Could I have Aspergers?

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I must admit to feeling somewhat confused about what Aspergers is, given that some sources give the impression that you have to be a maths geek (which I am far from) to have AS, and from judging the people I have been friends or acquaintances with who have a form of autism, who have all differed from each other in symptoms, all of whom generally went to mainstream school- all odd, but there wasn't a refusal to make eye contact, or total social incompetency, or prodigious maths skills in any of them, which are things I think people stereotypically associate with autism?

One thing that makes me think I may have AS is because I have anorexia nervosa/AN, which is more common in Aspies. It has been suggested that there's a genetic link between AN and AS, and that AN could be a female form of AS (I know that AS affects females, but in lesser numbers). During a long-term hospital stay for my AN, I was assessed for Asperger syndrome and they said I didn't have it, but what if the assessment was merely not very good? It was done by a trainee psychologist and I don't think she was especially knowledgeable about, for example, how AS presents in females.
"Both autism-spectrum conditions and anorexia share a narrow focus of attention, a resistance to change and excellent attention to detail," says Simon Baron-Cohen (Google anorexia + autism). Critics have said that symptoms of starvation are mistaken for autistic symptoms, though.

I am very socially awkward, and have obscure interests that I can't talk about to most people. I hate small talk and a lack of deep conversation. Others find me boring/annoying/aloof. At school I struggled a lot with sports/PE (which thankfully I no longer have to do) and I continue to struggle with stuff like, for example, folding up a camera, and people get irritated with me, think I'm ret*d and I get upset, but I'm not sure if that's due to anxiety or poor motor skills.. I got a D in GCSE maths (need to resit for the millionth time) but I love books, read quickly and had a reading age of 16 at 8, or something similar. I get along with people who do extremely well academically and would be considered 'intelligent', but I keep dropping out of school for various reasons. I did terribly at GCSE and I'm still having to compensate for it academically to prove that I'm at the same level as my classmates of the same age. It's frustrating because I'm not allowed to study AS Sociology because I don't have sufficient subject knowledge, apparently, despite the fact that I know more about some aspects of Sociology than the teacher. What would a GCSE in hairdressing prove about my ability to succeed in Sociology (that's all it is- I don't have enough GCSEs)? It's stupid for me to whine, but the reality is that if I had the ability to fit in and had better mental health then I'd be in a different place- some subjects require you to do group work, and I had no friends, which meant I couldn't get the same grade as people who did have friends (i.e. everyone else).
This summer I've tried to do some social things, like going to the party of an acquaintance and to a meet-up for readers of Rookie magazine (rookiemag. com, which happened to have an article about Asperger syndrome recently). I left the meet-up shortly after we 'met' because I felt ugly and unwell, but then I returned to meet a girl who was in attendance who I'd spoken to lots online prior- she's also anorexic and came late because she didn't want to eat publicly. I was so awkward that I apologised through a written note that I passed her as we sat there awkwardly for my inability to talk. I don't know if that's social anxiety- I never have panic attacks, and I don't get the million psychosomatic symptoms my mum, who suffers from general anxiety disorder, experiences, and I'm not someone with fine social skills who is irrationally nervous about interaction; I'm genuinely not very good at knowing the right thing to say/do. At the party I initially hid in the host's closet/bedroom, then I gradually moved towards where the party-goers were gathered with my friend (who fits the Aspie stereotype of being an awkward white guy who's very good at maths/science), and I communicated with him via written notes which made people feel uncomfortable because they thought I was excluding them (but they didn't exactly bend over backwards to include me).
There's other stuff but I'll leave it at that for now. If you've read all of this post, thank you, and I apologise for its poorly written nature.

*bump*

maybe you are no one here can say for sure. you should speak with a psychologist and see what their opinion is.

Hi, I'm an Aspie girl, who used to have suspected anorexia (I refused to get tested, but I'm fine now).

Just how much do you know about Aspergers? I suggest you do some research on symptoms(like, go onto, about 100 webpages, at-least), which you should have no problem with, if you are an Aspie.
See how well you fit the symptoms, as it's allot more than just special interests, socially awkward ect.
(Sorry if you already know this)

Based on your writing style, I wouldn't say you're an "typical Aspie", but I'm no expert.

I think you should take rdos online Aspie quiz, and maybe tell us your results?

I think if you seem to match up to a significant amount of traits, pass the quiz/come near to passing the quiz, and find you have a similar speaking style/way of thinking to people on this forum, it's worth getting an official assessment.

I would suggest you spend at-leat a few weeks visiting this forum, reading posts by others ect. to see if any of your problems match yours.

Please tell me, if any of that, doesn't make sense :S.

Hi,

I'm a female with AS, so if you have any specific questions about AS in females or just want to talk, feel free to pm me.

As for whether or not you have AS, I have experienced the same social awkwardness and aloofness as you. I didn't have trouble with maths. Do you have trouble with visualization? What is it in maths that you struggle with?

The thing is though that there are other non-social symptoms of AS that are important when you are diagnosed. One thing is the intensity and frequency of your interests. Do you feel like you pursue them at an abnormally high level? Do they interfere with socialization in any way?

Another thing is stims, or physical movements you do for comfort. Do you know about stims? Do you have any?

I would recommend for you to read up on Tony Attwood's definition of AS, as well as his description of how girls with AS differ from boys. You can find it here:

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/index.php ... Itemid=719

and here:

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/index.php ... Itemid=720

If you have the chance, his book "the Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" is very thorough and contains an accurate description on AS. I'd like to know more about your non-social traits of AS and more about if or how you think AS manifested itself in your childhood to be able to give you my own opinion, though, and even then, seeing a psychologist is better.

It makes me feel lame because my interests are atypical of my age group (some of them less so, like the general interest of reading)- reading at my old school was abnormal, which is something that would obviously differ in other schools. General self esteem stuff.