Oh man, it turns out I might be autistic

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Well thanks for all the replies. I was thinking more along the lines of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or maybe fragile x syndrome or something like that. Does anyone know where you can get tests for genetic abnormalities?

My measurements seem off, my head is pretty big, and my limbs seem short in comparison, kind of maybe "hobbit-like" although I'm not too short at 5'10. The crazy thing it HAS to be obvious to other folk, but damn habituation, if it hasn't gotten me used to me in 32 years and find myself nothing out of the ordinary! Crazy eh?



It would just be a relief for finally just know the truth you know? Maybe even find a place where I can fit in for once. My family stays pretty much mum on the subject, they just say "Oh you aren't ret*d".. things like that. And I know I test pretty darn well on IQ tests, I found a legitimate looking one that seemed similar to the WASI and scored a 130. But my strengths are verbal IQ, socially I am completely out of place in public. People snicker at me, or avoid me, which I basically just ignored my entire life as a delusional coping mechanism. Sometimes people make snide remarks like "Oh you are so smart", or "You are amazingly good looking", you know sarcastic crap like that, which can hurt, but I really just want to know the truth so I can be at peace with who I am. I'm sure many of you can relate.

Dunno about Fragile X but for it to be fas there has to be some sort of alcohol involved. Does your mother drink? If she doesn't, it cannot be fas. You can talk to you doc about your concerns and see what he or she has to say. The doc can refer you to a specialist for further consultation.

She does drink, although she would claim it's in moderation as she is a devout Christian. Here's the thing, she gave birth at 40, and the story I get is that my dad was abusive and threw her up the stairs when she was pregnant so she told him to get out. I don't know how true this is.

It won't allow me to post any links so I'll send PM's to a couple people.

Thanks.

Up the stairs? Did he not have any concept of gravity, or did he just enjoy the challenge?

Well, again I'm not really buying that story either. Probably was down the stairs, story is he was a mean drunk. It's all bs as for as I'm concerned, I'll never know the truth. Might as well just friggin blow my head off.

Nah, it's possible to be thrown up the stairs. You end up landing halfway up, and get bruises for each step.

Anyway: If you scored 130 on an IQ test, you don't have fetal alcohol syndrome, by definition. Same with Fragile X. It's possible to get an IQ score that's lower than your actual skill, but unless you cheat on the test, it's not possible to get a higher score than you should. So your actual IQ is in the bright-normal range or higher. That doesn't mean that everything is automatically easy for you, or that other things can't get in the way of your using that talent; but it does mean you do not have mental retardation. IQ in general isn't the sum total of all of a person's skills, though. It's possible to be delayed in other areas, like socializing for example.

There's a mild version of fetal alcohol syndrome out there; it causes learning disabilities and ADHD-like symptoms in general, rather than overall delay.

Have you considered that people may not be sarcastic when they say you're not ugly or you're not dumb? If you're bad at picking up social cues you may simply be assuming the worst.

It's not cancer. You're not dying. you aren't suddenly a different person now that you are now. and if it's FAS then that's not the end of the world. Blow your head off because you have a disorder that millions of people in the world have?
It seems to me that you have those old archaic beliefs that those with mental disabilities are ugly and worthless. Banish them, and you'll be happier. Good luck to you!

Actually, you can have fetal alcohol syndrome and score relatively high on an IQ test. Low IQ is not one of the defining features. The defining features are:

1. Growth Deficiency
2. Small Head Size
3. Smooth, flat philtrum
4. Short eye sockets

Well oooANaooo let me know what it is. Thanks, you guys are the lucky ones. It's a combo of FAS and fugly. Damn, at least I know though.

Thanks everyone, good luck to you.

You're welcome Shinylight

Ana, those are only the facial features. This is the full list.

1. Growth deficiency — Prenatal or postnatal height or weight (or both) at or below the 10th percentile
2. FAS facial features — All three FAS facial features present
3. Central nervous system damage — Clinically significant structural, neurological, or functional impairment
4. Prenatal alcohol exposure — Confirmed or Unknown prenatal alcohol exposure

Somebody with FAS scoring 130 on an IQ test is almost unheard of. The range tends to be 50-85, which is mild MR to low-normal.

If you're talking about one of the milder "fetal alcohol spectrum disorders", whatever they're calling them nowadays, then maybe. That isn't as obvious or easy to recognize. The four signs will still be there but they won't be obvious, and facial differences, which would've been recognized by the pediatrician during childhood, would be either very slight or absent altogether. (Otherwise you would have been diagnosed already.) You're still looking at a small baby and a small child with some learning disabilities but IQ in the normal range.

Here's some growth charts. Dig out your baby book and check.
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/art ... cfm?id=304

Honestly, though, I think the OP is just looking for more reasons to hate himself (yes, that isn't logical; people's feelings are almost never logical)... I think this is something more like having been told all your life that you are worthless and stupid and lazy, and having started to believe it. That has happened to many of us here. It's almost like brainwashing, really; and then you start thinking with your feelings, and equating "I feel ugly" to "I am ugly"... which is not logical, but feelings usually aren't.

This is the same as "small head size" because "central nervous system damage" means microcephaly in fas and you need confirmation of alcohol exposure during pregnancy for typical fas, not atypical.
Central Nervous System Damage doesn't necessarily mean mental retardation. It can mean a number of things with FAS, sometimes resembling cerebral palsey. Usually it means spotty memory,with a form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that varies from the other type of ADHD which is not caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. They learn things but forget them quickly.
FASers have sensory issues and a tough time transitioning from one task to the next. They can also have hearing and vision problems.
Fetal Alcohol Effects is like fas without the facial features of fas and is associated with the higher IQ although someone with the facial features can have a higher IQ too, depending on when the alcohol was consumed during pregnancy (first trimester supposedly creates the facial features but the lack of brain growth also plays a part in creating the fas face)
Oh and another thing, the baby can be a normal birth weight and still have fas. At some point a growth deficiency occurs but it doesn't have to be prenatally.

Awesome...

Man thank you awesome people so much. I WISH I had AS. You guy's are lucky and amazingly intelligent, to call AS a disorder is just plain crazy.

I love you guys, seriously. You have no idea how much you have done for me. Thank you so friggin much.

I'll tell you one thing for sure, my love of drink has been instantly cured.

Average birth weight is 7 pounds, 8 ounces. You were a smidge above average.

AS is called a disorder not because of our strengths, but because we also have weaknesses which can be disabling. I agree with you that it's certainly nothing to be ashamed of, whether you're some kind of Einstein or you can't hold a job. Nor is FAS, for that matter, if you have it. I'm still doubtful that that's the case.

Aaron's not a bad name. I don't see why you don't like it; but if it reminds you too much of your dad you could always change it, I guess. I don't think it costs that much. Or you could start asking people to call you by your middle or last name, if you like either of those, or a nickname.

Average head circumference for 18 year old boys is 23 inches. I couldn't find a chart for adult men, sorry.