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Limey_Man
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01 Jan 2009, 11:11 am

Hello, i'm new here and for the past couple of years or so i'v started to wonder if i may have Aspergers.

I've never really been interested in people, when i'm talking to someone i usually never make eye-contact and i rarely talk in conversations unless the person asks me a question. I've also heard the following are also signs of Aspergers; Bad Hand-writing, poor posture and delayed speech, poor sleeping habbits.

My hand-writing is pretty bad and it normally gets to the point where a teacher asks me if i could type it up on a computer or Laptop. I'm fine with this as my typing skills are exceptionally fast, i slouch most of the time and i'm normally up most of the night.

I've also read Dyscalculia may also be another symptom, which i suspect i may also have as i'm incredibly bad at mathematics.

Thanks in advance for replying.



Callista
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01 Jan 2009, 11:38 am

Bad handwriting and delayed speech are not signs of Asperger's. They are more common among people with AS but occur often in people without it. Delayed speech is a sign of Kanner's autism, and excludes Asperger's.

Dyscalculia is a separate diagnosis.

Being introverted is a personality trait, not a sign of AS.

Not making eye contact is an AS/autistic trait.

Poor posture could mean a lot of things. Awkward body posture and deficient or exaggerated body language are associated with Asperger's; but there are many reasons for poor posture and it is not exclusive to AS.

Bad handwriting is common among Asperger's. Motor dyspraxia (clumsiness), resulting in bad handwriting, awkward movement, and bad posture, is listed among the signs of AS in one set of criteria; but not in others. There are many other reasons for dyspraxia and it can occur on its own.

If the traits you list are the only ones you have, then you aren't diagnosable as Asperger's; but if there are others, you may be.

DSM-IV criteria:
http://www.inlv.demon.nl/irc.asperger/dsmasp.html

ICD-10 criteria (AS is a pervasive developmental disorder. Scroll down.):
http://www.geocities.com/richardg_uk/icd10f84.html#F845

wikipedia article with more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnosis_ ... r_syndrome


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pakled
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01 Jan 2009, 2:09 pm

it depends. If you really want to know, you can check in with a psychiatrist or psychologist, but from some of the comments in here, that's not always a guarantee, either...;)



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01 Jan 2009, 9:40 pm

I agree with Callista. If the symptoms you listed are the only things you have then there is no way you can correlate soley to Aspergers. I mean clumsiness and poor handwriting for instance could be Dystonia or any number of other things. Poor handwriting is also subjective.

The poor eye contact is one thing. But you need to have several social retardation type issues for Aspergers. The issues you listed aren't even close to enough to get a AS diagnosis.



pensieve
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01 Jan 2009, 9:58 pm

The only way you'll know for sure is if you get assessed by a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Here's a good site for AS symptoms

You can also take this very long and detailed quiz that most of the members of this forum have taken. It might give you a better idea of some more AS traits.

Good luck.

By the way I have speech delays and I have AS. Not as late as after two years, but I only started saying my first words at 18 months.



millie
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02 Jan 2009, 12:09 am

go and find out by getting a proper dx with someone who specialises in Apserger's Syndrome. no offence to anybody, but don't go asking people on WP if you have it or not. it's a chat forum and not a diagnostic tool.
good luck on your journey.

:D :wink:



ruveyn
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02 Jan 2009, 11:08 am

Limey_Man wrote:
Hello, i'm new here and for the past couple of years or so i'v started to wonder if i may have Aspergers.

I've never really been interested in people, when i'm talking to someone i usually never make eye-contact and i rarely talk in conversations unless the person asks me a question. I've also heard the following are also signs of Aspergers; Bad Hand-writing, poor posture and delayed speech, poor sleeping habbits.

My hand-writing is pretty bad and it normally gets to the point where a teacher asks me if i could type it up on a computer or Laptop. I'm fine with this as my typing skills are exceptionally fast, i slouch most of the time and i'm normally up most of the night.

I've also read Dyscalculia may also be another symptom, which i suspect i may also have as i'm incredibly bad at mathematics.

Thanks in advance for replying.


You might find it useful to complete a diagnostic questionare. The symptoms you present might be indicative of AS or they could be something else. If you are that concerned, you can engage the services of a psychologist who has experience with AS people and can diagnose them with competence.

ruveyn