In what ways do you have AS? In what ways do you not?

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oh yes and poor understanding of verbal instructions, slow processing etc

Ways I Have AS

* I could read at age three (was spelling out words with blocks at 18 months)
* I have a high IQ (186 Stanford-Binet), and participated in gifted program during school
* I'm excellent with math, science and history
* I'm terrible with faces
* I make lists for EVERYTHING
* I'm uncomfortable with eye contact
* I get some major obsessions that can last from months to years, but can change suddenly
* I'm much better at written communication than verbal communication
* I have trouble with "small talk"
* I'm not very social and am naturally introverted
* I am terribly uncomfortable around strangers
* I don't know my neighbors well at all because I don't bother to even say hi
* I'd much rather be myself or with 1-2 close friends
* I'm uncomfortable around crowds, parties and loud surroundings
* I cannot stand plans being changed last minute
* I forget things that were told to me 2 minutes ago... but can remember details that happened years ago
* I sometimes respond "automatically" with stock phrases
* I'm creative in many ways
* I frequently day-dream, and find what's going on inside my head more interesting than the outside world
* I often get anxious or agitated from loud noises or bright lights, doorbells, etc.
* I'm sensitive to heat and humidity
* I have an intense concern for privacy
* I sometimes feel afraid in safe situations, but fearless in hazardous situations
* I get very anxious in new situations
* I'm naturally lousy at reading people, especially non-verbal cues and body language
* I get very stressed when being bullied, either verbally or physically (heart pounds)
* I have trouble empathizing with others, although I sometimes go to great lengths to help them
* I typically like animals more than people
* I feel the need to regenerate alone after being with people for a significant amount of time
* I sometimes have major meltdowns
* I stim (generally chewing the sides of my mouth or tensing my joints)
* I pace a lot and play with objects
* I have a poor sense of time
* I generally don't like telephones
* I have a significant resentment for authority and don't like being told what to do
* I frequently can't stop once I start something, and find multitasking difficult or annoying
* I'm a perfectionist in most areas
* I hate people I don't know touching me or getting too close
* I get absorbed into things and am oblivious to anything else going on
* I'm picky about food although I like a pretty long of list of foods I like (I do get stuck in ruts)


Ways I Don't Have AS

* I talked at an early age, although I was relatively quiet until age 4
* I've always been decent at sports and even excelled at a few (like tennis)
* I had a drive to excel even in many subjects I wasn't interested in
* I (sort of) understand fashion and trends
* I like going places, but I tend to ignore the people there and only pay attention to the sights
* I can get by if need be in a social situation, and sometimes feel comfortable and enjoy it (but it's rare)
* I try and at least appear friendly and polite to everyone, even if I'm faking it
* I like chatting on-line
* I love fiction- even if I miss some of the subtlties, and I also tend to forget the plots of novels relatively quickly
* I'm not locked into a routine although I tend to be set in my ways in some areas
* People find it easy to talk to me for some reason
* I can feel love, and have successful romantic relationships once I really get to know someone
* I can be very sarcastic and can understand sarcasm, except from people I don't know
* I usually don't enjoy being around children


On the Fence

* I adopt "social masks" well although it can be very draining
* I can be very assertive at times, but can also be overly accommodating at others leading to frustration at why I acquiesed to something I really didn't want to do
* I frequently miss the point of jokes, especially if they involve pop culture, sarcasm or anything non-obvious BUT only with people I don't know. With people I'm around for any length of time, I tend to learn to understand their humor rather quickly.
* I'm very emotional in many ways, but I don't manifest it in typical ways all the time
* I'm very empathic when it comes to certain things BUT this is more cognitive than emotional, I'm not really FEELING their pain

Ways I Have AS
*I could read before 4
*I could talk ok by 10 months.
*I get some major obsessions that can last from months to years
*I have a high IQ
*I am horrible with names
*I'm even worse with faces
*I'm always the one that gets singled out no matter what
*I'm bad at sports even though I'm built for it
*I'm really good in the subjects I like and horrible in the subjects I don't
*I'm very creative and imaginative
*I have what sounds like meltdowns
*I don't like people telling me what to do
*Once I start something, I can really get into it
*I could care less about celebrities and gossip
*I'm totally lost when it comes courtship
*I used to be a perfectionist
*I'm not very social
*I stim subtly
*I LOVE science
*I have hypersensitive hearing/vision, and hyposensitive to cold/pain
*I used to, and sometimes still do, take thinks literally
*I used to have problems with some sarcasm
*I really have no clue how to reliably make friends
*When I was 4-5 I ACTUALLY labeled and organized all my books with a
system like the dewey decimal system!
*I have poor eye contact
*I ate only a few foods for DECADES, and am still reluctant to some change
*I have difficulty controlling the volume of my voice.
*I daydream
*I have a low level of assertivness
*I USED to avoid socializing on the job, and still try to a degree.
*I Can't start/stop/maintain conversations well.
*I can't read people well.
*I'm REALLY picky with food. Even when I don't appear to be, my stomache
may be TURNING!
*I have an advanced vocabulary in my native language.
*I find some difficult things easy and vice/versa.

Ways I Don't Have AS

I can't think of anything right now.

http://myweb.usf.edu/~begeiger/as-symptoms.html

Aspie/Autie/something in between traits (my diagnostic history is a bit confusing, nobody seemed to know what exactly was wrong with me. In the end, someone wrote down "AS" in lack of a more fitting diagnosis)

- I have several long-term obsessions (mathematics, chess, mineralogy, geometry)
- I can't read facial expressions
- I had to consciously learn how to smile and to do eye contact (and keep forgetting it)
- I could read and play chess at age 3
- I'm very disorganized
- I don't like to talk to strangers
- I can't talk to more than one or two persons at a time, if there are more I get confused
- I can't use a telephone
- I need a lot of privacy, and I also need recovery time after socializing too much
- In elementary school, I managed not to talk to anyone for years (and was considered low-functioning because of it, though that suspected diagnosis was obviously wrong, I got into a program for mathematically gifted children only a year later)
- I'm bad at remembering faces / names
- I find it difficult to accept criticism
- I'm bad at teamwork, with only a few exceptions (for example when I'm working with my best friend)
- I'm veeeeeeeery clumsy (bad hand-eye coordination, no sense of direction, horrid at sports)
- I only listen to others if I'm interested in what they are saying
- I scored very low on the standard IQ test (71) but managed a 1,6 Abitur, so I guess either the test or the school was horribly wrong. (And I don't have any problems at university either.)
- I have sensory issues (I can't wear clothes with seams or labels in wrong places, can't write on paper that doesn't feel good, I'm sensitive to textures)
- I'm picky with food
- I used to have meltdowns (that sort of stopped, though)
- I sometimes take things literally, though only if I wasn't paying attention. I managed to learn joking and sarcasm.
- I'm not good at following instructions, usually I don't even understand them. I don't do anything I don't understand.
- I don't like small talk, developed strategies to avoid those situations



Ways I don't have AS

- I was one of the popular girls at school
- I like social activities (fashion design club at school, chess club, anime/manga/cosplay conventions, parties)
- I'm interested in fashion
- I'm good at abstract mathematics and geometry but bad with numbers
- I don't stim (at least not in a way anyone would notice)
- I love reading fiction (and tried to write it, too)
- I'm consideres a "social" person by most people
- I'm empathic and I understand NT behaviour to some extent (as long as I don't have to copy it)
- I'm flexible, maybe even more so than the average NT
- I'm creative
- I like to travel and to see new things
- I don't need something like a daily routine
- I don't have a social phobia (or in fact, any other phobia)
- I have a boyfriend

Ways I have AS
- I could count/write/read up to 100, write/read my ABC's before I was 9 months.
- I could walk and talk before 9 months.
- I could write in full sentences before two years.
- Obscenely inquisitive when young.
- Make lists mentally or psychically.
- Very creative, vivid idea's for possibilities.
- I did puzzles constantly and loves shapes.
- I stacked often and loved lego's.
- I was obsessed with any technology I could get my hands on.
- Been using a computer since I was seven minus the years I couldn't.
- Been institutionalized more than once for my 'problems' and got me no where because I shared NOTTA unless it was surface BS, I was unable to share what I really needed to.
- would NOT talk to most doctors, often pushed mentally or psychically to keep the sanctity of my inner realm.
- Could not grasp irrational imaginative play (with action figures, I often just carried them around and talked to them or.. threw them and mutilated them, ect. Never 'played' with them).
- Corrected teachers/caretakers/anyone when they clearly mistaken a fact or truth.
- When playing pretend was devastated/angered that others would act "out of character" and illogical to their characters psychology.
- I love patterns and still do whether mental or psychical.
- I excelled at Math and Science and even though I wasn't at school often it was always my best grade.
- I have a high IQ.
- I still can't ride a bike or roller blade even though I have good balance when I want to and took up Kung Fu.
- I analyze everything that comes to interest.
- I'm very egocentric.
- Violent tendencies.
- I am often unable to express my wants and needs.
- When ill I often indulge in repetitive minutia.
- I like being alone.
- Social niceties are beyond me, I don't require them and don't understand the need for them.
- Even though I don't plan out everything days in advanced, once I decide on something ONLY I may change it. If disrupted by others it bothers me greatly unless propositioned with DAMN good reason.
- I repeat things in my head often.
- Obsessions.
- I dislike 98% of people.
- I have trouble making friends and often don't see the need for them.
- I have trouble pursuing things that do not appeal to me.
- I have trouble understanding "simple" learning tactics, one of the reasons I'm not done HS yet.
- I have a VERY high pain tolerance.
- I pick up on small noises others don't.
- I am very sensitive to light.
- Get along better with people much older (psychical or mental age)
- Hate being touched.
- Blunt and honest.
- "inappropriate" response to social .. everything really.
- Visual memory.
- Often good at analyzing people (or think I am. However because this is a logical system of observation this really isn't an NT thing.. its just me applying logic to the world.. thus I will list it here)
- Poor eye-contact, can do it IF must but uncomfortable with it.
- Authority and I do not tango well.
- Very stern with my idea's and theories.
- Decisive and stubborn.
- Disorganized but very organized at the same time.
- Does not initiate well/often (when addressing social life)
- Very poor short term memory, cannot study for tests because I'll forget
- Very poor at keeping a conversation going, awful at small talk and often irritated by it.
- Does not clue in to most body language unless obscenely obvious in which than again, annoys me.

Ways I'm not AS
- Usually good with sarcasm and can be very bitingly sarcastic

AS
I've had three main obsessions since childhood.
Sensory problems - mainly light, temperature and noise.
High IQ, good vocabulary.
Difficulty understanding jokes, subtle sarcasm and teasing.
I don't show sympathy towards people in person.
I can never remember names.
Finding eye contact uncomfotable and unable to maintain it for long.
Good at memorising lists/facts but constantly forgetting what I'm doing/where I put things.
Only eat the same few meals.
Wear the same clothes a lot and most of them are the same.
I don't socialise and only go out to university/library etc.
Never had a relationship.
Difficult making and maintaining friendships.
Stimming.
I get lost easily and go to the wrong rooms etc.
Don't like being touched/hugged.
Monotonous voice.
I rarely change my facial expression.
I do the wrong questions in exams unless the instructions are explained clearly to me.
Disorganised unless everything is categorised and planned.
Get stressed if my routine is disrupted.
I find it easier to relate to other animals than humans.
Dislike general conversation.
Lose things a lot, walk into things.
Procrastination.
Sometimes take things literally when not supposed to.
Do well in subjects I liked but badly in others.
I don't understand other people.
Severe anxiety.
Dislike change.
Sometimes have difficulty imagining things when they're described to me.
Cannot multi-task.
I form attachments to objects rather than people.
Tics.
Avoid talking on the phone.
I take criticism very personally.
I don't like people staring at me.
Distracted very easily and have difficulty taking in information unless I'm writing it down as I hear it.
I daydream a lot.
I like playing with magnets and spinning things.
Organised CDs alphabetically when I was younger.

NON AS
Not particularly good at maths/science.
I can be sarcastic.
No hand flapping.
There will be more but I can't think of them right now.

Ways I have AS:

I'm an utter social imcompedant!
I didn't speak in sentences until I was three
I still suck my thumb.
I wasn't very fluent until I was 6.
Now on my neuropsych eval, verbal fluency is one of my strengths
Had few friendships throughout adolescence
Never had a romantic relationship
I have an excellent rote memory (At least according to my evals)
I'm dependent on structure in order to get things done quickly and efficiently
I always get mad (furious) when somebody disrupts me from any activity (usually my parents)
I can't stand my mother's heavy breathing
I was bullied alot in adolescence
I forget to do simple things like take the wash down.
I have difficulty interpreting interpersonal nuances (I usually react much stronger to verbal information than non-verbal information)
I don't laugh at many jokes (I usually get the jokes I don't laugh at, but it's that I don't laugh at them that counts)
I have emotional outbursts.
I'm 20, still live with my parents, and have yet to obtain a full time job.
I often find myself reading creative non-fiction as opposed to fiction.
I'm an internet junkie.
I seem to have Executive Dysfunction.
I overanalyze things.
I can be perfectionistic
I have weak fine motor skills
When I read ficiton, I usually focus on the character's behavior.
I have visual-motor problems (Still don't have my driver's liscence)
I can't play team sports or be in mosts ensembles unless their composed of weirdos
My VIQ is higher than my PIQ.
I don't seem to other people to care about my appearance.
I like strange noises.
My Obsessions are as follows: Pro Wrestling, Movies, Any music with strange noises (Underground Hip Hop), AS/Autism



On the Fence:
I have a ton of creative ideas. The problem is I can't pick one and go with it.
I don't have much of an interest in possessions anymore. (I collected 20 something DVDs, rarely watched them)
I have poor self control.
Sometimes I'll think of flexible ways to wing an auditon. (But I get too nervous to do it).
People often comment on my creativity

Ways I'm NT
I have a learning dissability in math
I can't do science
I can understand fiction to a good degreee by reading in between the lines
My obsessions don't seem to interfere with my life.
When I'm around certain people, I do absolutely fine socially.
I sometimes react with strong empathy to certain social injustices
I often cry when I watch an emotionally deep movie
I'm attracted to emotionally intelligent people
Even though I've always had social skill deficits, I wanted to act and perform for other people since I don't know when, 2 or 3.
I get jokes most of the time.
I like Underground Hip Hop
I actually have an interest in fashion trends. (I just don't like to spend my money on them)
I have trouble naturally observing the rules of grammar when I write essays.
I'm not very good with animals.
I can now name and identify my emotions
When I was in eigth grade I was told by a professional stand up commedian that I had a good sense of humor (That's not to say that people with AS can't have a good sense of humor, it's just that most NTs will rarely take notice)
I have a VERY expressive face
I had pretend play when I was a kid
I know how to swim and ride a bike.


That's all I have for now.

Last edited by trent on 12 May 2007, 9:29 am, edited 4 times in total.

here

i voted no: you dont appear to be aspergian

Ways I have AS:

Strong interests and obsessions. I will research everything about a favorite topic.
I relate better to animals than to people.
Interests unusual in type for a person my age, and intensity.
Good memory for facts and dates
Tendency to be shy
I can write better than I can speak, despite a large vocabulary
High Verbal I.Q.
Mild prospagnosia (Face blindness)
High gag reflex and sensitivity to smells
Need to work on getting a driver's license
Over the top "crazy cat lady"
Tendency to be clumsy at times
Not very athletic

Ways I am NT:

I don't think literally. I understand idioms and figures of speech.
No learning problems in school. My problems were mainly social. Just average at math, but excellent in English and languages.
No significant food aversions
Okay emotional reciprocity
I do well at my job (although I believe my combination of AS attributes helps a lot there.)

Ways I'm AS:
-Started speaking when I was 4 months.
-Could read by the age of 2, tell you the basic shapes, and others like heptagon.
-Excellent long term memory, but horrible short term memory. (I can remember any important days or details, but I could not tell
you where I just put my i-pod down)
-Excellent with math and science.
-Horrible anxiety.
-Horrible balance. (It use to be so bad that I would just fall out of the chair while eating dinner so they moved my seat over to the
corner so i wouldn't hit the floor.)
-I'm horrible at taking criticism.
-I stim a lot.
-High IQ
-I've had obsessions since I was two years old.
-I'm horrible with faces, and names.
-I can't hold eye contact very long.
-Few facial expressions so i come off as depressed even though I'm insanely optimistic.
-Good vocabulary.
-Barely any motor skills
-I like to wear the same cloths over, and over again.
-Not very empathetic to humans, but I cry if I see a hurt animal.
-Very blunt.
-Very pedantic.
-I still throw tantrums.
-Horrible at keeping a conversation going.
-I can't read social cues
-I have a lot of difficulty reading faces.
-I take everything too literally.
-I procrastinate.
-My humor is odd.
-Sensitive to touch, and hearing.
-I was sensitive to taste, and smell.
-Not sensitive to certain pains.
-I over analyze everything.
-I don't understand why certain topics offend people.
-I have meltdowns.
-I'm loathsome with verbal instructions.
-I rarely will change my fews on a topic unless the person has a lot of proof. If its a subject on morality, you might as well just forget it.
-I despise the phone.
-I get pronouns mixed up.
-If i don't want change then i have a problem with it. (I.E I willing changed my diet to vegan, but I'm still upset about the couch being moved.)

Ways I'm not:
-I like fiction, and I watch cartoons daily. They are pretty much my life.
-My speech is pretty clear now. (I'm not sure where this goes, I had many years of speech therapy, but my doctor said if it was a sign of asperger's it wouldn't have cleared up this much.)
-I have an amazing imagination.
-I have friends, and I've had relationships.
-I'm random, I'll just walk up to someone and tell them about something that I thought was funny.
-I don't have a routine.

My AS traits:

1) I have serious problems communicating verbally, yet I am an excellent writer with a degree in English.
2) Selective mutism in certain social situations
3) I hardly have any friends and I don't know how to maintain friendships very well.
4) I have sensory difficulties: auditory processing disorder, extreme photosensitivity, itchy skin, very low pain tolerance.
5) I can memorize anything, like long series of numbers and paragraphs, but I can't remember what I did yesterday.
6) I have dyscalculia, yet I am always in the top 2% in Visual-Spatial Abilities and in Reading/Linguistics on IQ tests.
7) Flat affect - I have to remind myself to smile and acknowledge other people.
I use mostly "stock phrases" to appear normal when speaking to other people, espcially when it comes to chit chat.
9) I have been completely obsessed with cats since I was teeny tiny. I have 6 now, they are my babies.
10) I collect things - rocks, movie tickets, Hello Kitty dolls, etc...
11) Once I start something I can't stand to be interrupted.
12) Instead of getting angry at things I should be angry about, I hold it all in and then explode when something insignificant/trivial happens.
13) I do not handle intense displays of emotions from others very well. I tend to hide and pretend like it's not happening.
14) I had no friends in high school.
15) I can't do sports at all. Throwing a ball, catching a ball, or anything in between is a nightmare for me.
16) I'm clumsy and have problems with balance and walking into things. I fall down very easily.
17) I usually don't understand when people are teasing me, it takes me a few minutes to catch on.
18) I'm afraid of phones.
19) I AM ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS STIMMING. ALWAYS. EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY.
20) Poor eye contact.
21) I am very honest and have a very hard time lying.
22) I can be very paranoid of other people. I do not do well in crowds.
23) I am highly introspective and way too self-conscious.
24) I have a high IQ but simutaneous learning disabilities that can make me seem "dumb".
25) I get stuck on repetitive thoughts, it's like a broken record in my mind.
26) I started reading at 16 mos old.
27) I don't process verbal instructions very easily.
28) I am obsessed with science and history.
29) I notice background details that other people don't generally pick up on.
30) I am very child-like, I love cartoons and movies like Happy Feet & Madagascar - I'm obessed with Happy Feet.
31) I can over-intellectualize almost anything.
32) I can be very egocentric and don't care about other people's business very much.


Non AS traits:
1) I appear very NT on the outside. I have no clothing/hygiene problems. In fact, I LOVE getting dressed up and wearing makeup. I wear nice clothes and really get into fashion. I think it's a coping mechanism I learned early on because I haven't always been this way.
2) I have never had problems maintaining a romantic relationship. (I realize this is a stereotype and not necessarily an AS trait)
3) I have no problems understanding slang like "what's up?" and etc...
4) I am not as blunt/direct as many people with AS. I am honest but I usually think before I say something that might be perceived as hurtful.
5) I get embarrassed very easily and can tell when I have made a "faux pas" but sometimes I can't tell exactly why.
6) I have no problems understanding sarcasm or metaphors.
7) I am an excellent swimmer, and I have no problems riding a bike (lots of people with AS do because of the bilateral coordination problems)

It occurs to me she could have PDD-NOS.

Oh, my goodness! We Aspies live in a VERY close knit world. The guy that wrote the above website is the guy that helped me realize I was AS and got me in touch with our local AS get together group!

Merle

Ways I have AS:


I am very literal
I stim
I prefer the sameness
I like talking about my interests
I can only chat to one person, more than one, it’s tough for me to socialize
I interrupt a lot when in group conversations
I don’t understanding timing in when it’s my turn to talk
I’ve had long term obsessions lasting over a year or six months
I tune out what is going on around me
I get so absorbed in something I forget what’s going on in front of me
I have troubles judging distance
I’m an honest person
I’m horrible with judging time and judging what time it is
I always need things planned before I do something
I like to make lists of things like what I own or have and what I need to do or what I need to buy
I suck in sports
I have troubles understanding jokes, sarcasm, teasing
Everyone says I’m good with math
Bad eye contact
I prefer to be alone
Sensitive to some sounds and light, touch
I have anxiety
I have meltdowns
Get anxious in new situations
I enjoying looking at facts and looking at details in my favorite movies
I’m good with dates
I suck with having friends
I think chit chatting and doing nothing is boring
Bluntness
Bad with personal space
I stutter when stressed
Good memory
I likes things organized
Bad with remembering looks
Can’t pick up on non verbal cues unless I sense their feelings
I hate being interrupted what I’m doing
I like to finish things first before I move onto something else
I don’t understand eye contact or body language
If I don’t have any plans, or an agenda, I’m bored inside and don’t know what I’m going to do that day.
I hate being wrong
I hate being the leader
I hate wearing make up
I hate clapping my hands
I’m child like
I’m insensitive to some pain
I’m hyposensitive to smells such as unleaded gas, skunks, permanent pens.
I hate lying
I don’t have interest in having lot of friends
I had poor eye coordination when I was little, couldn’t stand on one foot, very clumsy
I prefer soft clothing
I prefer to work alone
I can make lists in my head what I need to do or what I need to get without writing them down
I love doing puzzles
I’m unaware of how loud I talk
I’ve been known to have above average IQ
I used to hate my teacher changing seating in class
I used to hate changes in schedules in school
I didn’t always show emotions as a child for things I found upsetting such as changes in schedules or my mother selling some of my toys at garage sale and my dresser when I was five
I’m sensitive to sunlight
I’m a day dreamer
I talked about my obsessions all the time to my friends and family and people I know when I was a child




Ways I don’t have AS:

Changes in rooms don’t bother me
Lot of my obsessions are short term
I was not a little professor when I was little
I love talking to people
I love surprises (depending what they are and how I’m feeling)
I didn’t start reading about my obsessions till I was 10
I don’t have very much sensory issues
I can tell white lies
I don’t mind people walking up to the door and ringing the doorbell
Fire drills never bothered me
I enjoy doing spontaneous things
I have very good balance
I don’t mind hugs or shaking hands or soft touches
I suck in math (high school math, middle school, college)
I am not into technology or science
I can do eye contact to people I feel comfortable with
I like being with my family
I enjoy reading fiction
I don’t enjoy science fiction
I like to explore Spokane than just looking at places that were in Benny & Joon.
I can be flexible.
Bad at drawing
No savant skills
Bad with organization
I don’t always do things in order
I did not have vocabulary above the age level
Didn’t read early
I have an imagination
I can do pretend play
I did pretend play as a child
I played with other kids my own age till 4th grade
I can multitask
I like eating different foods
I am outgoing
I don’t drop things very often or bump into things
Clothing tags rarely bother me
I don’t mind teamwork, at least the job goes faster
No rote memory or learning
No monotone voice
I like going on trips.
I love talking on the phone to my mom and Dad
I don’t talk about my obsessions all the time to the same people

Last edited by likedcalico on 10 May 2007, 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have a lot of those traits and nots as you do likedcalico (I'm much to lazy to list which ones)