I can't help and wonder

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If someone can have quite mild Austim. I have read endless posts and information on the internet related to Autism and related disorders and it's weird how much I identify withwhat a lot people talk about. .Well I try and keep this short.

I had speak delay from a young age and needed speech threapy as I got a bit older problems were present like difficulties just catching a ball, I was bad at sports so I was often last to be picked in a team. My maths was poor (it is still hard for me now even basic maths and below my age level), my English was below level as well but it has improved a lot more since I got help over the years, but reading comprenhension is still a problem as I can't often understand or remember what I have read. Anyway I had a lot of test done by doctors, phycholigists etc in school and college and they came to the same conclusion that I have Dyslexia and Dyspraxia either way mild learning disabilties.

Now my mother has worked with kids with special needs and Autism (she does now for her job) has mentioned to a few times that I am slighty Autistic "Autistic tendencies". This stuck with me for ages and I couldn't help but explore more about Autism and I found a lot of experiences or traits others had with Autism I could relate to certain things.

For example my mother has said in the past she thinks I have Autistic tendencies because I used to line up things like blocks, cars etc and I am quiet and reserved. Another time she said that's why people think I am Autistic becasue I don't like to share things with people or problems with others as if that isn't normal and that most people want to tell others about their problems (I don't).

Here are some things i have noticed about myself that seem somewhat Autistic when I look at others who experience this who have a Autistic spectrum disorder.

For example: I am bad at getting jokes or understanding them. I get sarcasm for the most part and I have been told I have a very dry sense of humour. Like people in a group will tell some joke I don't get the joke, sometimes someone will try and explain it to me and I still don't get it or It talkes me a while to get it, like days after. The same with most stand up comedy I don't get it.

Taking things litterally I sometimes can't tell whether people are joking or not (being sarcastic) I can be pretty niave.

Difficulty listening to others especially when more than one person is talking, hard to remember or understand what people are saying when there is even just some noise in the background, yet tests from my teens suggest my hearing is normal and perfectly fine. I often feel overstimulated in a big group with noise and I tend to withdrawl more and shutdown when I am overstimulated socially.

Narrow range of interests I never had much hobbies through out my life I was really passionate about but a certain movie or videogame can make me totally obsessed to the point I think of nothing else but about a certain videogame and learn everything about it. I typically go through phazes and go between one thing I am really into to another. For example I was really obsessed with the Final Fantasy at one point, then the X-Files, now James Bond.

Strong loner tendencies I was often alone in college eating by myself I actually used to find a spot totally away from other students and I would enjoy it and I would go for long walks during the break by myself. I have had a very few amount of "friends" growing up and none were hardly close friendships I have never had a close friendship period. Actually when I was young I used to know this kid who had definate Autistic traits and we would typically playing videogames all the time. I usually have acquaintances just people I know but don't hang out with become proper friend with.The few people I did hang out with in college I secretly liked it when they weren't around so I could be alone in my own world.

This may not be related to Autism as such but I have problems with things most people my age wouldn't for example getting a train to another town is difficult as is knowing directions and my way around, getting the tube to and through out London is difficult and I need someone like a family member with me (unless on a bus).. This is could be related to understanding maps as well which I have problems with so therefore flying abroad solo would be hard as well.

Some other things:

I am a picky eater and always tend to eat the same thing day after day. The same with my clothes I hate anything that feels tight ( I HATE tight jeans) and I often wear the same clothing for days in a row even weeks. I shower often but typtically where the same things for days in a row. Another thing is I hate is the feeling of wet clothing, wet t shirts are the worse I can't stand the feeling of wearing a soaking wet shirt.

I have always diliked being touched I hate light touch for some reason, I hate certain noise like a drill in the street, a hoover, doors banging, etc.

Quiet, reserved and stoic nature, I am nice to people and talk to others I can be chatty especially on a topic of interest but for as long as I remember I have always had a resereved stoic demeaour I often go for hours mute saying nothing and others have commented on me being quiet through out school and college. It's not like I am depressed these days either being quiet and stoic seems to be my natural state.

Narrow conversation topics I don't like small talk much and I find it hard to relate to others who have little in common with me typically I like to talk about things I like, such as music, movies and videogames. I do ask others about how they are, what has been happening etc but I remember in college all I would talk about and bring up is something about music or videogames. I overheard someone say all he talks about is movies and videogames he has no intelectual conversation about him at all.

There are probably some other things but I can't think of them at the moment. Can anymore relate to this? Autistic or not because I have always felt I was a bit different to others I still do and I can't always put my finger on it. I am not convinced I am Autistic but I can't help and wonder at times as to whether I have some other disorder.

welcome to wp.

Have you heard the terms Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, or Broad Autistic Phenotype?

You sound like you're on the spectrum somewhere.

You sound a lot like me before I was diagnosed.

Hi CD84.

A LOT of this sounds very familiar--loner tendencies, some physical awkwardness, difficulty with directions and the hearing problems when there's too much noise. That sounds like something called Central Auditory Processing Disorder--take a look:

http://www.autistics.org/library/capd.html

Other stuff you mentioned, like the sensory issues and the intense interests--these things come up quite frequently with ASD's as well.

I would agree with the other posters that you are somewhere on the spectrum, and a broad spectrum it is.

Here are a couple of online self-diagnostic tests:

http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

I am not formally diagnosed, but the above two tests helped convince me that I have AS, along with the fact that it pretty much explains many things in my life, past and present.

Welcome to WP!

Thanks for the welcome and replies everyone. I have done a lot of those online Autistm type of tests (but I try and take online tests with a grain of salt). I take some of those tests often I score around 32 (on average) - 37 on one test, I have got Autistic and normal traits on another, I scored as Broad Autistic Phenotype on another test. Actually I think I could be a Broad Autistic Phenotype because I am not convinced I have Autism but definate Autistic traits and behaviours and unfortunately I never see her anymore but one of sisters who I saw a few times supposedly has Autistm and has some Autistic traits also which my mother observed (she has worked and still works with special needs children and those with Autistm most of her life)

I have looked into Auditory Processing Disorder recently as well and I fit most of the criteria for it. The main thing is that I find it difficult to listen to, follow and remember what people are saying especially in groups and with background noise. Even if it's just other people talking it's hard for me to follow other people and it's like I can't hear them (yet my hearing is fine), I often will withdraw more and shutdown when there is too much going on at the sametime and people talking at the sametime because It feels like I can't process it all. So therefore I have problems tracking more than one conversation at the sametime and I can often miss a lot of things people say and usually ask "what did you say again"?