which traits/symptoms are unique to ASD only?

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Sometimes I wonder, if every symptom in ASD can "also have its course from another condition".
Like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder, schizoide or schizotypical personality disorder, AD(H)D, Depression, delay of speech, PTSD, Attatchment Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, being plainly introvert and I guess a couple, which do not come into my mind right now (and I am sure there will be).

Which traits are unique to an ASD only and are not explainable by any other condition?

edit: I attached BPD

If only one, then Theory of Mind. But then again ( ToM) is on a spectrum. ADHD folk have trouble with this -- from the literature.

Introverts have reported trouble with reading body language, though non-ASD.

Is it even possible to do one?

I'm not sure now that I think about it. But then if you have the right combination of symptoms then you likely have AS. There are many other conditions that can have an AS like symptom but the person will likely only have that symptom and not other symptoms that are associated with AS.

I have a question

is there an AS trait that would never be found in an NT

Being able to memorise pi to 26,000 places in a couple of weeks? (I'm just guessing). If AS is a collection of 'symptoms' that usually go together then presumably there isn't any single one of them that you absolutely have to have because you could have all the others apart from that one and you would still have AS. Or so I suppose. I wonder about simple things like problems with seeing neon lights flicker. Do NTs have that ever? I also wonder about things like stimming to go into one's private world. I've never heard of NTs doing that but maybe they do and just don't talk about it.

I know non-autistic people who see the lights flickering.



I also know non-autistic people who not only stim but have stereotypical autistic stims like rocking.

(Neither of the people who immediately came to mind are neurologically typical, but neither are autistic.)

Yes NTs can have problems with lights and other sensory issues and also lots of NTs do stim too

I thought "neurologically typical" meant "non-autistic" . How can they be neither the one nor the other? Do you mean they fall somewhere between the two or that they have some other condition instead of autism? Just asking .

I've often wondered about this, Eloa, but I guess you could put it this way: Is it more likely that someone meets the criteria for 1 reason or for 3 different reasons? I don't know, it's confusing.

Yes, savantism is primarily found in people with ASDs, mostly lower functioning, although there are a few higher functioning people with savantism. But, there are some people without autism who are savant, but they have some sort of developmental delay or brain injury. So even that isn't restricted to those with ASDs.

To the OP, I think the answer is 'None'. I believe I've seen all the traits associated with ASDs, presented by people who'd never get a diagnosis of an ASD. It's the combination of traits, severity and impact which result in a diagnosis.

Last edited by Mummy_of_Peanut on 19 Apr 2012, 7:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

I was told this too. Some may have sensory issues, such as light sensitivity for no reason.

Could the meltdowns/outbursts be a unique Aspie trait? Or can people with other psychological disorders present inappropriate behaviour over small things too? Not sure how people with anger management problems behave.

Everybody has at least one Aspie trait not be anywhere near the Autism spectrum. We all forget things, but that doesn't mean everyone has Alzheimer's.

I remember when I was at college one of the lights in the tutoring room was flashing, and everyone in the group complained of headaches by the end of the day, except for me.

And I know NTs who cut the tags out of their clothes because they itch.

And often people say ''urgh, the sandwich I had was dry and tasteless'', and I don't seem to notice things like that about food, unless it's signifficantly unusual, like it gone off or something, but otherwise, I don't really notice if something is a little dryer than usual or something.

Unless this is normal and it's just me being hyposensitive to touch and light and taste.
But I am hypersensitive to sounds, to the point where it is unique compared to most people, like I do involuntary but dramatic reactions to loud sudden noises, whereas NTs do jump and it's normal but with me it causes anxiety and overtakes my mind.

Smells? I think I'm just average with that.

But I think everybody has one sensory what is more sensitive than others. A bit like everybody is better at one thing than another. You must remember that NTs have strengths and weaknesses too, not just Aspies. I remember at High School we all had to write down what our strengths and weaknesses are, and everyone in the class came up with different strengths and weaknesses, so I wasn't embarrassed of reading mine out.

I think the OP offers a great question. For me I find one thing that truly makes me know I have autism is the social awkwardness. But there are probably other conditions that do that too, but this is one of those areas that I deeply feel the autism in me. I try to talk to someone, and yikes, the awkwardness of trying to figure out how I am supposed to relate shakes me to the core.

Then there are all the other things on the DSM that I exhibit. Take the special intense interests for example. I get so deeply imbedded in them that I am practically withdrawn from the world. So here is something interesting to look at. Perhaps with NTs with these interests they may want to invite others to share with the joys of the interests with them. For me though, I would rather stay behind my "curtain" and keep the interest to myself. Anyone coming behind the "curtain" would feel like an intruder to me. For me, wanting to indulge in my interests alone and in private is something that makes me very aware of the autism in me.

This was my motivation for opening this thread:

It comes from the discussion about the new DSMV.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postxf194910-0-120.html


I agree with what some of you write, that it is the combination of traits (and the severity/ lable of being disabling), which makes one having or getting diagnosed with an ASD, but I find it an integrating thing to think about but at the same time confusing somehow.

But what btbnnyr wrote, I found quite unique for a symptom of a trait of being autistic, even when it will not apply to everyone, as not everyone needs to have the same traits/ symptoms.

Thank you for sharing everyone!

Thank you, the aspect of a special intrest is in my opinion also quite unique, especially the intensity of it.