Test accuracy and self diagnosis questions

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I am a 23 year old guy, and I have been wondering for some time whether I have AS, though I don't particularly want an official diagnosis, and want to ask a few questions.

I have been reading these forums quite a lot, and the more I read about experiences of Aspies, and take relevant tests, the more I am convinced that I have AS. However, I am also worried that I am biased by wanting to have something I can classify myself as to explain the way I feel, especially as there tends to be only confirming evidence here, i.e. I have not found any stories of people who have been convinced they have AS, but have come to realise they don't.

I want to know what sort of evidence it takes, for people to come to realise they have AS? And what does it take for people who are self diagnosed to actually say they actually have AS?

If I am trying to determine whether I have AS or not, how much credence should I place in the tests you can take online? I have tried a few tests, have answered them as honestly as I can, and have always come out as an Aspie. How likely does that make it that I have AS? Would people say that it is enough for a self diagnosis?

I read lists of symptoms of AS and recognise myself in quite a lot, though not all, of them. I read problems people on these forums have, and the ' You Might be an Aspie if...' thread, and see a lot of experiences I share, and even notice new things that I didn't realise about myself, and didn't know were common in Aspies. Is this enough for me to consider myself as Aspie?

I would generally consider myself non-NT, as I have always felt out of place and fundamentally different from other people, and have only fairly recently read about AS and realised there are other people who are similar to me. However to many people I appear relatively 'normal', just a little quiet/shy/antisocial/quirky, I think partly because I have managed to improve some of my social skills. I am trying to determine if I would be considered an Aspie or not. How do I know if I am not just trying to seek out any 'excuse' for my lack of social skills, and am too ready to conclude I have AS symptoms? How do I determine if I am more likely to have AS or another similar condition? If AS is just a way to describe the type of person you are, then does being the same type of person as Aspies make you an Aspie?

You could Google up the accurate online test for AS, and see what you score on that.

Not sure which test you mean?

I scored 39 on the AQ, and on the Aspie quiz I came out with 165 Aspie, and 33 NT.

Apsie Quiz is the one she's referring too. The first time I took that quiz I got 140 and I'm diagnosed.

when I first found out about it , years and years ago, I mentioned it to a therapist i was seeing. she told me there was a national autism society. She knew a counsellor who worked there. she gave me the phone number of the lady and I went in to meet her and she said i seemed to show quite a few traits and to get further professional testing with a psych if I wanted. she suggested I come to the adult group. I went to the group only but after meeting them all in person I was pretty much convinced anyway.

So would you say that scoring that high on the Aspie quiz is enough for me to consider myself an Aspie?

I have never actually met an Aspie in person, so I don't really know how I compare

Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning each individual's autistic traits will fit somewhere on that spectrum. If you see it as a continuum, it starts out with people who just have a few quirks or some mild social impairments, and it ranges up to more pronounced traits and difficulties (or strengths, since some autistic traits can be considered strengths), and on and on.

I think AS is kind of like an envelope on the milder end of the spectrum, but to me it doesn't really matter whether or not I fit snugly inside that envelope or whether I'm a few traits short of qualifying for a full diagnosis of AS. I have gone for a diagnosis recently, and the doctor said I lack some of the typical traits of AS, but that my degree of social impairment is one of the worst she's seen, and she only sees people with Asperger's. So my diagnosis is "almost Asperger's" but she said that my impairment is severe enough that I should definitely try to get help with it.

If you can recognize that you have some of the traits of AS, then I think you can feel confident that you are on the spectrum. It isn't an "all or nothing" diagnosis.

I will add a factor not yet touched on: Do the traits that you exhibit have a clinically significant impact?

In my view (and I don't pretend that this is universally held), you don't qualify for a diagnosis by merely presenting traits, the presentation of traits must be significant enough to have an impact on your life. Do they interfere with your ability to succeed academically? Do they interfere with your ability to secure and retain employment? Do they interfere with your ability to form and maintain relationships? And most importantly, are these things important to you?

From what you describe, I think you have a solid basis for believing yourself to be on the spectrum. What I cannot glean from your post is whether being on the spectrum is creating difficulties for you. If so, then chances are very good that you could be diagnosed, and that some form of support would be beneficial to you.

If this is more an exercise in understanding why you perceive yourself to be different and coming to terms with that, then perhaps it is enough for you to conclude that you are on the spectrum and leave it at that.

One other point that I will add is that these impacts change over time. Diagnosis was not an option when I was a child and a teen in the 70's and early 80's, but I was very significantly impacted. During my twenties, the impact was significantly diminished, but it reasserted itself in my late 30's (which was when I was diagnosed). So while you may be looking back on a difficult childhood, and settling into a more stable early adulthood, there might still be value in understanding these issues should you face impediments in the future.

Do you then think that the term Aspie should be used in much the same way that people use the term depressed?
i.e. depression is a clinical condition that you can get a diagnosis from a doctor for, but there are different degrees, and many people would say they are depressed without going near a doctor, because they clearly feel that it succinctly describes how they feel. Similarly, should people call themselves Aspie, because it succinctly describes the type of person they are?

From my perspective we run the risk of muddling meaning when we expect a word to serve multiple purposes.

"Depressed," can be indicative of a transient mood, or it can be a clinical term identifying a medical diagnosis.

I don't think that the label, "Aspie," has gained a life for itself outside a clinical context. "I'm an Aspie," and "I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome," are much closer statements than, "I'm depressed," and "I have been diagnosed with depression."

With the advent of DSM-V and disappearance of AS as a discrete diagnosis, perhaps the nomenclature might change.

Thanks for the interesting viewpoint. I am not sure exactly what would be considered clinically significant, but I would say the traits do interfere to some degree in those three areas. I have always been academically gifted, but at university I found that I would very often lack any motivation to study as it wasn't what I was interested in at that time. When it was part of a routine, in lectures or seminars, I would find the work fascinating, but once I was on my own time, I only ever wanted to do was follow my latest interest was, so never did as much revision as others around me.
I have never really made an concerted effort to find stable employment (I hope to return to university to do a doctorate), but I have often found myself staring at application forms, for even the most basic of jobs, worrying and trying to figure out what to write in various sections, usually ones where you have to sell yourself, and have ended up putting down something I know looks terrible.
At university I managed to maintain a few friendships, but I have been good at making friends. All my friendships have come about by the efforts of others, and every time I try to make friends with someone I either can't work out what to say and say nothing, or say something inappropriate or that doesn't convey my intentions.
I would say these things are important to me, mainly the social interactions, as I have always been relatively successful academically, and think I could probably find myself a decent job because of this. However, my lack of social skills does really get me down. Quite a few times, especially since leaving university now I don't really have any friends, people have suggested I might be suffering from depression, researching this possibility was what led me to the description of AS.



I don't really want a diagnosis because I feel I can cope without help, and I am very afraid that if I was formally declared an Aspie, that I would start to use it as an excuse for why I struggle in social situations, and stop trying to improve myself. In this regard I think you are right, I just wish to understand myself better, so am seeking to find out unofficially if I have AS, or something similar (eg, ADD), or if I am just a bit strange and want to find somewhere I fit in.

Sorry if I have gone on a bit, discovering AS recently has been a voyage of discovery, for me, mainly to find that there are people out there who share similar problems to me.

Now you're getting into philosophical territory...

I think depression is different from autism because everyone can feel depressed at some point in their lives even if they don't qualify for a diagnosis of clinical depression, but not everyone is a little bit autistic. Autism, even when mild, is an actual difference in how the brain is set up.

Recognizing that you are on the spectrum is a useful tool to deal with how you live your life and any problems you might be having as a result. So I think what you're asking is whether "autism spectrum" is the right explanation for how you experience the world. From what you have said, it sounds like it is, but you (or a professional who is knowledgeable about AS) are the best person(s) to make that determination. We can't figure it out based on a forum post.

If you still aren't sure, and seeing a professional is not an option (too expensive, etc., there can be many reasons not to seek a diagnosis), another question you might ask yourself is what else could it be?