberty disillusioned me there). There is a long list of reason's why I seldom played with other children, only a tiny part was "shyness".
That doesn't even touch on my sensory issues and later depression.
No-one got me assessed for the same reason no-one got my foot x-rayed when I broke it, I limped around with a stick for a few weeks until I learnt to walk on the other side of it, but it was only x-rayed after I hurt it again as an adult.
If they can't recognise a broken foot, they can't recognise anything!
Blindspot149
Veteran
Joined: 7 Oct 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,516
Location: Aspergers Quadrant, INTJ, AQ 45/50
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