How much do you trust online tests for AS?

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LittleDarwin
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02 Aug 2012, 6:49 am

I did hesitate on any questions like that. I seem to recall a couple of questions starting something like, "Other people see you as..." How in the world would I know how other people see me? So unless I have been explicitly told something most of those were answered negatively.



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02 Aug 2012, 7:48 am

Kenjitsuka wrote:
They match up nearly perfectly with each other (for instance a 92.5% score on one, a 9/10 =90% on another etc.).
But way more importantly, they match up 100% to what *I* experience in life, i.e. that it's pretty damn bad and hindering me in many places.


This sums it up for me.



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02 Aug 2012, 8:38 pm

In reality - these test while not real accurate - are probably about as good as many of the so called professionals out there.

With all the stories of misdiagnosis both seemingly accidental - and professionals admitting to misdiagnose on purpose to either place someone in a easier area to bill or because the diagnosis they give out will make the person involved "feel better about themselves" -- Add to this fact that I have seen professionals (marriage counselors) my son had been to a couple of therapist none of which ever indicated that Asperger's was at play in our live - a couple of which flat denied it when the possibility was brought up to them - then to later diagnosed by a psychiatrist and confirmed by a extensive battery of test -- tell me that the so called professionals are no more accurate than the online tests.

I have said it before - and now again I will say it ----- We need an objective and definitive test that is independent of human intervention so that we can can get a clear understanding of who is and who is Not Asperger's. Until then we are just fumbling around in the dark in the field.


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02 Aug 2012, 8:45 pm

They aren't specific enough, they don't allow you to choose the exact answers about what you think or how you think... I just did mine for fun and it turned out I was still quite in the zone as someone with AS as you can see. I'm not saying that means anything, I am diagnosed by multiple professionals who performed many hours worth of tests on me anyway.


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Kairi96
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18 Sep 2012, 12:02 pm

I don't trust them at all; and this goes for every mental disorder test, not only for the aspie quiz.
According to those tests, even the most normal person on this world has a mental disorder.
I scored schizophrenia, bipolarism, LFA, and OCD; they're not accurate.


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18 Sep 2012, 6:35 pm

jetbuilder wrote:
I've heard different opinions as to the accuracy of these tests. From "They're just for fun and not accurate at all." to "They're quite accurate."

I've taken all of the tests I could find and consistently scored well into the ASD range.
I think that because my scores are so consistent from test to test that they do seem to be pretty accurate at indicating that one may be on the spectrum. I don't take them as definitive indications, but the tests combined with realizing that I have so much in common with others on the spectrum has gone a long way to convincing me that I in fact have AS.

I plan on taking my test results to the psychiatrist; but I'm kinda worried that they may have the opinion that these tests are pointless and don't "prove" anything.


I'm skeptical of most "self-reporting" tests, especially the ones with extremely vague questions.


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18 Sep 2012, 6:45 pm

I don't trust them at all. I just do them out of curiosity.


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18 Sep 2012, 7:24 pm

jetbuilder wrote:
I plan on taking my test results to the psychiatrist; but I'm kinda worried that they may have the opinion that these tests are pointless and don't "prove" anything.


I did just that and mine was of that opinion, so I dropped my therapist and got a second opinion from a specialist. It looks like I'll have a diagnosis fairly soon, followed by some therapy that should be more effective. Trust your instincts on this one and don't agree with any professional opinions unless you feel that they fit you.



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18 Sep 2012, 7:35 pm

jetbuilder wrote:
How much do you trust online tests for AS?

Not in the least.

Oh, they might have some merit if they were designed by people that are appropriately-trained mental health professionals. Taking one might inspire someone to seek out such a professional for an official evaluation and diagnosis (and maybe even treatment), but basing one's own subjective and completely unprofessional diagnosis on an online test is foolish at best, and could be detrimental to one's health and success.



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18 Sep 2012, 11:35 pm

My main complaint with online AS tests is that subtle wording can really influence how I answer them. It seems there are many tests that are looking for a specific caricature of autism, not people past a certain point on a spectrum. I guess it's also less clear for me in general since I either have mild AS or strong BAP. I'm not sure if would qualify for a professional diagnosis (though I think I definitely would have as a kid), but it's a big enough deal in my life that I need to pay attention.


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18 Sep 2012, 11:41 pm

Some tests are better than others. Until Autism can be fully diagnosed neurologically, all tests and formal diagnoses will be inexact.


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18 Sep 2012, 11:51 pm

In general, online tests are a good tool to use for people who are concerned about problems they are experiencing and wish to have some form of indicator about what manifestation, in terms of diagnosis, they might take. For example. if you have been feeling down for a while and it's getting in the way of living your life, you should take a depression screen, get a feel for whether these feelings are potentially entering into the clinical range. If so, that should be a signal to you that you should consider talking to a physician about these problems.

However, at no point should you take the results of online screening tests as diagnostic gospel. Autism is a complex disorder to diagnose, with many key components that cannot be reliably gauged through self criticism. You can drive yourself crazy taking all these tests and trying to puzzle out what you may or may not have. Internet hypochondria is a dangerous thing.

If you think you may be suffering from some form of mental illness PLEASE consult a qualified physician. PLEASE. It could save your life. It absolutely saved mine.