Does this sound like high functioning autism?

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I agree with both of you. While Executive Dysfunction crosses over between AS and ADHD, nearly all of the symptoms listed by the OP sound like executive functioning issues, so I'd lean more toward ADHD.

Of course, many people have co-morbids of the two (despite that not *technically* being possible), so the OP could be effected with both.

On the OP's memory difficulties...I agree, they sound quite severe. I've never heard of memory difficulties that bad outside of brain damage. I, too, forget things that I just did sometimes, but that's because I run on auto-pilot through my routines.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity are the hallmarks of ADHD. I would start there.

Jason

Sounds perfectly normal to me. Not that I am normal...

I don't know nearly as much about ADHD as I do about autism (I am an Aspie myself), but as others have pointed out, it does seem to give the impression of ADHD as opposed to HFA. For a long time I have tried to find something definitive listing the differences between AS and HFA and have found a few things here but nothing really conclusive (eg AS wants social interaction but simply cannot make it work while HFA couldn't care less). In my opinion, I did not see that many traits of autism in your list but did see a whole lot else that does not seem to specifically match the autistic personality.

Whether the OP is being serious or not, I can relate to similar difficulties with memory. There are times I can think about something and then forget about it immediately and not remember it until days later. Well either way, it does sound like ADHD to me, but if he was already diagnosed with HFA professionally then it could be co-morbid.

HFA means that there _was_ delayed speech, perhaps initially indicating LFA. Speech arrives, then you basically switch diagnosis to HFA. If speech had been there you'd just have been labelled aspergers.

Some of the experts still think there may be a subtle difference, but there isn't anything conclusive and nothing like you've described with wanting social interaction.

DSM V will remove this anomaly.

Jason

That is your opinion. Speech delay does not make or break a diagnosis of HFA or aspergers.

The word "this" sounds nothing like "high-functioning autism." The greater number of syllables in the latter should have been a red flag.

This is more than my opinion, DSM IV says that aspergers diagnosis is not met if there is a language delay. When there is a delay, yet high functioning, the diagnosis will then be HFA. Actual practice may vary though.

Jason

If psychiatrist went exactly by DSM IV it would practically be impossible for anyone to be diagnosed with aspergers. Unless you are a practicing psych it is not more than your opinion.

+ 3 on ADHD plus some memory issues complicating it. Or maybe an unusually short attention span even for an ADD person.
I do not get an autistic vibe from you, but then again, everyone is an individual!

Sincerely,
Matthew

This is ADHD, not autism? But this sounds a lot more like me than most people's descriptions of autism!

I'm so confused. If I have ADHD and not AS than the he'll has happened with my life from 8 to now?

I'm going to agree, that doesn't sound like autism to me, it sounds like ADHD.

Yes my memory is bad and no I'm not trolling, in fact I don't even recall making this thread. I know I have s**t for brains and that I'm a bumbling idiot but I don't have brain damage, I know that. Let me clear things up a bit, I can remember things that are interesting but can also forget them just as easily, I definitely forget things I'm not interested in (commonly after 10-15 seconds after being told). Things from yesterday I'll forget except for certain things. I forget peoples names, where I left things, etc. If I lose something and don't find in a few weeks it'll be lost for good. I also forgot to mention that I can blurt out insults at people and not give a s**t, then later on feel bad for them and feel like crap.

If I do have ADHD then why was I diagnosed with autism? Was the guy who diagnosed me an idiot?

Sounds more like ADHD than high-functioning autism to me. Although it is possible to have symptoms of both, as I understand it.

I know you're only young, but are you taking any medication? If so that may have an impact on your memory.

This describes me a lot (at your age), except being late from school. I was never late from school. I know I have (or had) pronounced ADHD traits, only the psychs who evaluated me didn't know that...

The description is of a highly disorganized person. I can see traits of HFA there, but the majority of symptoms given in the OP sounds more like ADHD to me, too.

Weak executive functioning can be a characteristic of both AS (ASDs) and ADHD, though a higher proportion of people with ASDs are well-organized.

The good news is that it will improve with time a lot. At least it was what happened to me.

One more thing. HFA is not an official diagnostic label. Officially you can have one of the three major ASD diagnostic labels: Classic Autism (AD), Asperger's (AS) or PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). Informally you can be given the HFA label while having one of these diagnostic labels officially. My combination is HFA - PDD-NOS, for example.