AS or NT? Confused.

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Just talked to my mum and explained most of the things I've been thinking about, for the first time ever. She told me she's got the same "problems". We're really alike! She's convinced neither of us have AS though, which I don't know if I agree with. She did, however, say that if she would've grown up now she probably would've been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD or something, but those kind of diagnoses apparently didn't exist back then.

They didn't! That's as good as an admission from her, I'd say. It was just called 'hyperactive' when I was young, so..... Did that settle things enough for you, then?

What's as good as an admission from her? Unfortunately it didn't really settle things for me. It was really good talking to her but all I know now is that she experiences some of the things I experience (not all of it, but a lot). She's convinced that she doesn't have Aspergers and she doesn't want to find out and she's never been trying to find out. So she thinks I don't have it either but people who do have it often think I might do, which is what I suspect a little bit myself. I'm sorry, I'm just really confused.

Last edited by rebbieh on 20 Mar 2012, 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"She'd have been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD..." is near enough an admission she's an Aspie. OK, more hypocrisy: you are over-thinking this to death, honestly. Sorry. The more you say, the clearer it becomes that you are an Aspie! Definitely.

I got similar results on the Aspie quiz but I am pretty sure I have AS. As I don't have an official diagnosis I also sometimes have the same doubts as you. However when I see so many others on WP with similar symptoms to mine it is difficult to ignore the evidence. For what it's worth you do sound like you are on the Autistic spectrum. If other people have noticed your quirks then it can't be all in your head. There is definitely something there. The more difficult bit is figuring out exactly what.

These tests all look for slightly different traits. It is best to take a number of different tests then take an average. Try the RAADS-R. Taking the EQ and SQ tests may also be helpful. I guess you will probably score quite low on EQ.

Think about the questions on these tests. You may well find that some of your answers will change once you have had time to understand the questions a bit better. When I first started looking into this I took all of the tests I could find. The first time round I looked at a lot of questions and thought 'I don't do that' Then a little while later realized that actually I do but I just hadn't noticed before. You have to really examine yourself closely to get an accurate result. It may help to take the tests with someone who knows you well. You may well find that they have noticed things about you that you haven't even thought about.

That is exactly how I feel. I can intellectually understand that something should be upsetting and feel pity for someone in trouble but I seldom feel anything emotionally unless it is someone I know. Even then it is more intellectual than emotional. I have enough trouble understanding my own emotions, let alone anyone else's!

Hang around on WP for a while and browse through the archives. You will find plenty of people with similar symptoms to yours. You are not alone! If you still want an official diagnosis after a month or so then go for it but be warned you will probably have to fight for it and it may take months or even years. Most doctors don't understand autism and as there is no known cure they don't give it much priority. Don't get fobbed off with pills. While some medications can help in specific circumstances they very often do more harm than good. You need to be referred to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist.

I over-think most things most of the time (I think analysing and thinking about what you just wrote the entire time I "watched" a movie is a small proof of that, ha). Anyway, I don't really know what to say. When I talked to my mum she told me some stuff from my childhood by the way. She said I started talking when I was 6 months but I didn't start walking until I was 1,5 years old. Also, I knew the whole alphabet when I was 2 and I could read when I was 3,5. She said most of the time I didn't play games involving pretending (except when I pretended I was a knight or a ninja) but spent most of my time reading or building stuff (lego etc). She also said I was terribly afraid of all kinds of things and I quite often bottled up all my emotions and didn't let them show to the outside world. Any of that got anything to do with AS? Mum doesn't think so.

I'm sorry if I keep going on about the same stuff all the time. That's kind of what I do. Especially when confused.

Last edited by rebbieh on 18 Mar 2012, 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Okay so I took all three tests (still a bit sceptical towards online tests even though I guess they might give a vague picture of what reality might look like). On the RAADS-R test I got 101. "Your total score is: 101. This is above the threshold score of 65. You may have an autistic spectrum disorder and it may be worth consulting a qualified clinician." I must admit I didn't know exactly what to answer on some of the questions, but I think it should be quite correct.

On the EQ test I got 28. Average for women is 48. On the SQ test I got 66. Average for women is 51.7.

Hyperlexia is very common with AS.

'Lack of imagination and creative play.' Is very commonly quoted when diagnosing Asperger's.

It is very common for Autistic spectrum children to not to show when they are distressed. Generally as you get older you get better at recognizing and showing your emotions.

Sorry Mum, those are classic symptoms.

As do most of us.

These tests are far from foolproof but if you score consistently high on both RAADS-R and AQ as well as scoring low for EQ you can be fairly confident you are on the spectrum.

By the way you can probably rule out Schizoid Personality Disorder. While you may recognize quite a few of the symptoms it generally starts to show around adolescence or later while you show fairly classic symptoms as a child.

By the way, did you used to have tantrums, especially ones where your mother trying to comfort you only made them worse?

I can relate to what you say about wanting to know for sure so that you can stop thinking about it the whole time. I had been doing that for months and it got tiring. There probably isn't an answer in the form you are looking for. It is a bad feeling when one oscillates between got it/not got it (tic toc, tic toc) like that. My girlfriend suggested a reframing which works for me at least, perhaps it might work for you. She suggested I visualise neurotypicality as one circle and AS as another circle and to picture the two circles overlapping. She said I would be in the grey area where the two circles overlapped and I think that is a good way to picture it. The fact that someone strongly identifies with at least some of the traits of AS is probably based in something real, while the fact that they cope more or less well must show that they are quite NT too. At least that's how I see it at the moment and it brings some sort of closure.

Hey, OP, I am with you on just wanting a diagnosis to know. If your mom is supportive I suggest you go see someone. You are still kind of young so it'd be better to do it now. I wish I had known about all of this when I was your age. As it is now I am not sure I could even be diagnosed. I come off pretty normal until you get to know me but, even then, I am just weird or quirky.

I really still wanna see someone though. I can't get on socially at a deep level with people. I've never been in a relationship. I am scared of them cuz of how others might perceive my odd thoughts and behaviors. I don't feel particularly close to others and, although most days I don''t care, sometimes I really worry about it.

Hopefully you can get assessed just to ease your mind

I have been diagnosed and have almost every one of those symptoms I would recommend going futher and getting diagnosed properly

I might. I'm just scared.

Would you say there are any negative consequences of getting a diagnosis?

I really don't know what to believe now! Most you seem to think I've got AS (and I wouldn't be surprised if I do) but my mum doesn't support me in it which makes me a bit scared. What if it's all in my head? (Yes, I know I've said that before)



I'm not sure if threw tantrums. I don't think I did. But I know for as long as I remember I've always been a quite withdrawn and I always kept to myself when I felt upset or angry. Does that answer your question?

For whatever reasons, your mum does not want to believe she's an Aspie is her problem but it probably doesn't make much difference to her, now. So, please, don't let that be your problem, too! There can be negative consequences of getting a diagnosis, that's why I'd advise not doing so, unless it's really likely to help or lead to it. You really do not seem to need the help & I'm sure you'd manage to feel all these doubts if you did get a diagnosis, too, anyway.

Sure, but the difference would be I'd know the "truth" or at least what a professional might consider the truth. I know myself, I know I won't stop thinking about all of this until I know. I mean, I can't just say "I've got Asperger's" to let some people understand why I am the way I am if I don't have the diagnosis, can I? Then I might be lying and I don't like lying.

What would you say are the negative consequences of a diagnosis?

Can anybody else explain all the possible negative consequences of a diagnosis, please? Um. Got to be 'nasty'. Typical 'black & white thinking, over thinking, over analyzing & all the rest of it!
It's medical opinion, do explain how that's more 'true' than your own opinion, when it's reasonably grounded, please? So, if you decide, based on the Aspie test & all of us telling you, that's a reasonable opinion, isn't it? As reasonable as a Dr's! When they might not know as much about AS as, say, I do. Sorry to be so blunt, it's an Aspie trait & you seem to need it!