Does my sister have autism or Aspergers, or just a weird NT

Page 2 of 2 [ 19 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

StarTrekker
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Apr 2012
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,088
Location: Starship Voyager, somewhere in the Delta quadrant

08 Jan 2014, 4:08 am

As others have said, I obviously cannot make a definitive statement about whether or not your sister is autistic, if however you asked would I suspect autism based on the traits you provided? I would have to say no. Isolation and tactile defensiveness do not an aspie make. She would need to have displayed difficulty with social communication from a young age; how effectively does she hold a conversation with you? Does she make appropriate eye-contact and use gestures effectively? Does she understand the figures of speech/non-literal expressions you use? Does she ever misinterpret your or others' facial expressions, or have a flat affect herself? When talking to others, your friends for instance, does she seem comfortable and at ease, or does she struggle to keep the conversation going? Does she say things that strike you as inappropriate, seemingly without meaning to (you say she is blunt; does she mean to press your buttons with the things she says, or does she just think she's being honest, not grasping the impact of her words?) These are just a few things to watch out for.

Along with social and nonverbal communication difficulties, she would also have to present with at least two of the following behavioural patterns, according to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, vol. 5): Self-stimulatory behaviour (repetitive non-functional motor movements; flapping, rocking, bouncing, spinning, finger-flicking, tuneless humming, etc.), difficulty changing routines; requiring things to remain the same day after day, and needing advanced warning if things were going to change to prevent anxiety, highly restricted, fixated interests (potentially the TV shows you mentioned, particularly if they are almost all she talks about, and take up large amounts of her time as she studies the details of each show in depth), and hyper or hypo-reactivity to sensory stimuli (you mentioned her dislike of touch, but many aspies present with more than one sensory issue, sound and light both being big ones). Ask her how it feels when people touch her; if she says that it hurts or is physically painful or irritating in some way, that is symptomatic of sensory sensitivity, if however she simply says she doesn't enjoy it or finds it weird/gross/stupid without any underlying physical component, that would more indicate someone who merely has a preference for being left physically alone.

There is also the impact on her daily functioning that needs to be considered; all disorders within the DSM include the criterion that the symptoms must have a debilitating effect on daily life. Was your sister's dropping out of school due to the fact that she was struggling to meet the social demands of college, or failing classes due to an instructional method that was ill-suited to her specific learning style? (many aspies have language-processing deficits that make understanding and remembering verbal instructions difficult) or did she simply drop out because she was no longer interested enough in the subject matter to remain in school? Does she have a job? How are her interview skills? Has she ever been fired from a job due to repeated social misunderstandings, lack of comprehension of instructions, or overwhelming sensory problems? Were any other life opportunities cut off due to her symptoms, driving or living independently for example? If her symptoms do not impact her in such a way as to make life challenging without specific supports, she would not be diagnosed with an ASD, or anything else for that matter.

(As a somewhat irrelevant aside, you specify your brother's IQ at 87: this is within the average functioning range, which stretches between 85 and 115. 84 and below would be considered "below average".)


_________________
"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine
Diagnosed with ASD level 1 on the 10th of April, 2014
Rediagnosed with ASD level 2 on the 4th of May, 2019
Thanks to Olympiadis for my fantastic avatar!


StarTrekker
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Apr 2012
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,088
Location: Starship Voyager, somewhere in the Delta quadrant

08 Jan 2014, 4:34 am

Given the traits you describe, I might ask if your sister displays any prominent symptoms of Schizoid Personality Disorder, which presents as follows:

Quote:
A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:

1. Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family.
2. Almost always chooses solitary activities.
3. Has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person.
4. Takes pleasure in few, if any, activities.
5. Lacks close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives.
6. Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others.
7. Shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity.


Above quote pulled directly from DSM 5.


_________________
"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine
Diagnosed with ASD level 1 on the 10th of April, 2014
Rediagnosed with ASD level 2 on the 4th of May, 2019
Thanks to Olympiadis for my fantastic avatar!


Last edited by StarTrekker on 08 Jan 2014, 4:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

StarTrekker
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Apr 2012
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,088
Location: Starship Voyager, somewhere in the Delta quadrant

08 Jan 2014, 4:45 am

vickygleitz wrote:
I could be wrong, but it sounds more like you are judging your sister under the pretext of being concerned.

if you do care, stop asking why she has no friends and stop with that loser talk. If you care, just love her.


Asking a person why they have no friends is not necessarily judging, he could actually want the answer, to make sure she's alone of her own accord and not just because she can't get friends. If he asked that question and she responded with the latter, he may be in a position to help. Such questions are not simply meant as judgemental jabs, but as legitimate means of obtaining necessary information.


_________________
"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine
Diagnosed with ASD level 1 on the 10th of April, 2014
Rediagnosed with ASD level 2 on the 4th of May, 2019
Thanks to Olympiadis for my fantastic avatar!