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bobbers
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26 Jan 2013, 3:52 am

Hey Guys!

I had a friend post my personal story on my account a few months back, and now I'm taking over trying to figure out if I should be tested for AS.

I'm a 24 year old woman, and I've been concerned that I have AS because I'm almost positive my older brother has it. I know it can run in families, and my OCD/hypochondria has me running around it circles about it. I do display some of the female aspie traits at various times in my life---like escaping to a fantasy world, replaying songs over and over, fixations on certain people who I wanted to be like, excellent at remembering people birthdays, as a kid I wasn't too girly--but I wasn't a tomboy either--I would pretend to be interested in the things my friends where into--like favorite bands, etc---even though I could care less--although there were many things that my friends were interested in that I was too. This may be due to the fact that I didn't know what everyone else was into at any given time--my hearing disability kind of kept me out of the loop on things. I do tend to obsess about things---especially when I'm bored--like right now when I'm in between jobs, and sitting a home all day :P

Reasons why I think my brother has AS:
-He flaps with hands and hums--stimming.
-He is absolutely obsessed with crime statistics and other kinds of statistics--he has whole notebooks filled out with numbers and he knows what each of them means.
-He's always been immature, and acts out with he's frustrations.
-He's super smart in math and science--never has to study, but still get the A.
-He has severe OCD, and is rigid.
-He doesn't like to be touch unless he is expecting it.
-If he wants to watch something on TV, everyone else has to turn away from their program or he will have a fit.
-When he was a toddler he was arrange his toys in patterns, and study parts of toy cars.

Growing up I has a hearing disability--caused by a disease of the stapes bone in the middle ear. I had corrective surgery on both ears when I was 12 and 13, respectfully. I was of course made fun of in school for my disability. Having a hearing impairment effects the way you communicate because a lot of information buzzing around is missed and can lead to confusion. I wanted to be treated like everyone else, because I didn't feel different from my peers. I had some friends growing up, but not a lot--I was super shy and self-conscience about everything I did. I knew what people were saying about me behind my back because other people would tell me. I even had a teacher call me retarded--can you believe that? Anyways, there was always someone in my class who seemed to have the perfect life, and it's not that I was try to imitate her or anything, but it was admiration and when I would escape into my world I would imagine my life as I wished it to be--my having more self confidence, having a different family, and my life the person that I admired as a friend. I would go into my fantasy world at night, or if I'm listening to music, and daydream excessively about people. My obsessions have always been based on people, but not in a stalker kind of way. I never had imaginary friends growing up or anything, and my obsessive escapism in my alternate world are based on real people and characters for movies and stuff.

I've always known how to act in various situations, but my low self-esteem made me appear awkward I suppose. I have an ISFP personality type, and we are the quite type, who sit back and observe the world inconspicuously. I get jokes, social cues, read facial expressions well, can read people well, have no problem with eye contact--I always make eye contact with people--it feels weird if I don't, I don't have any sensory issues--expect for a few problem with my ears---related to my surgeries, I don't particularly enjoy routines--I like to do things just when ever--I don't need a set schedule on anything, I love being around people, and I never dominate a conversation--and I'm good at the give and take in convos, and I'm a flexible and lay back person.

I was looking at Dr. Tony Attwood's studies on girls and women with Aspergers, and can identify with some of the traits, but at the same time I had a special circumstance with my hearing disability to affect my behavior in life.

I developed an anxiety disorder around the time of my parents divorce, and I'm currently taking meds that pretty much takes care of that. I have OCD--I use to hand wash excessively, check door knobs, that kind of thing. I also developed hypochondria in high school at the same time I developed my anxiety disorder--I think because I was feeling symptoms I had never experienced before.

So females out there with AS, but are some of the things you deal with on a daily bases.

I know this is a long post, but I could really use some peace of mind, because I can't shake the idea that I may be somewhere on the spectrum. I've taken all the online tests, and they all say NT, even on the broader autistic phenotype--I scored NT in all 3 areas. I've read posts on hear that those tests are really only good for guys with AS, so I'm running around in circles.



cyberdad
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26 Jan 2013, 4:24 am

I'm not female, but you may want to look at some of your diagnosed conditions such as OCD, hearing issues and hypochondria to explain at least some of your behavior. You can also get a professional assessment but as a 24 yr old what benefit would it provide to get diagnosed with AS?



bobbers
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26 Jan 2013, 4:30 am

cyberdad wrote:
I'm not female, but you may want to look at some of your diagnosed conditions such as OCD, hearing issues and hypochondria to explain at least some of your behavior. You can also get a professional assessment but as a 24 yr old what benefit would it provide to get diagnosed with AS?


I know that at 24 that I couldn't be benefited, but I would still just like to know!



Edminzodo
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26 Jan 2013, 8:25 am

I am female and 14, and I was not diagnosed until last year. I was just classified as 'odd and eccentric'.



Noetic
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26 Jan 2013, 8:40 am

What you have described about yourself sounds nothing like an ASD and everything like hypochondria.



Ettina
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26 Jan 2013, 8:56 am

I was in a bit of the same boat, having another condition (PTSD) that I'd used to explain my AS traits.

What really made me realize I'm autistic as well as having PTSD is that I started noticing all the traits I had that couldn't be explained by PTSD. Intense interests, odd mannerisms, that sort of thing. I sort of thought through all my quirks and realized there was a sizable amount that I'd never heard of being present in PTSD.

In the case of hearing impairment, if you had delayed language skills as a result, this can cause delayed theory of mind development as well. (Deaf od Deaf have no delays in ToM, but most Deaf with hearing parents do. However, it sounds like you're more hard-of-hearing than deaf?)

If you stim, you may be interested in this study, which compares stimming in autistic kids versus kids with sensory disabilities:

http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/handle/10072/28520/56197_1.pdf?sequence=1

In my opinion, nothing you've said so far indicates that you're on the spectrum. To me, you sound more like you have social anxiety than an autism spectrum condition.



bobbers
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26 Jan 2013, 2:14 pm

Ettina wrote:
I was in a bit of the same boat, having another condition (PTSD) that I'd used to explain my AS traits.

What really made me realize I'm autistic as well as having PTSD is that I started noticing all the traits I had that couldn't be explained by PTSD. Intense interests, odd mannerisms, that sort of thing. I sort of thought through all my quirks and realized there was a sizable amount that I'd never heard of being present in PTSD.

In the case of hearing impairment, if you had delayed language skills as a result, this can cause delayed theory of mind development as well. (Deaf od Deaf have no delays in ToM, but most Deaf with hearing parents do. However, it sounds like you're more hard-of-hearing than deaf?)

If you stim, you may be interested in this study, which compares stimming in autistic kids versus kids with sensory disabilities:

http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/handle/10072/28520/56197_1.pdf?sequence=1

In my opinion, nothing you've said so far indicates that you're on the spectrum. To me, you sound more like you have social anxiety than an autism spectrum condition.


Thanks! Yes, I was hard of hearing, not deaf, and wore hearing-aids...but that only goes so far and I still missed a lot of verbal cues. I had only slight delayed language skill, and had speech therapy and tutoring---I've caught up!

I do NOT stim! Never did!

Thanks for your opinion, I appreciate it :)



noxnocturne
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26 Jan 2013, 2:20 pm

*headdeskfacepalm*

:evil:



bobbers
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26 Jan 2013, 2:48 pm

noxnocturne wrote:
*headdeskfacepalm*

:evil:


ha...thanks! just what I needed dumb comments from you!! It wasn't easy telling my story.



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26 Jan 2013, 5:53 pm

It sounds like trying to work out whether you were on the spectrum or not was causing you a lot of anxiety, so having a firm answer either way would help settle that worry?



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26 Jan 2013, 6:00 pm

You seem to have been worrying about this for a long time - your friends first posts were back in October. I think it would be helpful for you to get professionally assessed (if you are able) so that you can know one way or another and set your mind to rest.

(From what you have written it doesn't really sound to me like you're the spectrum, but what do I know??)


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Female. Dx ASD in 2011 @ Age 38. Also Dx BPD


lady_katie
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26 Jan 2013, 6:37 pm

bobbers wrote:
I get jokes, social cues, read facial expressions well, can read people well, have no problem with eye contact--I always make eye contact with people--it feels weird if I don't, I don't have any sensory issues--expect for a few problem with my ears---related to my surgeries, I don't particularly enjoy routines--I like to do things just when ever--I don't need a set schedule on anything, I love being around people, and I never dominate a conversation--and I'm good at the give and take in convos, and I'm a flexible and lay back person.


Hi there, I'm a female diagnosed with asperger's syndrome. I'm a lot different than you. I do get most jokes (although many go over my head) and social cues, and I can read facial expressions and people most of the time (or so I think, ha!) ....but I didn't start making eye contact until I was 22 years old. It honestly never dawned on me to until someone pointed it out and I realized that eye contact was something that people did. I have loads of sensory issues. I don't really like to be touched unless I initiate it, and I can barely stand to be touched by strangers. I can't function without a routine and I have to be mentally prepared for just about everything I do. If I do something out of routine, it has to be something that I planned in advance to do "on the fly". I do not love being around people. I find most people to be confusing, overwhelming, and generally just annoying. I'm awful at having conversations and I typically don't say anything, or I talk at the wrong times, or I talk too much. Half the time I shut down in the middle of them because I'm so overwhelmed that my brain stops working. The word rigid doesn't even begin to describe me lol. I spend tons of time planning and organizing, and then going back over things to see if there is a more ideal way to do them. I wish I could be more laid back though! I have a love/hate relationship with my routines and rigidity.

Anyway...my point is that I don't get the impression that you're on the spectrum. :)



kahlua
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26 Jan 2013, 7:03 pm

YellowBanana wrote:
I think it would be helpful for you to get professionally assessed (if you are able) so that you can know one way or another and set your mind to rest.



+100000

Its a massive weight off the shoulders finally having an answer.



bobbers
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26 Jan 2013, 8:07 pm

Thanks guys! I definitely need to talk to a psychologist about my current issues. In the back of my mind I know I probably don't have it, but I always have excessive doubt because my brother fits the AS description so well. I suppose most of my problems stim from my hearing impairment since the age of 3.

Thanks for the opinions, it's all probably my OCD/anxiety disorder, and not AS.



Verdandi
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26 Jan 2013, 8:10 pm

bobbers wrote:
Thanks guys! I definitely need to talk to a psychologist about my current issues. In the back of my mind I know I probably don't have it, but I always have excessive doubt because my brother fits the AS description so well. I suppose most of my problems stim from my hearing impairment since the age of 3.

Thanks for the opinions, it's all probably my OCD/anxiety disorder, and not AS.


Yes, you do not sound like you are on the spectrum, but I should have said what you wrote reminds me of the time when I had severe panic disorder and the primary source of my distress was the thought that I might have some condition or other without any means to confirm or rule them out.