survey for Aspies/Autistic

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Wow... I guess I did say ANYTHING O.o

Anyways! thanks so far for all the answers people!! ! These are excellent answers! I am sorry for weird wording, or not very precise wording in some questions... I am had at asking surveys apparently

But I'll keep reading the responses as they come in!

Diploid Tripolid Mixoploidy - the funnest syndrome to say!

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
-My sons pddag guy says he has no doubt I am on the spectrum, formal diagnosis is in 11 days *scared*

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
-Frustrating, lonely, thought provoking, bewildering, over whelming,

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
-I have all the symptoms listed on the table in aspergirls except over emotional, I am the opposite and rarely show emotion

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
-When I read through my school reports it's obvious that my teachers knew something was wrong, back then it never occurred to anyone to find out what. I have always known I am different but I didn't know why

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
-I don't think I have depression, I often have a numb feeling and operate on auto pilot, I do suffer from anxiety but I tend to internalise it, life has taught me that showing weakness opens you up for attack

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
-Work, I don't like to be in an environment what someone else is in control, I mostly lone work which suits me fine, but when I have to work with others everything falls apart, I offend someone, or I shut down

7. What are your interests?
-Martial arts (25 years) pens (I have 182 not including highlighters felt tips) reading <3, reading WP, World of Warcraft(lost the love a bit just now) puzzles (can't do without my rubiks cube) photography (as long as they are not photos of me) and art.

8. what were you like as a child?
-lost, wouldn't talk, struggled constantly, hyperlexic

9. do you have memory issues?
-yes! I have trouble remembering to carry out tasks, pay bills etc. It takes me a long time to recognise someone new, especially if they are out of context. But I remember conversations easily, I remember where I first spoke to someone, and what we first spoke about even if it was 30 years ago, my childhood memories are virtually complete

10. how do you take criticism?
-I don't.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
-No but my 2 sons have aspergers,

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
-I don't listen to much, I have radio 1 in the car

13. what is your social life like?
-I guess it revolves around my martial arts, it's otherwise non existent

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
-I have to make lists of EVERYTHING, I have to do my martial arts everyday except Saturday and Thursday, I have to wash the dishes in a certain order.. lots of things like this

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
-I would know they were there, I have done martial arts for 25 years, I don't get sneaked up on

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
-Years ago I had no friends and would feel lonely and wonder what was wrong with me, later I tried to make friends and failed, now I push people away and succeed

17. anything else you can think of!! ! Yea could you bring me a tea? milk, no sugar, thanks.

I self-diagnosed in 2005 and got professionally diagnosed somewhere between 2007 and 2010. My doctor was a bit vague; he first explicitly mentioned me having it last year, but he sounded as though he'd thought for some time that I had it, and I noticed that on one of my bills from 2007 my referral expiry date had been changed to "indefinite".



I don't have anything to compare it to.



Socially: I can't initiate exchanges, and most of my conversational skills are limited to scripted responses or "lecturing", which generally doesn't go down too well. I get overwhelmed socially very easily. I'm also not terribly interested in socialising. I've got the typical flat affect/flat voice etc. I have trouble focussing on people and not the whole environment, so I look distracted when I talk to people. I really have almost no idea what to do with people.
Language: I have trouble initiating speech; it took until after the age of 18 for me to be able to greet people first, and even now I'm working on triggers for initiation. I get words mixed up, get words out of order in sentences, and occasionally forget how to talk. I lost speech as an infant.
Interests: I am obsessive about things, and I can get caught up in things and neglect things that I need to do. I'll sometimes find myself not really enjoying something but unable to tear myself away from it because my brain is so fascinated by it.
Motor stuff: I'm pretty much constantly stimming, if I'm not I'm: engrossed in music; asleep or unwell. My gross motor skills are terrible, and my fine motor skills are uneven: sometimes they're brilliant, other times I may as well have bunches of bananas for fingers. All problems with them disappear when I pick up a musical instrument.
I have trouble judging distances and the position of my body in space, so I walk into doorways a lot, and I walk up stairs clinging to the handrail and watching my feet.
I lose track of my limbs when I dance.
Executive functioning: I'm putting routines under this heading, for 2 reasons: 1, I get stuck on routines, and 2, I use routines as a compensatory strategy: the reason I can get anything done is because I build things into a routine. I have problems with inertia: both starting things and stopping once I've started. I can turn the latter to my advantage: I force myself to work for 10 minutes on a project, then I spend hours effortlessly with it. I have trouble with transitions, including the one at the start of the day from "doing nothing" to "doing something", and if I didn't constantly fight this, I'd probably be a shut-in. Just getting through the front door is difficult, and I have to drag myself kicking and screaming to work every day. This is somewhere where routine helps. If I have things to do but not at a set time, I'll often end up doing them hours later than I intended, if at all.
I'm very forgetful.
I'm ok at making lists of what to do; bad at following through.
I have trouble with sequencing.
I can't keep my room tidy (one of my custom ranks here was "I can write symphonies but I can't tidy my room").
I'm not sure if this would come under this heading, but I'm very good at noticing details but bad at integrating them into a larger picture.
I tend to get stuck on one course of action and have difficulty seeing alternatives.

That's what I can think of for now...



Because when I was at school, children who were brilliant academically and non-disruptive but clumsy, forgetful and bad at making friends didn't get diagnosed with stuff.
I wasn't bothering my teachers (aside from their exasperation at the fact that I would forget my own head if it wasn't screwed on), therefore, I must not have had any problems.



Have had depression, still have a lot of anxiety. Generalised anxiety and OCD.



Becoming independent.



Music, always. Also linguistics, cosmology, particle physics, mathematics, art, neurology, philosophy, and photography. Those are currently in the top spots.



Like I am now but smaller and I didn't know as many words/facts.



I can remember pi to 40 decimal places.
I can memorise a piece of music after one playthrough.
I can remember pretty well everything interesting that I read.
I can remember just about every detail of conversations that were important to me.

I can't remember my students names
Or where I left my wallet
or my shoes
or my phone
or that I need to take a pencil with me to work even though I've been in the same job for 5 years
or what I walked into the room for
or what I did yesterday
or that I made a cup of tea and need to drink it.

My memory is... uneven.



Better than I used to, but I'm still not great with it.



No, but I know people with it, and one of my friends is missing her corpus callosum and has many autistic traits.



Mainly classical, and yes, but I'm more likely to listen to the same FRAGMENT of music over and over.



Almost nonexistent, which I like.



Yes.



Have you ever been attacked by a human tornado?



Yes.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
I was diagnosed at age 7, which would have been in 1994
2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
What's it like to be NT? I don't exactly have a baseline reading to go off of
3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Sound sensitivity, periods of being unempathetic. Extreme Thomas the Tank Engine obsession (the early books and early series with Ringo Starr), I had other symptoms, but I either outgrew them or adapted to them,
4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
I think I have anxiety attacks when I'm doing something unfamiliar
6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Problems finding friends, the board I'm on not knowing the real me due to intentional misleading, other boards hating my guts or merely tolerating me due to me only just coming out of my GIFT period, lack of a job and girlfriend
7. What are your interests?
Anime, Manga, Videogames, Reading, Parkour, internet forums
8. what were you like as a child?
That lonely kid who was bullied
9. do you have memory issues?
Yes. I can't remember much from before I was 13. Either it was the medication or those years sucked
10. how do you take criticism?
Getting better at taking it
11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
I have my suspicions that one of my friends has Aspergers.
12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
METAL! I like Nightwish, Sabaton, Manowar and Apocalyptica. I don't have the same song on repeat for hours. I also like videogame music
13. what is your social life like?
Limited. Since all my boards are based in other countries, I can't meet anyone from them. That or I don't want to . I have less friends than I have fingers and they are the kind who prefer to stay at home than go out and do stuff
14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
No, although I'm thinking of going nocturnal
15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Hit them back, although I like hugs
16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
I always have had less friends than fingers
17. anything else you can think of!! !
Curebies really annoy me, as does the woman who heads the "MMR Vaccine causes autism."

Last edited by Nocte on 01 Sep 2011, 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

In 11th grade, my English teacher recommended a book to me called "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time". I didn't know about autism and read up on it on Wikipedia. It occurred to me that it was very likely that I am autistic.

I received my diagnosis in 2007, I think? I should be sure about this, oh well. I was diagnosed with ADHD on top later.

I'm self-diagnosed with tics but they're mild, I think (I only know most severe cases from TV). I thought they'd go away because sometimes tics are said to vanish by adolescence but so far no luck. I'm not sure if there's any point for an official diagnosis.


What's it like not to be? I don't know so I can't tell you.

Beyond all the awful stuff that sometimes happens because of my difference, it's okay though, being like this.


I'm just going to list all I can think of. Importance varies for a lot of them depending on the situations I'm in. I got:

inability to read body language, language problems, difficulties with change, sensory processing errors, understanding relationships differently, interacting atypically, stereotypes, detail-orientated perception. Is there anything I missed? I lost track.


I underwent the diagnostic process in order to be qualified to receive therapy. A diagnosis of any ASD was required for that.


Neither but I am somewhat at risk for depressive symptoms when stress levels are extremely high for a long time.


This is really complicated. I can't think of an answer appropriate in length or depth.


I was never good at answering this but I'll try. I do martial arts, I like mangas and enjoy reading. I play video games too. I listen to music a lot but I'm not interested in musicians.

I can get interested in about everything, I'm very curious.


I hardly talked, I was not taking part in social interaction most of the time but I was very autistic-ally observant.


It would take a long time to explain these here.


In many ways at once.

My autism understands criticism to be information that is to be evaluated for relevance and practical application for the future. My ADHD is really concerned about criticism being fair or unfair. The rest of me is very annoyed with people daring to think their criticism is meaningful, because I'm the most amazing person alive anyway.


I know, visit and have worked with children on the spectrum. I like it, kids are great.

I know and have met a few older adults with AS but I decided that we didn't get along. Just having an ASD in common doesn't make up for not getting along otherwise.


I don't know, I'm not interested enough in what types of music are called to be able to give a factually correct answer.


Totally.


I enjoy meeting people I know and go out with friends occasionally. I talk to people at work too.


I don't have to do routines, I won't drop dead if I don't do them.

This is another answer that I can't seem to turn into a short, precise summary, sorry.


My reaction would depend on who is involved and where the situation takes place.


The answer is way too complicated to list here.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?

2007 aged 19 with Asperger syndrome then after reviews, High functioning autism in 2010. Had some suspicion I was on the spectrum since I was 16 though.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?

Frustrating at times because it stops me from doing a lot of things. It has made me have to live in care and I find it very difficult at times.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?

Sensory problems, especially with hearing, sight and tactile. Lots of stimming (I am quite obvious to outsiders), poor understanding of speech (although people seem to think this isn't the case and I get in trouble a lot ), central auditory processing difficulties, meltdowns. There's more but I'd take up the entire thread...

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?

Because in the 1990's girls 'couldn't have autism' and the doctor actually laughed at my social phobic Mum when she mentioned that I had actually had a panic attack aged 6. Needless to say she never took me back to the doctors until I was a teen Then when I was 12, I didn't get diagnosed because the CAHMS 'didn't like putting labels on kids'.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?

Had depression on and off for years. Was at one point diagnosed with general anxiety disorder (GAD). Also had more phobias than you could fit on a piece of A4 paper and agoraphobia was the worst of these.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?

My difficulty with understanding the world around me is probably the biggest. I would also say my inability to hold down a full time job, live independently and to be able to be happy in this world.

7. What are your interests?

Musicals, especially those by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Also rabbits and Pokémon.

8. what were you like as a child?

Loner, no friends, had poor handwriting, couldn't focus on anything that wasn't my interest, span a lot, spent a lot of time lying on the floor spinning wheels on cars and lining up toy animals... text book autistic basically...

9. do you have memory issues?

Only with short term memory. Long term sticks forever! I often forget instructions that have literally just been given to me.

10. how do you take criticism?

I don't always realise it IS criticism (even if it is the constructive kind) and have often got frustrated/hit out or had a meltdown when someone criticizes me. So in shorter terms... badly.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?

My four friends are all somewhere on the spectrum. That's what you get for living in a care home with autistic people!

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?

Musicals (hint above!). Yes I do listen to the same track over and over, especially when I am distressed. I do listen to other music too but not rap so much because it sounds aggressive.

13. what is your social life like?

Meager to non-existent

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?

Yes. I wish time didn't exist sometimes because having to do things right as the second hand hits 12 can be a pain in the lower regions!

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?

I would probably turn round and headbutt them... Best you don't try it really!

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?

I didn't want friends. I was never interested in the other kids. When I did get friends it was because they talked to me, never the other way round.

17. anything else you can think of!! !

I also have Tourette syndrome and hemidystonia (two neurological disorders).

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
Was diagnosed at 8 years old.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Absolutely hell. Wish I wasn't the one with it.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Anger causing lash-outs at home, socially phobic in social situations, agitated in crowds, sensory issues with noises, very obsessive over certain men, need a structual routine, high anxiety (might be a seperate disorder)

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
N/A

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Anxiety

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Having to look for work (I'm unemployed)

7. What are your interests?
Moths in the summer, weather in the winter, buses all year round

8. what were you like as a child?
Quite typical really, except still a bit tantrumy even at 11 years old

9. do you have memory issues?
My memory is more or less neutral, but I daren't wear make-up because I know I will forget to take it off at night or check in the mirror every now and again

10. how do you take criticism?
Not very well, in fact I have to avoid people who are the critical type

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
I have a friend with moderate Autism, and I'm not sure if one of my other friends has AS or some other disorder (she's the type who doesn't like to say). The rest of my friends are (as far as I know) NTs

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I like all sorts of music, but I don't listen to the same one for hours

13. what is your social life like?
I have quite a wide circle of friends, and I see a particular friend a lot of times throughout the week (but this is the first time I ever had descent friends)

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
I do have a routine, but I don't have outbursts if it gets changed. Being unemployed, I don't have much of a routine at the moment, but when I do get a job I don't want it to be different shifts

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
I don't like people smacking my bum, but otherwise being touched doesn't bother me. I would just hug them back or if they tapped my back I would just turn around and say ''hello''

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
I had difficulty in school, and I think I still do now (but I have got better and I've finally found some nice friends), but I've always wanted friends. In fact when I was aged between 11 and 14, I got very depressed because I never had any friends, and I would cry to my mum in holidays and even have outbursts because I felt so lonely.

Last edited by Joe90 on 02 Sep 2011, 7:03 am, edited 2 times in total.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
I'm booked to be evaluated this autumn.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Lonely. Constantly thinking that something has gone wrong in my life seriously, blaming both myself and others (that's before realizing I may have AS). The more mature I'd gotten the more I blamed myself.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Social ineptness. Can't relate to people. I don't understand what they talk about, what opinions do they form and why, and although I get the idea of social networking, I just can't do it. I'm either a lazy ignorant asocial jerk or indeed short of basic abilities.
I have ADD traits too, difficulty with speaking (stutter, stammer, speaking too fast, muddling and tripping over words), moderate sensory issues with hearing, smell, mild with touch, light with food and light. Oh, don't forget anxiety induced meltdowns.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
To put my thoughts to rest and acquire some help, if possible, in the form of counseling and perhaps medication, although I used to advocate against it...

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Depression, never. Anxiety, sometimes. My anxiety level rises dramatically when I don't know what should I do with my life, get too many rejections, fail too often. I'm prone to be jittery when stressed.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Forming romantic relationships, not to mention sticking with one and having a family.

7. What are your interests?
Many. One of the weirdest is tweaking hi-fi audio equipment. I can listen and tinker alternately for hours, playing the same music title over and over again and listen to the slightest audible difference my modifications may cause. I indeed have good ear for that. Apart from this, I like listening to music, reading (mostly sci-fi), reading foreign language books, English, WP, cycling, astronomy, physics, photography.

8. what were you like as a child?
I was aloof but not lonely and liked to play construction games. I could participate in group activities and hang out with others, though. As years went by my problems with relating become more and more obvious, peaking at the age of 8-9, when I had severe behavioral problems. Later on I learned to accept my status as an outsider, the quiet contemplator I've always been.

9. do you have memory issues?
My long time memory is kinda rubbish for factual information, especially names, written knowledge. My short time memory is not so bad, though I have difficulties with concentrating on complex tasks, instructions, remembering what I did and what to do. I have difficulties with recognizing new people and learning their names, knowing what I said to whom and who told me what.

10. how do you take criticism?
It depends. When I assume ill-conceived intentions, I take it hard. When not, I can handle it.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
I have one close friend, one really good friend (probably HFA), and a couple of good acquaintances.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Depends on my mood and the period. I tend to listen to the same set of albums and titles, but not one song over and over again, unless I'm really in one, or comparing sound quality (as above). Pink Floyd up to 1975, MO Hergest Ridge, Ska (eg. Maximum Kouette), Baroque (French), Classical, Jazz, Folk Music, Country, J.M. Jarre (1976-78 ), old Hungarian pop-rock, some soundtracks (eg. Solaris, The Time Machine remakes).

13. what is your social life like?
I meet my parents, my sister and my closest friend weekly, and my other friend once in every one or two months. I meet my other acquaintances occasionally. Other than that, I'm not socializing much.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
I have a job, so I quite clearly follow a routine or set of routines. I don't have definite OCD traits but tend to do stuff alway the same way, and it feels good. I'm not afraid of changes, though.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
I've learned to show little surprise when I hear a loud sound or somebody tries to frighten me jokingly, so I would probably underreact, seemingly paralyzed.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
My mom was surprised and somewhat dubious when I told her my only friend was my cousin throughout my years at primary/elementary school. I alway had have some pals around me, but not always from my age. I had a tendency to play or hang out with other rejects. I formed lasting friendships only later in my life, some of them are/were based on shared special interests, one of them just has happened.

17. anything else you can think of!! ![/quote]
I alway had my twin sister by my side. I can't imagine how my life would have turned out without her.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
I was diagnosed at age 15.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
I feel like an alien among humans. Other people have such a hard time understanding me, and I have such a hard time understanding myself, that I wouldn't be surprised if I really was from another planet.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Lack of social skills, need for routine, and special interests, though not necessarily in that order.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
My AS symptoms were masked by my (other) mental illnesses, which are OCD, anxiety and depression. The fact that mental healthcare is not very good in my area probably has something to do with it too.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Both, to the point of needing medication.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Not being high-functioning enough to live and work independently, worrying too much, having difficulty controlling my emotions.

7. What are your interests?
Tim Burton's movies, anime, Prince Poppycock, and Klaus Nomi.

8. what were you like as a child?
Quiet, shy, scared, highly sensitive, cried a lot. I mostly stayed in my own little world, either reading or talking to imaginary friends.

9. do you have memory issues?
I have poor short-term memory. My psychiatrist says it's due to the fact that I only pay attention to my interests.

10. how do you take criticism?
Not very well. It always makes me cry because I process it as a personal attack.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
No.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Mainly Eurodance, dance-pop and neo-classical. Yes, I do listen to the same song over and over.

13. what is your social life like?
Terrible. I have no friends in real life, only over the Internet.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
Yes. Every night I have to be left alone by 10:30 PM, take a shower at 11 PM and be in bed by 1:30 AM (at the earliest) or 5:30 AM (at the latest).

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Get really angry.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Yes.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
I have an elaborate imaginary world and I still have imaginary friends. If anyone would like more info on it, feel free to PM me.

June 1, 2011 roughly 3AM PST.



IDK. I've been this way my whole life so I don't have a standard to compare against.



Sensory hypersensitivity(especially hearing), various stimming, obsessive interests, and a lack of motivation to socialize.



I've not been diagnosed professionally yet. I'd like to for the peace of mind.



I can be prone to bouts of melancholy from time to time but nothing too serious.



Being unemployed, broke and not being able to find work.



Programming and puzzle games.



Fairly quiet. Kept mostly to myself.



No. I have a nearly photographic memory.



Depends on the source but usually not well.



I don't have any friends.



I usually listen to whatever's on the radio(except country and oldies). And once I find a song I really like, I can listen to it for hours on end.



I have no social life.(and honestly I am in no hurry to get one. I like being alone.)



I usually have to check that I have locked the door several times before I feel comfortable leaving the house. Besides that not really.



Not well. I don't like being touched as a rule and if someone touches me when I'm not expecting it I generally recoil like I've been tazed.(and if someone smacked my ass without me expecting it, I'd knock them out.)



Difficulty, no. Lack of interest, yes.



This survey needs more desu. That is all.

I love surveys!! !

1. When did you get diagnosed:
age 11

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Uuuh.. what johnsmcjohn said. I guess it doesn't seem too different from being NT.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
bad executive function
social awkwardness (getting better all the time, in the past it was worse)
meltdowns (when I was younger)
face blindness
difficulty speaking
special interests/obsessions

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
I don't know what "later on" means, but it seemed like they were doing those tests for YEARS, so I guess they started early but it took them a while.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
I used to have a lot of both, but I'm a lot better at controlling my emotions now. They are still there though, but only show up rarely.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Now? Not much, now is very good. I guess procrastination is something I always struggle with though.

7. What are your interests?
Overall: drawing. (Seem to be taking a break from that though.)
Right now: plants. And a couple specific computer games. And, um.. uh, camping gear, I guess. LOL. I need to find something a little more diverse. I'm between MAJOR interests.

8. what were you like as a child?
sort of typical AS I guess. Pretty oblivious to everything, easy to send into a meltdown, always drawing.

9. do you have memory issues?
Yyyeeessss... Yes.

10. how do you take criticism?
I think I take it pretty well, like I definitely try to use it to improve myself, but I think it looks like I take it bad because I get annoyed at myself for not correcting myself without help, and then I get annoyed at the person because they usually won't stop talking even though I got the point. So maybe that means I don't actually take it well, lol.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
Yes, my best friend from private school is ASD too, and so are some other people I know including one lady at my work.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Sometimes, but usually not for hours. I listen to a lot of different things. I never really know what to listen to. Specific songs catch my interest, not usually genres or bands.

13. what is your social life like?
I have a pretty good one. I have lots of friends and I get along with them. There is not much drama or anything like that.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
Uh, well sort of, but not really. If I can't do them I can't do them, but yes, if it's at all reasonably possible there are some things I definitely try to do exactly the way I like them.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
I would just freeze, or I might yelp a little. I think at some point I trained myself that these were the only safe/acceptable reactions, because any other reaction would make me look weird, so now it's like automatic that I just freeze until I understand what's actually going on, and then I react in a more calm way.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
I guess I had a lack of interest. I always played by myself at recess unless someone approached me. Luckily people do occasionally approach me, and that's how I make friends. I do like having friends.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
I can never think of anythinnnnggggg.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
I was diagnosed at 5 years old in 1988.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
I don't like the severe sensory overload that I get and how I misinterpret what others say. I am just weird and know nothing else because I have always been autistic. I don't know what its like to not have it.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Severe sensory overload, constant rocking back and forth, when young horrible social skills am better now but still needs work, I do weird things with my hands, sometimes little eye contact but other times too much eye contact, special interests that are intense

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
got diagnosed as a child so doesn't apply

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Both plus schizoaffective disorder as well

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Not having a job and not contributing to society in any meaningful way, stressors include my parents health (I still live with my parents) and scared that my dad will retire with no money leaving us poor and will cause me to get more depressed and suicidal.

7. What are your interests?
Art, video games (first person shooters), airplanes (building balsa model ones), the stock market, and abnormal psychology (mainly autism and psychotic disorders)

8. what were you like as a child?
I personally don't remember my childhood but I know I didn't care for friends and didn't know how to make them and didn't speak much until I was 7 when I got a dog

9. do you have memory issues?
Yes, severe memory loss when its short term better long term but not childhood
10. how do you take criticism?
Not well at all I take it very personally.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
For awhile yes but it turns out they threw out his autism diagnosis and I don't know why

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I like soft rock and pop and I listen to the same song but not for hours on end

13. what is your social life like?
Better than what it used to be. I have a few close friends now and I get along with them because they are diagnosed with various mental illnesses and they seem to be more understanding than "normal" people.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
I have to go to sleep around the same time every day or else I start getting anxious and follow a schedule. I also have to ask my parents around 30 min to 1 hour before I plan to go to sleep what my schedule is the next day I can't have surprises
15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
If I wasn't expecting it I would yell and jump and be scared. If I was expecting a hug then I would love it. I didn't like hugs when I was younger but now I like hugging especially my brother. I call him "huggable."

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Yes until recently in the last few years. Mainly difficulty making friends rather than a lack of interest in making friends. As a child it was a total lack of interest as well.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
Self-dx this year (about the time I joined WP). I'm not attempting to get a formal diagnosis.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
I realize I probably represent the minority here, but I really actually like my mind. Things that many people find to be difficult seem to come almost naturally to me. I do have limitations, of course, but thus far I've been able to work around them and make it through without any serious issues.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Special interests and intense focus as a kid. Social isolation and awkwardness since I was 13, although in combination with the first two listed. I've always had all the other symptoms too, although only very mildly.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
I never even knew anything was wrong until I was 13. And at the time, I didn't think much of it. I didn't know about AS either, so I really did think I was some sort of alien.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Stress causes depression for me. Other than that, no. I do get mild anxiety from time to time, but my logical brain is very good at keeping it in check.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Two major things. One, laziness. Two, people skills. Those are the only things standing in my way of what I want to do with my life. Nothing else should be a problem.

7. What are your interests?
Where do I begin? I have many interests, but the year of 2011 will likely be remembered as the year of psychology and introspection, in no small part due to WP.

8. what were you like as a child?
Very passive, obedient, curious, and obsessed with certain topics and things to the point of insanity.

9. do you have memory issues?
Working memory, yes. I believe this to be the primary reason why I think slowly and can't multitask effectively.

10. how do you take criticism?
Not as well as I should, that's for sure.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
I tried to be, but it didn't work out. I wasn't outgoing enough.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Mostly either classical or ambient, although I listen to other stuff occasionally. As a kid I listened to the same annoying song over and over for months with no end, but not anymore.

13. what is your social life like?
Minimal, and unless I find people who are like me, I don't care. I think my primary difficulty is not related to a lack of communicational skills, but a combination of both extreme introversion and a lack of people who I can relate to, being that, AS or not, I am a neurological minority.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
No, although it does irritate me when I don't get to follow through with my routines.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
"What the hell, jerkface?"

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Before school age I was far too selfish to get along with others. Once I started going to school though, that improved greatly. Making friends didn't come natural to me, but I was able to force myself to do it. Then when I got to middle school I became known as the mute kid. I thought they were dumbasses, so I ignored them. I isolated myself and developed quite a bit of a superiority complex. I'm not like that anymore, as I have been trying to be more social. I still ignore dumb people, but I try to decrease the amount of people I view as dumb. They don't help make it easy, though.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
The more I think about this, the more I think about how it contradicts what I've posted before. Each time I recall my memory, I recall something slightly different. It's so hard to make any sense of this.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
   I found out about AS in December of 2007, when I found this site.
   
2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
   That question is overly broad and I don't have an alternative to compare it to.
   
3. What are the main symptoms you have?
   From my perspective, the most directly noticeable symptom is sensory issues, but I think that indirect issues have affected me more. My social deficits are huge, and even though it wasn't something that I even generally perceived it did make it very difficult to do things like get a job, to interview, and to understand what people expected and to get them to give me what I wanted or needed. I also never attempted to form the types of relationships I now know are common, and that was negative in terms of education and employment. I have an all-absorbing interest, but it seems strange to me to call that a symptom.
   
4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
   I think all of my unusual behaviors and quirks were attributed to the fact that I'm very academically smart. I think that people didn't pay enough attention to the fact that although I am very academically smart did not explain my behaviors and reactions.
   
5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
   I have had both significant depression and anxiety. I still have significant anxiety but have not been in depression for a few years.
   
6. What are the biggest issues you face in life?
   I am underemployed. I want to be paid more money. I want to move away from my mom's home.
   
7. What are your interests?
   I am reluctant to say, because I have one primary which would uniquely identify who I am.
   
8. What were you like as a child?
   When I was 2-3 years old my parents would read me stories and would show their friends that I could recite them exactly from memory. I taught myself to read some time before I was four years old. I have always had significant unusual sensory issues. I was regarded as unusually intelligent and put in gifted courses. I was (and still am) very literal-minded. I was stereotypically a "little professor" and would explain things to adults.
   
9. Do you have memory issues?
   My short-term memory is terrible. For example, if I don't use timers I will often forget when I'm cooking and go to bed and wake up to smoke alarms. But my long-term memory is excellent and I'm great at memorizing facts. I have several strong memories from when I was 2-3 years old.
   
10. How do you take criticism?
    Criticism feels unbearable and I can't tell the difference between when someone is joking in a friendly way and when someone is intending to be hurtful. I always think they intend to be hurtful.
    
11. Are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
    No one I have met in person has told me they were autistic.
    
12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
    I actually listen to an unusually wide variety of music in different genres and languages, but when I find a new song I like I tend to listen to it repeatedly for hours, doing the same thing with the same song every day for many weeks.
    
13. What is your social life like?
    non-existent
    
14. Do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
    Yes. And it's not just that particular things have to be done in the same order, but each of the things have to be done in the same way.
    
15. If someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
    If someone smacked me on the butt I would be very surprised and confused, because that could be considered sexual. If I didn't think the touching was directly sexual I would usually tense up and get nervous. If I did think it was sexual I'd be more confused.
    
16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
    When I try to remember myself younger I don't remember myself in the context of friends. I remember in the various years in elementary school during recess that I would go to the edge of the playgrounds to trees that weren't anywhere near the other students. After school I would come directly home to focus on my interest. I generally didn't pay attention to others outside of the classrooms. In fact I remember having an epiphany when I was seventeen years old(many years before I found out about AS) when I realized that although I perceived some amount of social activity between others, I almost never even attempted to engage in it.

Self-diagnose at around 27 and currently trying to get a professional confirmation, now I've found an awesome psychologist who believes in me. Only took about twenty years.



I love being who I am but it's extremely lonely, challenging, frustrating, tiring and confusing. I personally wouldn't want to be an NT. I just need to find more people like me, so I can try and have an offline friend beyond a week. Oh and I'm a perfectionist.



Mild stimming, sensory processing issues, major anxiety [which has been covering up everything else for years] and I'm a social ret*d. With a dash of depression when it all gets too much. Oh and the odd melt down.



Female growing up in the 80's. My parents just thought I was extremely shy, so it was left at that. I now learn, just yesterday, that Mum thought I was autistic as a kid but she never did anything about it. I was so very happy, if I was left to play in my own little world, with my pets and toy horses.



Anxiety, with a little depression. Medication for anxiety only.



Being social, having a job where I'm not bored constantly [I have always been employed] and enjoying the touch of others. I have a partner but being touched when I'm not in the right frame of mind, ahhhhhhh break down.



Animals, photography, art, buildings [I'd go to open houses if I wasn't so scared of NTs], plants [touching and smelling], cooking [the smells of herbs], garlic,



Very, very, very shy, quiet, always in my own world, chatter box around my dogs [only if no one else was around], surrounded by my imagination and I was always a pretend horse. Distant too. Arms crossed against my chest most of the time, made me feel safe.



Long term is really good, short term; depends on what it is I'm told. It's it something I have no interest in, I won't remember it.



Quite badly, if it's personal or to do with my dogs. It tends to create a meltdown.



N.



Indie folk, jazz, alternative, country .. some songs yes but not for hours on repeat. I tend to not be able to sit still long enough to do that.



I spend my time alone, with my partner or with my parents. 95% of my time with my dogs.



No one can do my washing or feed my dogs. I like things done the same way and do get upset if someone wants me to do something different.



Get angry, feel dirty, frown and quickly walk away, then probably stay away from that person for awhile. I have easy hated towards people.



Yes. I couldn't keep friends, they lost interest in me; I guess.

17. anything else you can think of!! ![/quote]

I can't be without my dogs and cat. I'm part animal.