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I now realise I may be on the spectrum

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AspieUtah
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06 Dec 2016, 6:39 pm

britaxeman wrote:
...I’ve been researching and reflecting two weeks now and already my life makes so much more sense and I feel a strange peace and self acceptance that maybe I am “Different”.

Without going to my GP and asking for a formal diagnosis I will never really know for sure and at 47 I may have a struggle on my hands with that but In my own mind I think I may be borderline/high functioning ASD.

Many adults who suspect that they are autistic complete one or more of the various self-reported screening tests available online including the AQ test ( https://psychology-tools.com/autism-spectrum-quotient/ ), the EQ test ( https://psychology-tools.com/empathy-quotient/ ) and others ( https://psychology-tools.com/ ), and call it all good if their scores are beyond threshold. Others read one or more books about autism (Tony Attwood's for example). And still others add to the screening tests some written descriptions of their behaviors, characteristics and comorbid diagnoses.

Doing all this simply lets them "know" about themselves without committing to a diagnosis. For them, a diagnosis isn't necessary because they are curious to know about themselves and aren't seeking governmental, educational and/or professional benefits and supports that come usually with a diagnosis.

But, beware. Too many others, including more than a fair share of autists themselves use the phrase "self-diagnosed" derisively while those who support the idea use the phrases "self-identified" or "self-aware" of their likely autism.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.! :)


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Diagnosed in 2015 with ASD Level 1 by the University of Utah Health Care Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic using the ADOS-2 Module 4 assessment instrument [11/30] -- Screened in 2014 with ASD by using the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre AQ (Adult) [43/50]; EQ-60 for adults [11/80]; FQ [43/135]; SQ (Adult) [130/150] self-reported screening inventories -- Assessed since 1978 with an estimated IQ [≈145] by several clinicians -- Contact on WrongPlanet.net by private message (PM)


underwater
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06 Dec 2016, 11:16 pm

....and I got so absorbed I forgot to be polite. Welcome to Wrong Planet!


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I sometimes leave conversations and return after a long time. I am sorry about it, but I need a lot of time to think about it when I am not sure how I feel.