SPD

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So. After a few years of researching AS and seeing A LOT of myself in it, but deciding it wasn't me, l'm realizing l could have been overlooking SPD this entire time(although l was aware of it).

Like most people. l wanted to believe that l don't have a personality disorder as it's usually preferable to believe that there is something organically different and special about you. l didn't realize the extent to which genetics can factor into personality disorders and ESPECIALLY into SPD, though.

Both Schizoid and Schizotypal. l'd say Schizoid is the most like AS. Schizotypal involves traits like magical thinking and delusions which l generally do not have.

As l've said about nine hundred thousand times on this site, l do have a family history of schizophrenia. l was always intrigued by the similarities between AS and schizophrenia, but think this is something obvious that l overlooked.

What l wonder is to what extent the two are related, it's already been heavily speculated about so it's no secret. l've read they were once considered the same disorder(SPD and AS, not schizophrenia).

l've jst joined an SPD forum but i's pretty dead, this disorder also seems even more rare than AS.

Anyone here have it or were ever diagnosed with it? l'd like to hear in what ways you differ from those with AS.

They hardly talk about sensory overload and other sensitivities aspies have in the SPD criteria. l strongly identify with that and a few other aspie traits.

l'd say what sets me apart, is that l never felt like l truly lacked social skills and that mine are even VERY good, but operate on a "switch" or are sometimes not accessible to me because it's like my mind is split into two "selves". l'm also not as obsessive as most autistics, the overlap is interesting but it doesn't really seem to be a major factor in either SPD.

Please know that l do know that sounds crazy, but have always felt that way so it no longer sounds insane to me lol.

The psychologist said I have depression with traits of Asperger's and Schizoid Personality Disorder. He had thought I had traits of Avoidant Personality Disorder but after testing changed it to traits of SPD.

I think what makes me not full AS is that everything is so much more mild with me than what I read goes on with people diagnosed with AS. I definitely have social awkardness. I have a similar experience to you with the "switch". I interpreted it as it felt like I spent most of my time in varying degrees of shutdown with occasional no shutdown that felt to me like I was really "with it" (for me).

I'm more obsessive than neurotypical people but not as meticulous as the Asperger's people. I also do not have the extensive knowledge or memory that most AS people have.

Wow, I just read through the SPD Wiki and it sounds very much like me, though of course, without mention of all the sensory issues I have (akin to your statement). Especially the description of the 'secret shizoid.' Pretty much exactly how I interact with people. I mean, I'm still baffled by a lot of sarcasm and can't tell seriousness from someone just joking around but I definitely try my best to imitate a charming, personable and acceptable person for as long as I have the energy. Part of me wonders if they've got it all wrong and, in actuality, Asperger's, SPD, NVLD, etc. are all actually born of the same functional deficit, just manifest in slightly different symptoms, either due to external factors or coping mechanisms. Edit: Did some more research on it and I can definitely see why I was diagnosed with an ASD rather than SPD. Still very interesting, though.

Sensory Processing Disorder is very close to Dyspraxia which is very similar to Asperger's. Many things seem to overlap between the diagnoses, how my Dyspraxia manifests is like ASD... But not like it at all...

I'm hypersensitive and hyperblunted at the same time, I think these very extreme levels of emotion and determination set me apart from the autistic spectrum. My sensory overload, processing issues, and meltdowns/shutdowns set me apart from being like an NT. Coordination issues, spacial awareness, sense of direction, speech delays seem to be spanning to some degree across the board.

I have no doubt that the entire line of neurological variants are somehow related even though they are different. You don't see too many ENTJs who are NT or AS, I think that's how I got noticed as a 2E child for SPD/"clumsy child syndrome". I have always been a social butterfly and have very few issues detecting social deficiencies. The timing, speech, movement I did have to be taught, but not social/emotional graces.

I was diagnosed with Schizoid Personality Disorder, but I think the shrink was sloppy. I definitely do not have it, just the traits of not being very interested in other people nor expressing much emotion.

People with SPD do not typically have sensory issues. They are definitely not particularly sociable, but it is connected to a general indifference that also tends to manifest as anhedonia, whereas people with ASDs can and do derive great pleasure from things and also become extremely upset by other things. The condition does not tend to cause any great difficulties in functioning. People with SPD may fail to perform certain social niceties, but that is more likely to occur because of lack of interest or being out of practice, not never having learned like people with ASDs.

EDIT: to answer the question, I do not have very strong sensory issues; what I have is better described by the over-stimulation introverts are known to suffer (and the connection between introversion and ASDs has been explored as well; I have a paper on it). I'm not terribly impaired in reading social situations, but probably not quite at NT-level due to lack of practice and an eccentric personality limiting my insight into what the "average" person is thinking/expecting. I don't feel comfortable with eye contact, but it's closer to "normal" with children or someone I'm very close to, like a girlfriend.

More than one SPD it seems...

I have been diagnosed with AS and SPD. I have all the sensory issues and the inability to read people that is common to AS. I also have no desire to interact with anyone; this does not mean I am anti-sociable. Logically speaking I understand the importance of properly interacting with other people and forming relationships with them, even if I don’t have the mind-set one might normally have when interacting with others, at best I find other people interesting. Most emotions are an enigma to me but again logically I understand they are very real to the people experiencing them and it would be wrong of me not to recognize that and act accordingly. Caveat, this is just my experiences and I can not speak for others. I hope this has been helpful.