Do you think I have aspergers?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm not too sure about the quizes. I haven't submitted them yet, but I can see flaws in them.

The biggest flaw is that it's very difficult for individuals to be subjective. You might think you're good at reading people, for example, and never know that you're wrong every single time.

Also, some of the questions assume that having a psychological trait must follow with having a behavioural trait.

For example "Friendships and relationships are just too difficult, so I tend not to bother with them." --> I can understand why they ask this question, and I would say I find friendships and relationships incredibly difficult to maintain, but since I'm aware of this difficulty I would actually do the opposite of avoiding it - I'd force myself to be exposed to social situations so that I can improve myself in that area as much as possible. That means I would answer "strongly disagree" to this question even though I have this trait.

You don't have to have all traits severely to qualify. The person who diagnosed me said I was at the milder end of the spectrum. However, I consider this slightly misleading, because it implies that I have all characteristics mildly, which is not the case. I have some traits quite significantly and other traits hardly at all. The net result is that is equals out as mild Aspergers Syndrome.

The key thing is, whether or not it causes problems in your life. You mention certain typical autistic traits you don't have, but the ones you do have are serious enough to cause significant problems in your life.

I don't have meltdowns, or do the hand flapping thing. Although I do tend to rub my hands together when I'm really pleased about something, but I can control this enough to not do it around other people most of the time.

This web sight and the whole concept of "Aspie" gives people who perceive the world differently (than the current majority) a group with which to identify. There are no definitive studies to explain the "autism spectrum", and neither the doctors nor the researchers fully understand what those differences are. This is not a disease, there is nothing physically injured in one's head, nothing is underdeveloped.

We develop neurotic behaviors (OCD, depression, meltdowns) as a result of interacting with NTs, (again, who are currently the majority) and set the "social rules". If we lived in a society where Aspies were in the majority, then we would be fine, and it would be the "NeuroTypicals" who would experience the neurotic behaviors.

However this fits into one's belief system, be it evolution, creation, metaphysical, or on the fringe . . . we have to acknowledge that there are a growing number of humans, who seem to share a common group of perceptual and cognitive traits that are different than the preceding generations. In my humble opinion, these "aspie" traits seem to be more "evolved" rather than a dysfunction or underdevelopment.

I read so many posts of people being relieved when they have a label and a group to identify with. (..with which to share an identity ? - I have being OCD about ending sentences with prepositions . . )

I just wish everyone who identifies with this group could see themselves as a first wave of an evolutionary change in human social interaction. Yes it is tough to be the first colonist in a new land, but we have to look to the future and see ourselves as genetically normal surrounded by a society that has not yet caught up to a more evolved way of perceiving, thinking, and interacting with others.

( I apologize if I have inadvertently offended any Neurotypical reading this post. )

Yes, I agree. I had a lot of trouble with most of the personality tests I have taken and would get different results every time because I had a hard time figuring out what it was the question was asking, they just felt too broad and I also knew I couldn't accurately judge myself on certain things. Same with all the online quizzes for autism and other disorders. For a long time I was almost completely unaware of how bad I was socially, as I never had much of a desire to interact with many others in the first place. I assumed my lack of friends was my choice and nothing more. But once I started trying harder to be social it became painfully obvious to me just how clueless I was. It probably helps to have a friend or family member there to help pick the accurate answers.

Thanks, Riverbird. That was really helpful. (I only spotted the PDF an ahour after doing the quiz and so assumed that the link simply didn't work. Maybe I'll do the quiz again to read the PDF.)

The flasher question did come up for my boyfriend either - assuming that you are male, maybe it only comes up if you're female.



I think you are absolutely right. You might think that you "strongly" feel a certain way, but compared to what? Your feeling could seem mild compared to someone else's feeling, or strong compared to another someone else. Furthermore, if you think you fit the profile of someone on the spectrum you might fall for confirmation biases and over-emphasise the things in yourself that fit the spectrum and lose perspective of the bigger picture.

I have been thinking a lot about confirmation bias over the past week. I am both nervous and excited about what I have been reading about ASD. It was really useful getting my boyfriend to do the quiz linked to in this thread. My boyfriend is not at all on the spectrum, but we have the same chronic illness which makes us hyper-sensitive to stuff (sensitive to sound, smells, touch, other people, distress to change in routines, and so on). It was useful getting him to do the quiz because I was fully expecting him to get a similar result to me because of our shared sensitivity, and therefore I was fully expecting to think, "Ah, it doesn't mean anything after all. It's just the chronic illness swaying the results. Oh well..." But actually his results were almost the complete opposite to mine. I was very much on the neurodiverse side of the chart, while he was on the neurotypical side.

This still doesn't rule out confirmation bias or what you said about how subjective the quiz is, but it does give me some confidence in it. My boyfriend is a highly sensitive person, whereas I am highly sensitive with extra things as well. (I wouldn't be surprised if it took me a year or more to ask my doctor about it though.)

Cool. It would be interesting for you and your boyfriend to fill out the test for each other - does he see you the same way you see yourself and vise-versa. Just be careful, it is not about labels or diagnoses - I'm not sure if the top neurotypical therapist could ever really understand what it is like to grow up with aspie traits.

Professionals can help you adapt if the autistic traits are causing dysfunctional social behavior, but the neurodiversive traits are not dysfunctional in and of themselves. I do not see any difference between Autistic spectrum disorder, and Red Headed spectrum disorder. Yes, if I'm a "Ginger", then I may need more sunscreen when I go to the beach, and yes I may get bullied at school, and for those issues I may seek professional help. Thankfully "Gingers" are not considered "disordered". Likewise, we are all working to achieve a level of equality and respect for the non-"Neurotypical"

One of the great things about this website is that helps us see ourselves as "different but equal", rather than "different and disordered". It is a process that takes some time, especially if you are in a relationship with an NT. You have perfectly functional genetic traits and find yourself in a dysfunctional society.