Does this sound like aspergers?

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I know this question is long, but bear with me. As a child, my mom always told me I acted like I had ADD even though I had never been diagnosed (ADD and ADHD run in the family). Then when I got older she told me I acted like I had OCD. I don't think I fit the description for either that well, so I looked up conditions similar to the two and got the commonality of aspergers. I tried bringing the subject up to my mother, but she said she didn't think I had asergers, but she could either be in denial or doesn't understand that I'm not going to have all symptoms.
Here's a list of my symptoms.
- I hate touching people
-I have a hard time remembering names
-I have a hard time remembering faces, if two people are the same nationality and have similar haircuts it confuses me to no end
-I'm very clumsy
-I slouch constantly, even when I'm standing up
-I usually say the first thing that comes to mind without thinking about how it will affect others
-I'm often told that I'm immature
-I annoy people because I talk a lot and loudly
-I laugh when something bad happens or when I'm scared even though I don't think it's funny
-I get tounge-tied and am not really sure how to explain my feelings
-I have a little bit of an obbsesion with elephants. I collect them, research them, and often bore people when talking about them. (I switch between animals every couple of years)
-I have a specific shirt for each day of the week
-I never wear matching socks, and the one with the most amount of colors always goes on my right foot
-I have a 4.0 in school, and am in advanced science and math
-No matter how hard I try, I can't see other peoples point of view
-I understand when someones mad or expressing emotions pretty well, but its something I have to think about rather than just know
-People think I'm unsympathetic and don't care about them even though I do
-I have friends, but not as many as most people
-I hate large crowds and socializing. I would rather stay at home then go out with a friend
-I have very sensitive smell
-I'm a picky eater because I hate the texture of a lot of foods
-During the school year I have the exact same schedule throughout the day, including leaving the house at exactly 7:38
-I have a very hard time getting to sleep at night, I could be exhausted and not able to go to sleep for hours
-I won't notice something big like new posters all around school, but then I'll notice small stuff like a new clock in the library
-I love chewing on stuff, a lanyard, straw, gum, pencils, basically anything
-I tear things apart without even realizing I'm doing it, like a flower or decorations or paper
-I do, however, get humor and metaphors pretty well

What are the benefits of getting diagnosed? And does it sound like I have it?

You may very well be on the spectrum based on your symptoms, but it's important to get a professional opinion.

Sounds like you do have Asperger's. The benefits are because you're young you can probably get more help learning social skills or have some sort of therapy. You probably don't need to have help in school but that will be available to you.

I used to bore people with my interests. I might still talk to them about solar flares and not simplify it for them.

I laugh when people are stressed and when I was younger when I injured myself I would laugh instead of crying.

I've got face blindness too. It's annoying because it takes me ages to recognise someone and so they think I'm ignoring them when I have no clue who they are, until a few minutes later.
I got the coordination issues too.

Yeah, you sound like you have AS. Your mum probably thought you had ADD because it shares similar symptoms with AS. I'm diagnosed with both.

You probably have ADHD/ADD. You are loud and find it hard to concentrate and remember things. Aspergers are usually as quiet as a mouse, have limited social skills and are categorically loners or have a few distant friends/acquaintances.

Both ADD/ADHD and AS are spectrum disorders. Yes there are quite a lot of similarities between ADD/ADHD and AS. Both ADD/ADHD and AS are non-life threatening disorders, adversely effect social interaction and learning difficulties.

Obtain a psychiatrists professional opinion who can assess you, study you, diagnose you and treat/cure you.

Quiet partial autistic = Aspergers Syndrome. Loud partial autistic = ADHD/ADD. Medication and therapy/counselling can treat or cure both Aspergers and ADHD/ADD.

There are loud extroverted people with Asperger's syndrome. It's a stereotype that they talk non stop about their interests. If they were all quiet they'd be no such stereotype. Even people with classic autism can be extroverted. There are also quiet introverted people with ADHD. Not everyone with hyperactive ADHD is a social and overactive person too.

And there is no medication for Asperger's. As for cure? I guess you're back to trolling again.

If the OP's long term memory is also impaired they may have ADHD but they did not say so. Most people with just ADHD aren't as obsessed about their interests.

Aspies are supposed to be "active but odd", not "aloof" (some authors even use this as a rule to distringuish AS from classical autism).

Do you have any advice for someone who wants a professional diagnosis? Where does one go for this?

Ask your local autism society if they can recommend a psychologist with experience assessing AS in adults.

Ettina, OP is 14 according to her info page (when I looked last night), so perhaps an adult assessment isn't the right way to go, but the asking of a local autism society is the right place to start. If OP is in fact 14, parental permission might be required.

I agree with this! It does sound like you could be on the spectrum, but I always suggest getting a professional opinion as well. Were these symptoms there for your whole life or were these things that developed as you got older?

Thanks. Honestly didn't know such places existed.

I contacted the local branch of my Province's autism society. I'll see what they come back to me with.

I think she was responding to my question - and if so she was correct in assuming I'm an adult.

Sorry for double posting.

OK, I keep hearing that ADHD is on the spectrum. This is very interesting to me and makes sense but I've only heard it here. Where are you getting this info?

Also, you can find diagnosticians through Autism Society of Canada: http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/

Here is a list of places to contact in Ontario: http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/index ... 39&lang=en

Certain things have become worse, for example I never really liked touching people, but it wasn't until 4th or 5th grade that I stopped giving people hugs. Most symptoms though have been there my whole life.

If you go through the diagnostic assessment they will want to interview your parents or someone else who was there for your early development. For that interview, I was in the room, but the questions were directed to my father. It was those answers that helped to identify whether or not I had it. Your parents (or whoever) would be asked to describe specifically what you were like as a baby and toddler to see if those exact symptoms are there. From those answers, the psych can discern if autism was always there or if it is something else manifesting itself to appear as an ASD. From your list, I personally think it sounds like you probably do, but that of course will be more accurate coming from a proper diagnosis.