Is it possible that I could have Asperger's?

Post Reply New Topic

Hey, I'm kinda new here and I don't really know if you allow articles as these in this discussion. Anyway, I want to ask you about my Aspieishness. I think I have Asperger's while no one actually believes me. My aunt is a doctor and she said sit is highly unlikely that I have it, while I still think I do.

Well, I'm kinda post my list of Aspie-ish traits (And traits I consider to be Aspie-ish):

Am not really drawn to the human kind.
I hardly ever show empathy, I have times when I think that even when a member of my family will die, I won't actually cry.
I always look at things from the objective side, logically.
I hate when people behave illogical (E. g. Believing in zodiac things and simmilar)
I have this need to make others think what I think (One Aspie told me that Aspies commonly are stubborn with opinions, dunno if it's true)
I had a fairly big vocabulary when I was little.
I have interests most of my friends would consider awkward. (E. g. Quantum and theoretical physics)
I seem to have a very monotone voice, and I find it hard to show empathy in my voice, like sounds when you are worried.
I don't understad how people consider little things giant problems.
Don't like new things, like when someone buys a new plate and throws the old one.
I am definitely not a social butterfly.
I don't like parties or any kind of social occasions.
If I talk to someone, I prefer to talk only with him and not in a group.
I like spending time on Internet and make online friends more than any of my friends.
I am very critical and in most cases, would say exactly what I mean to someone (Sometimes offending him/her)
If I do something in a specific order, I do every similar thing in a specific order. (The poll I made shows the likeness for my AS in a specific order, from very possible to highly unlikely)
I like to keep things organized.
I can be very rude without knowing it.
I don't like eye contact if the person I'm looking at looks back at me, preferably strangers. (I make eye contact in some cases)

Etc. Etc. Etc.....

And I'm gonna post some of the Aspie traits I do not always show:

I don't show extreme routines in my life. While I do like things to be organized and everything, I do not have these routines extremely shown.
I understand sarcasm and irony most of the time (It happens that I don't, but it's not much often)
I understand body language to an below average to average point. I do understand facial expressions and all.

Etc.


Well, it's kinda pretty much all. I also did 2 of the aspie tests and on one I got 35/50 and on another 160/200 for Aspieness and 30/200 for neurotipicality (Does the word exist?).

I'd like someone to answer me.

I can't tell you for sure. I'm not a psychologist. You're welcome to be an active member of this community, though.

If you're not sure, I'd advise you to stick around for awhile and read some posts. That's what I've been doing.

I was actually diagnosed professionally with Asperger's for the first time after years of mental health problems. I wasn't sure of the diagnosis first, so I came here and realized that I had a lot in common with so many people here. Some of the things I've seen other people write and discuss could have literally come from me it sounds so familiar.

Stay awhile and read some more posts. Maybe you'll see a lot of yourself reflected back in them, like I did. Most of the traits you listed are true of me.

Last edited by Eternity29 on 18 May 2011, 8:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

Why do you feel the need to affix the Aspie label to yourself? We all have our own reasons and often those reasons are more important than the label.

There isn't some sharp boundary separating those who have "it" from those who don't. Probably the most relevant question is whether you are experiencing serious problems in your life, and if so, whether these can be explained by autism-related traits you do have.

These two items aren't typical for autistics, who tend to find truth-finding much more important than convincing anyone of anything, and are bothered by many things that nonautistics who aren't bothered by these things call "little things".

To be honest, I only picked an answer, so I could see the results. My real answer is, "I don't know".

Did you ever look up the diagnostic criteria in the dsm iv? http://www.autreat.com/dsm4-aspergers.html

Some of the traits you explained can be found in Aspergers, but that still doesn't mean you have it. A lot of people have similar traits for other reasons.

For example, not being a social butterfly and preferring one person at a time, does not automatically indicate that a person has Aspergers. You might be already "disqualified" from the first criteria. You said you understand body language, etc, so you get many nonverbal communication skills--many people with Aspergers do not. You didn't really mention what social relationships you do have. If you make friends (even if you don't have many) at your developmental level; if you share things you find enjoyable, and if you are able to share social and emotional reciprocity, then you would have all the other criteria in section one as well. Even if you have only three of those, you still have enough to be considered NT (or perhaps qualify for another diagnosis). Like I said, not all people who have few friends and dislikes parties is autistic. That is a very simplistic explanation, and autism is so much deeper than that.

For the second group of criteria: it is not the interest itself, but more of the focus put on the interest. Yes, interests are often odd, but it is the autistic person's hyperfocus and knowledge of this interest that set it apart from general interests of their NT friends. Also, autistic people often get upset if interrupted during their interest, and it encompasses a large aspect of our lives. You've already said you don't have routines, so that cancels out that one. The other two are stimming--repetitive body movements that are more complex and noticeable than minor NT fidgeting and fixation on parts of things (seeing things in pieces rather than as a whole--as a result, autistic people often take things apart into their separate pieces if they have this characterisitic). You need to have at least one of those characteristics.

You also need to have limiting function in your life in order to be considered to have AS. No language or cognitive delays either.

Even if you have two from the first, one from the second, and all of the rest, it does automatically mean you have AS. It means there is a chance. Some people have autistic-like characteristics due to anxiety, stress, trauma, or some other type of disorder that is not an ASD. That is why it is necessary to get professional help when trying to pin down a diagnosis--if the label is of importance--if not, and you are living your life fine, I don't see the point in getting a label.

Are there other reasons why your aunt does not believe you have AS?

I know it is not absolutely necessary, but the vast majority of autistic people that I met--including those with AS--have at least some form of routine, some rigidity, and some issues with nonverbal communication (while some people can learn these, particularly if they are more mild, I am referring to this coming naturally--it does not come naturally for most people with autism that I have encountered).

Hmmm, well, first I want to thank all of the people who have answered to this topic.

And also, littlelilly613, here's the thing. I don't pay much attention to body language when talking to people, it is not that I know things about it in details, I am not even interested in the body language of others, so I think that I possibly might not understand some of it. As for making friends, well, I personally don't know how to approach people at this way. I do have friends and all, but I'm not really drawn to them and anything. As for parties and all, I feel extremely tense at social occasions, such as parties, tournaments etc.

As for my interests, I do focus on them more than normal people do on theirs, I guess. I don't miss a chance to watch a TV Documentary about things I like and/or read it on the internet. I learn the stuff I like really easy and fast.
Now, when I am interrupted in doing something I like, I do have very angry reactions and am upset. Even when I'm watching a comedy, and someone distracts me from reading one word on the subtitles, I really get upset and all.
And yes, I do look at details in things and not in the whole thing. For example, in pictures, I get to focus on small details sometimes even forgeting other parts.

I also haven't had any cognitive delays in my life. And routines, I do have them I guess, but not at a very shown level. Talking about communication, I do not know how to keep a conversation going, becoming boring for the ppl I'm talking to always.

Hmmm, well, I guess I wasn't quite clear here. Those "little things" can really bother me. I do always get distracted by extremely small things or anything that happens. What I say is that, for instance, I don't understand girls who sob over their broken nail (Yeah, it's a lame example). If that isn't an aspie trait, It's ok.

About truth finding. Well, I guess it depends in cases. I remember clearly that in the early grades of my primary school, where many children would get mad if someone told them "You have a crush on (someone)!" I stayed calm because it isn't that way and I don't consider it important to make them believe something, unlike others would do. Times when I try to convince someone to something is when their work are affecting something that I like (E.g. Bad admin behaviour on a site) where I'd try to make someone change his ways of working to the point where I get banned.

What exactly would this be though? I'm trying to think but nothing is popping into my head right now.