Autism Versus Aspergers And Masking Question.

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Reading posts on this site, I get the impression that masking is mainly done by those who would be classed on the old Aspergers side of the autistic spectrum and those closert to the classic autism were less likely to mask their traits?

Is this generally true? Or have I jumped to conclusions?

People on the "Asperger's" end of the Spectrum seem to have a more enhanced ability to "mask" than people with "classic" autism.

In "classic" autism, there is the tendency for the autistic symptoms to be more pronounced, even amongst people who are "high-functioning."

This is far from universal, though. There are quite a few people on the "Aspergers" end who don't "mask" too well at all.

I know I was an absolute expert at masking. It is only in recent years where I find due to successive burnouts, that masking was breaking down... That it feels like my life has unravelled and that my traits have been exposed, both to me and to others.

I am not sure for sure that I am on the spectrum...


Ooh. You mention high functioning autism. I had assumed this was the new term used for aspergers syndrome, but from what you wrote they seem different? What are the differences? And what is aspergers syndrome now called?

Most of the time, people with Aspergers and people with "classic" high-functioning autism are diagnosed, according to the DSM-V, with "Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level One, with no speech delay, and no intellectual disability." According to the ICD-10, there is still a separate Aspergers diagnosis.

I would say, as a general statement----though far from being universal----that people with Asperger's tend to do better at verbal tasks; and people with "classic," high-functioning autism tend to do better at practical, mechanical, "performance" tasks.

I don't know what I would be. Mind you. I may not even be on the spectrum. They may need to invent a catagory just for me because I am rather unique!

You have the Mountain Goat Affliction

You shall be the subject of further research---just your luck you are unique!

In the past I had always seemed to be neigher here or there in trying to define me. When I am assessed, all I can say to the assessors is "Good luck!" HAHA!

I kind of need my own category, too - I'm officially diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, but I'm much closer to moderate functioning than high functioning (I think my symptoms have at least become more obvious and problematic since my diagnosis). I don't mask as in trying to come across as NT, but I do try to make it less obvious, for example sticking to more subtle stims in public, so I don't draw as much attention to myself.

I don't 'mask'. Not to the extent of actually creating a social persona behind a less social one.

To me, it's just moods.



My own category has a mind of it's own. As if I'm my own hundred versions of myself.
For now I'm literally waiting and aiming for said category to stumble on the most functioning side of the spectrum.

Someday, I'd either;
... Able to take full control of my own category instead of waiting it to drift to a more reliable state to be productive.
... Or adapt to all states to have the same productive outcomes.

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

Is difficult...

Much of where I get issues are classed as lazyness. While I am not one to let things go to the point where I can't get in a room, the areas that I am responsible for like my bedroom and the room I have my bicycle things and bikes in tend to be messy. And I go to sort things out and somehow it rarely gets done. I make a start but finishing is where I get difficulties. I mean... I reach a point where I either get lots of shutdowns, or I fall into daydreaming mode and get nothing done.
I am the same like this in many other things I do. The strange thing is that I am the opposite in a work enviroment but in a work enviroment I am masking, which after successive burnouts over the last few years is hard to do... Reached a point where I can no longer work.... But in a work enviroment, I had a reputation (Which rather suprized me) for cleanliness compared to the other workers that were there. To be honest this is not actually due to cleanliness. It is more that I have to have everything in order. I mean. I need to put tools in the right places so I can find them. But often it means I get frustrated every time I started work as it would take me ages to sort it all out before I was happy as others didn't put things back the way I wanted them to be. I didn't mind other peoples orders as long as I knew what they were, but most had no order which was most annoying!
Even in my messy bedroom, I have my own order where though I may have piles of things dumped down in various places, I have an order to them.
One thing I can never ever do even in my messiest state is have old plates of food mixed in the mess. Yuck! It would spoil everything. Yuck. No! Piles of books and other things balanced on top of each other gathering dust is fine. But old food going stale. NO!! !! NEVER EVER!! !! Absolute YUCK!

I just do not understand how people can do that! Yuck!

Ok... I will calm down again now! Hahahahaha!

But going back on the point I was making. I am very good at starting things but not very good at finishing things!