AS diagnostic criteria

Post Reply New Topic

I don't quite fit the diagnostic criteria for AS though some of it does make sense and I do relate to many topics on this site. It is frustrating in a way. I don't really understand some of the diagnostic criteria either. Maybe some of you can help clear this up for me?

Things that don't fit:
1. I don't have paticular trouble with eye contact, though I do tend to look down or away when talking to someone so that I can think better. Also try not to meet people's eyes when walking to class, but I attribute much of this to shyness.
2. I am not paticularly clumsy, just a little...I did dance and play sports growing up but I felt awkward, no commets about me looking clumsy though. Never truely gifted physically though.... But, I was semi walking by 6 months, earlier than most.
3. I didn't have delayed speech development.
4. I have not been told that I have odd speech patterns. I asked mom and she said no.
5. Few people think i am rude or inappropriate.
6. Rarely had tantrums when younger.
7. I have interests, but I don't think they are as intense as what I have heard AS interests are.
8. I don't have a set routine for each day.
9. I am not a walking encyclopedia. Though on some subjects i can give a fair amount of information, but i don't think it's TOO overboard. I also don't ramble on about the same thing....Well some would argue with that. But again, I don't tell everyone I meet about what I am interested in.
10. I understand metaphors.
11. I use gestures and point things out to people. And i ask for comfort (though this tends to be difficult sometimes, i don't remember if it was difficult when i was younger.)
12. I understand meaning, not just rote memory.

Things that do fit:
1. Sensory disorder ie can't stand certain textures or sounds. Can't hear in backgound noise either.
2. I see patterns in things, and thus stare at "nothing" Several comments and waving of hands for not paying attention or staring of into space. Sometimes i am staring at a paticular object.
3. I've been told that when people are talking i tend to stare too much, or stare too much at people generally...often at lips when i am trying to understand them, but sometimes i just like looking, i dk if that counts though
4. I don't like change. I've kept the same radio station on for 3 years. Don't like being in a new place alone. I've gotten sick to my stomach every new year of school. If i have to go on a trip, i get sick too. Sometimes i flat out refuse to go. I like to sit for hours in one place. Also don't move around the room at social events.
5. Odd objects frighten me. When i was little i was afraid of escalators. I am still afraid of people dressed as mascots or animals such as disney land characters. I hate the new smiley faces on aim.
6. I stim. Rocking when upset, hair and finger twisting, rubbing whatever is in my hand, general bouncy movement when i am excited. Never have been able to sit still at a dinner table. Other stimming also.
7. I had a set way of playing with toys when younger. Things had to be my way and others weren't allowed to move what i had set up. I also had trouble following others pretend storylines and often refused to. Mother had to make me play both ways. Though I had a great imagination on my own and played well if others followed what i was thinking.
8. Fascination with odd objects. I loved pennies, shining them, separting them by date, counting them. I loved shining gold colored bookmarks. I liked to keep the paper wrappers around silver ware at restaurants.
9. Have trouble making friends. When in kindergarten, i remember just asking if someone wanted to be friends and getting a yes or no answer. Somewhere along the lines the rules changed. I have some friends, but only 2 close ones, one of which is my boyfriend.
10. I HATE social situations - they are loud, confusing, and i usually just feel lost. This includes ALL social situations.
11. I do not have a very readable facial expression. Most, including my mother, have difficulty telling if i am enjoying something, or if i am miserable.
12. I have a tendency to take things literally, thus leading to gullability and naivety. Never could learn slang either (Mom says that is bc i can from a christain elemtary school though.)
13. I don't understand implied meaning, often i read too much into something if i try. I hate the phrase reading between the lines.
14. I often don't know what the appropriate course of action would be in a social situation.
15. I often misunderstand tone of voice, usually reading too much into it. I guess i read facial expressions alright, i dk bc i don't usually try to.
Hopefully I didn't forget anything.

Sorry, that was long. But i am so confused. Maybe AS fits, maybe it doesn't. Maybe I don't understand the disorder at all. Please help sort this out?!? Thanks.

its an aspie trait to look at the criteria and analyse what fits and what doesnt,
not all triats apply to me either, but i am aspie, please send me 5$ for the advice.

Did you ever have trouble with eye contact? I think that by a certain point alot of people start to pick up on it, like me, I have almost no trouble with it now except that when I meet someone new I sometimes have to remind myself to maintain it. So when I read about AS people with eye contact difficulty I didn't think it applied to me, but a little while ago I remembered that I DID used to stare at people's mouths especially in middle school and maybe earlier. Likewise I've learned not to "prattle on" about things that no one is interested in, maybe as a function of maturity or whatever. I guess the moment that I realized I had AS is when I looked back at my life and noticed the pattern of alienation and awkwardness, instead of just looking at each situation and thinking "If only I had done this..." or "the deck had already been stacked against me."

Number 3 on your "things that don't fit" should be in the other list. Delay in speech development is an autistic trait, but not an aspie trait.

Not all traits apply to me. I have trained myself eye-contact and managed to calm myself down in various other traits so i am only affected minimally. I also can put on an excellent front for some social situations. I guess, if you put on the effort that you wish to belong and become successful in your own mind you have to attempt battle with ASD.

jnet:


1. I don't have paticular trouble with eye contact, though I do tend to look down or away when talking to someone so that I can think better. Also try not to meet people's eyes when walking to class, but I attribute much of this to shyness.

Sounds like you have some trouble!

2. I am not paticularly clumsy, just a little...I did dance and play sports growing up but I felt awkward, no commets about me looking clumsy though. Never truely gifted physically though.... But, I was semi walking by 6 months, earlier than most.

Who said CLUMSINESS was a needed trait?

3. I didn't have delayed speech development.

I bet MOST didn't. I didn't!

4. I have not been told that I have odd speech patterns. I asked mom and she said no.

Some don't.

5. Few people think i am rude or inappropriate.

OK, I USED to be "rude", and inappropriate depends.

6. Rarely had tantrums when younger.

Some DON'T! I didn't.

7. I have interests, but I don't think they are as intense as what I have heard AS interests are.

I have had some that were VERY intense, but my mother considers even some minor ones to be intense. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder!

8. I don't have a set routine for each day.

I have a set routine for what I will do in a day, but it can change, etc....

9. I am not a walking encyclopedia. Though on some subjects i can give a fair amount of information, but i don't think it's TOO overboard. I also don't ramble on about the same thing....Well some would argue with that. But again, I don't tell everyone I meet about what I am interested in.

I don't tell everyone either!

10. I understand metaphors.

SO DO I!

11. I use gestures and point things out to people. And i ask for comfort (though this tends to be difficult sometimes, i don't remember if it was difficult when i was younger.)

Well, I use some gestures now, but I think they must be a bit off. ask for comfort?

12. I understand meaning, not just rote memory.

HECK, I certainly DO understand meaning. Isn't that really a requirement for AS? How could you have a 130+ IQ, or even 100, without understanding?

Things that do fit:
1. Sensory disorder ie can't stand certain textures or sounds. Can't hear in backgound noise either.
2. I see patterns in things, and thus stare at "nothing" Several comments and waving of hands for not paying attention or staring of into space. Sometimes i am staring at a paticular object.
3. I've been told that when people are talking i tend to stare too much, or stare too much at people generally...often at lips when i am trying to understand them, but sometimes i just like looking, i dk if that counts though
4. I don't like change. I've kept the same radio station on for 3 years. Don't like being in a new place alone. I've gotten sick to my stomach every new year of school. If i have to go on a trip, i get sick too. Sometimes i flat out refuse to go. I like to sit for hours in one place. Also don't move around the room at social events.
5. Odd objects frighten me. When i was little i was afraid of escalators. I am still afraid of people dressed as mascots or animals such as disney land characters. I hate the new smiley faces on aim.
6. I stim. Rocking when upset, hair and finger twisting, rubbing whatever is in my hand, general bouncy movement when i am excited. Never have been able to sit still at a dinner table. Other stimming also.
7. I had a set way of playing with toys when younger. Things had to be my way and others weren't allowed to move what i had set up. I also had trouble following others pretend storylines and often refused to. Mother had to make me play both ways. Though I had a great imagination on my own and played well if others followed what i was thinking.
8. Fascination with odd objects. I loved pennies, shining them, separting them by date, counting them. I loved shining gold colored bookmarks. I liked to keep the paper wrappers around silver ware at restaurants.
9. Have trouble making friends. When in kindergarten, i remember just asking if someone wanted to be friends and getting a yes or no answer. Somewhere along the lines the rules changed. I have some friends, but only 2 close ones, one of which is my boyfriend.
10. I HATE social situations - they are loud, confusing, and i usually just feel lost. This includes ALL social situations.
11. I do not have a very readable facial expression. Most, including my mother, have difficulty telling if i am enjoying something, or if i am miserable.
12. I have a tendency to take things literally, thus leading to gullability and naivety. Never could learn slang either (Mom says that is bc i can from a christain elemtary school though.)
13. I don't understand implied meaning, often i read too much into something if i try. I hate the phrase reading between the lines.
14. I often don't know what the appropriate course of action would be in a social situation.
15. I often misunderstand tone of voice, usually reading too much into it. I guess i read facial expressions alright, i dk bc i don't usually try to.
Hopefully I didn't forget anything.

Sorry, it sounds to me like you ARE AS!

Steve

Heh! I collected and shined pennies, too.

I am told that you dont have to fit all of the criteria to get a diagnosis of AS in face there are different levels of it. If you think that you fit enough of it then perhaps talk to your doctor and get a refferral.

Social communication

People with AS may be very good at basic communication and letting people know what they think and feel. Their difficulties lie in the social aspects of communication. For example:

* they may have difficulty understanding gestures, body language and facial expressions
* they may not be aware of what is socially appropriate and have difficulty choosing topics to talk about
* they may not be socially motivated because they find communication difficult, so they may not have many friends and they may choose not to socialise very much.

Some of these problems can be seen in the way people with AS present themselves. for example classic traits include:

* difficulty making eye contact
* repetitive speech
* difficulties expressing themselves especially when talking about emotions
* anxiety in social situations and resultant nervous tics.


Social understanding

Typical examples of difficulties with social understanding include:

* difficulties in group situations, such as going to the pub with a group of friends
* finding small talk and chatting very difficult
* problems understanding double meanings, for example not knowing when people are teasing you
* not choosing appropriate topics to talk about
* taking what people say very literally.

You might want to back this up with specific examples of the kind of social situations you find difficult.

Imagination

This can be a slightly confusing term. People often assume it means that people with AS are not imaginative in the conventional use of the word, for example, they lack creative abilities. This is not the case and many people with AS are extremely able writers, artists and musicians. Instead lack of imagination in AS can include difficulty imagining alternative outcomes and finding it hard to predict what will happen next. This frequently leads to anxiety. This can present as:

* an obsession with rigid routines and severe distress if routines are disrupted
* problems with making plans for the future, and having difficulties organising your life
* problems with sequencing tasks, so that preparing to go out can be difficult because you can't always remember what to take with you.

Some people with AS over-compensate for this by being extremely meticulous in their planning, and having extensive written or mental checklists.


Secondary traits of Asperger syndrome

Besides the triad of impairments, people with AS tend to have difficulties which relate to the triad but are not included within it. These can include:

* obsessive compulsive behaviours, often severe enough to be diagnosed as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD);
* these can also be linked to obsessive interests in just one topic, for example they might have one subject about which they are extremely knowledgeable which they want to talk about with everyone they meet;
* phobias: sometimes people with AS are described as having a social phobia but they may also be affected by other common fears such as claustrophobia and agoraphobia;
* acute anxiety, which can lead to panic attacks and a rigid following of routines;
* depression and social isolation: this is especially common among adults;
* clumsiness often linked to a condition known as dyspraxia. This includes difficulties with fine motor co-ordination such as difficulties writing neatly as well as problems with gross motor co-ordination such as ungainly movements, tripping, falling a lot and sometimes appearing drunk as a result.

Not having these associated problems does not mean you do not have AS, but if you have any of them you might want to describe it in order to back up your case.

I make "mouth contact". I usually don't do eyes, but no one has ever mentioned my eye contact difficulties. You don't have to not make eye contact to be autistic.



I walked at 10 months. I also played sports. I was good with upper body coordination; I was a slow runner.



Ditto.



Other than doing odd accents with the comfort of my family, my voice is fairly normal. Only a couple times has anyone commented on my monotone but that was when I was really nervous, which I tend to do.



Same. I survived in a Catholic school with flying colors; was one of the nuns' favorites. Very courteous.



Same here.



Mine tend to take up a lot of my thoughts and time.



Same. I have a "general" routine and just prefer things to be relatively predictable, but this doesn't discount doing something new or fun. I just have to "okay" it first.



I'm pretty pedantic.



Ditto. Especially my own. And I enjoy poetry, too.



Same. If I'm really into a conversation, my hands are very active and I enjoy joint attention especially if it's something that fasinates me.



Ditto. I'm good at psychology/neurology.

I agreed with you on quite a few of these things. I have Asperger's Syndrome. So, conclusions: I wouldn't take the criteria too literally. It'll take awhile to get the general underlying "gist" of them. For instance:

-anxiety
-OCDlike tendencies
-problems multitasking, particularly in social situations
-general difficulty with knowing how to act in social situations (can be extreme disability or subtler)
-sensory issues (extreme or very mild); may include stimming
-some coordination issues, but doesn't discount talents in sports areas
-maybe some ADHD or ADD symptomology and other Executive Funtioning difficulties

These are some larger general categories.

Thank you everyone for responding, especially Stevek and Sophist who broke down my doubts one by one. Seems maybe my doubts aren't well founded afterall. After I showed my list and the responses to my mom, she agrees that i probably do have AS and we figured out that my dad probably does too. Makes me not feel so alone in my family knowing that i am so much like my dad, even in this. I've gone about discounting the possibility of AS from every direction i can think of short of going to a doctor and getting it official. It seems i can't discount it, so therefore it probably is. Going to get a diagnosis is out of the picture for the moment due to financial trouble. Guess i've got to learn on my own how to approach my life with this knowlege. I hate to say i am "self-diagnosed" bc there is always doubt in my life and i hate saying that it is for sure. But at this point it seems there is a very high probability. Again, thanks everyone.

cool

Like you and many others here, there are things that fit and things that don't. My AS traits are: intense interests, good vocabulary, encyclopedic knowledge of certain subjects and a preference for routine. I do understand metaphors, I have an okay eye gaze and I don't think literally.

A speech delay would fit the criteria for High Functioning Autism (HFA), but not AS.

I DON'T think literally EITHER, but I DO point out literal interpretations a lot, and DO remember when I took things more literally. I STILL sometimes take some statements too literally.

So, it CAN be subtle. BTW I sometimes try to run through all sorts of permutations, ESPECIALLY if something is off topic, too obvious, or off the wall, because sometimes people fish, etc.... 8-(

Steve