# How to find out if I have Aspergers or not?



## eraseme (Feb 26, 2009)

delete


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## WR1986 (Nov 30, 2009)

Breakfast0fChampions said:


> I'm assuming I ask my therapist or psychiatrist for an evaluation? There are several habits or preferences that I have that make me concerned I might have Aspergers.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
Read this article and if you start to say I do that then I would go ahead and tell your therapist your concerns. Also heres and Autism forum http://www.wrongplanet.net/ for people with aspergers and many other autism related issues. Feel free to ask some questions I'm sure someone would be glad to help.


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

I have Aspergers Syndrome, officially diagnosed August 2009. There many symptoms of social anxiety that might lead one to think they have Aspergers. You may have it, you may not, but it will not help you to read into too much as you can read yourself ill.

I was referred by my psychiatrist, you can also be referred by your doctor. Make an appointment and tell him or her that you are worried you are on the autistic spectrum disorder and you would like to go down the road of being assessed.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Be careful with this sort of self-assessment, it's really important to let the experts diagnose you.

For example, I exhibit a lot of the clichés of Asperger's, and not just the usual SA stuff (ie toe-walking, hypersensitivity to sound and light, clumsiness, public places don't necessarily just make me anxious from the social aspect, but because it can be a stimulus overload.)

I was assessed for a developmental disorder but was given a strong diagnosis of ADHD-I and told these kinds of things often go along with ADHD as well. So just... don't jump to conclusions  The biggest part of treatment with Asperger's is learning to accept what you're dealing with, and if there's a possibility that it's something else that can be more effectively treated, it shouldn't be ignored.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

I believe that I have Asperger's as well.
There are several people, in addition to britisharrow, who have Asperger's on SAS. They've been very helpful giving me advice about doctors, etc.


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

yea and it can be a bit of a sledge hammer as well. cause once you're handed the diagnostic report saying you have it, well now you're looking at something you have to manage, not cure. that can be quite profound and can really mess with your mind for a bit. i'd much rather i just had social anxiety.


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## noobleech (Aug 15, 2009)

meyaj said:


> Be careful with this sort of self-assessment, it's really important to let the experts diagnose you.


I agree with this. My pdoc refused to diagnose me with any autistic-spectrum disorders; he said that I'm easily overwhelmed by feelings from other people, and I can easily overwhelm other people with my feelings too.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

^ I hope your pdoc didn't rule out diagnosis simply based on that.

As for the experts, when it comes to diagnosing adults on the high-functioning end, they are few and far between. Generalists and those mostly familiar with children are usually inadequate.


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## Fuzzy Logic (Sep 16, 2009)

What is it that you obsess over anyway? AS sufferers are supposed to obsess over one area of interest and enjoy repetitive tasks while shunning new experiences, so if you don't have any obsessive areas of interest I doubt you have AS.


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## Croquantes (May 15, 2009)

I'm curious. I don't really think I have Aspergers but... could internet addiction qualify as one obsessive area?

Often, I just sit, and obsessively read and reread the news. Sometimes for hours, I'll just sit and search for some some key headlines. Always the same headlines, and often I'll reread some interesting articles that I've already read multiple times...

If I'm not reading the news, I'll check some websites that I have favourite'd. I always recheck the same half dozen websites.

I never thought much of this now, but it's a bit crazy. :S Wasting hours every day doing nothing. Just obsessively checking in with the same websites over and over... I don't even study, do homework or sleep when I should. I just need to use the internet, and recheck those sites.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Croquantes said:


> I'm curious. I don't really think I have Aspergers but... could internet addiction qualify as one obsessive area?
> 
> Often, I just sit, and obsessively read and reread the news. Sometimes for hours, I'll just sit and search for some some key headlines. Always the same headlines, and often I'll reread some interesting articles that I've already read multiple times...
> 
> ...


I have family with Asperger's and their obsession is more about gaining as much knowledge as possible about a "category" of interest. For instance, one of them was obsessed about England, had all sorts of books on England, could talk your ear off about the country and its history... and that's really all he cared about. Funny thing is he's French :lol

One typically big difference between Asperger's and SA is nicely summed up on Wikipedia:



Wikipedia said:


> Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly. For example, a person with AS may engage in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic, while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as a need for privacy or haste to leave.[8] This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd".[1] This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings, and may come across as insensitive.


Whereas somebody with SA will often be a bit hyperaware of the other person's reactions, and usually won't risk boring them with a such a long-winded speech in the first place.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

A respected psychologist used the following test in a study. He found that low scores were associated with clinically diagnosed Asperger's:

http://www.glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/Faces/EyesTest.aspx

Here's a link to the psychologist's report:

http://affect.media.mit.edu/Rgrads/Articles/pdfs/Baron-Cohen-etal-2001-eyestest.pdf

I did quite well on the test, and I expect other people with SA will too. People who are socially anxious monitor other people's facial expressions more than the average person, and so may be better equipped to identify emotions based on people's eyes than others.

One criticism of the test that the psychologists acknowledge is that it doesn't require you to evaluate facial expressions in real time. Something using film might be better than a photograph based test.

It's quite old (2001), and the researchers may have done more research after it. If you're interested, you might do a follow up search on google scholar using the terms: Baron-Cohen Revised Eye Test Asperger's.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Scored a 29... I thought I was doing horribly!


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

meyaj said:


> Scored a 29... I thought I was doing horribly!


I scored a 33. Makes me feel that my SA is well-founded - people probably DO think I'm a weird, arrogant bore.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Fuzzy Logic said:


> What is it that you obsess over anyway? AS sufferers are supposed to obsess over one area of interest and enjoy repetitive tasks while shunning new experiences, so if you don't have any obsessive areas of interest I doubt you have AS.


You could be immersed in things that are acceptable in the neurotypical realm, like music, art, movies, sports, animals, science, anime, religion...but you are very consumed with the activity, to the point of having little real relationship skills; you tend to or prefer to live in a kind of fantasy world where you don't need to be YOU, you are the bearer of info. on your preferred subject.


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## Fuzzy Logic (Sep 16, 2009)

meyaj said:


> Scored a 29... I thought I was doing horribly!


My score matches yours. I think shy people are usually more perceptive than usual.


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## ThirdEyeGrind (Feb 7, 2006)

Breakfast0fChampions said:


> I'm assuming I ask my therapist or psychiatrist for an evaluation? There are several habits or preferences that I have that make me concerned I might have Aspergers.


You have to see a Psycologist (not a psychiatrist) that will give you some tests to see where they think you stand. Its only like a 2 session thing. Atleast mine was.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

Croquantes said:


> I'm curious. I don't really think I have Aspergers but... could internet addiction qualify as one obsessive area?
> 
> Often, I just sit, and obsessively read and reread the news. Sometimes for hours, I'll just sit and search for some some key headlines. Always the same headlines, and often I'll reread some interesting articles that I've already read multiple times...


According to books I've read on AS it's one of the most common obsessions in adults.

The Mind in the Eyes test is poor at distinguishing between the general population and AS/HFA subjects. The AQ and EQ are much better at this.



meyaj said:


> One typically big difference between Asperger's and SA is nicely summed up on Wikipedia:
> 
> Originally Posted by *Wikipedia*
> _Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly. For example, a person with AS may engage in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic, while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as a need for privacy or haste to leave.[8] This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd".[1] This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings, and may come across as insensitive._
> ...


To add - social anxiety is often associated with Asperger's and there are more subtypes than active-but-odd. One example Lorna Wing mentions is the passive subtype.

@epril
Your description was like reading about myself.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

> The Mind in the Eyes test is poor at distinguishing between the general population and AS/HFA subjects. The AQ and EQ are much better at this.


What kinds of questions do the the AQ and EQ ask?


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## Squizzy (Dec 21, 2004)

There is this girl with autism that "stalks" me on campus. I really don't know who she is, but she knows my name, my boyfriend's name, and the names of people I know. She often sits next to me and will talk my ear off about anything. She also doesn't get social cues at all, like sarcasm for example. She doesn't understand anything but the simplest jokes. It is pretty easy to offend or confuse her and she seems extremely nervous around people even though she talks a lot. She says very ackward things and will make comments that are completely out of context. She told us that she was autistic and a vunerable adult and although she is 23 she looks like she could be 14. That is my experience with autism


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

james25 said:


> What kinds of questions do the the AQ and EQ ask?


You can take the AQ and the EQ online.



Squizzy said:


> That is my experience with autism


Interesting. But if you've met one autistic you've met one autistic.


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

There are many misconceptions about autism. As someone with Aspergers I'd like to just say that the idea of having a special interest isn't universal or common in the way you may think. This at the lower end of the functioning sprectum do have intense interests, but mines is an ability to learn foreign languages incredibly fast.

Having a particular talent or not having a specific interest are only one factor in a wider diagnostic criteria. Very few people on here will have Aspergers and to be honest it's not something you want, I know that many of you are searching that the diagnosis that clicks. But when I left the appointment after having been told I was autistic, I was the same person I was when I walked in.

There is no autism medication, and the psychotherapy is pretty much mainstream. All you can do if you have it is attend post-diagnostic awareness groups, local support groups, and read up on it as much as you can. Getting over social anxiety will still be there, the diagnosis of autism will not change that.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

Seems like the EQ/AQ test for a few different traits:

Capacity for empathizing with others
Level of introversion
Perceived social ability 
Proclivity for abstract thinking of a certain kind (fascination with dates, numbers, a particular narrow interest)
Tendency to stick to routines


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

On special interests, Attwood (in _The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome_) mentions the percentage of children and adults who fulfill other Asperger's criteria but not the special interest one ranges from 5 to 15% (and provides references).

I thought that services for mental health conditions were bad enough but when it came to accessing any for Asperger's they were nonexistent.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

I always have way too much difficulty with those self-rating tests, and I think I probably sometimes give opposite answers to the exact same questions. I'm not very in-tune with myself, constantly second guessing everything and unsure whether I'm answering the question realistically or grossly distorted by my own misperceptions. Plus, I'm a bit of a walking contradiction and a lot of the time I can see these questions' intent, and know how I would rate it to the letter of the question, but it's often for reasons or causes that the tests don't anticipate, and sometimes completely opposite to the SPIRIT of the question.

I scored very low on that AQ (non-aspergers), and on the very low end of "average" on the EQ test. Whereas another EQ test had me scored so low I was in the 0.13th percentile... absolutely insane.

In high school though I did a lot of stuff with autistic kids and was even a counselor for a few summers at an overnight summer camp that largely dealt with autistic kids. I have nothing for respect for them... but you seem to be trying to paint them with an unreasonably broad brush, to a larger degree than even the foremost experts such as Baron-Cohen. There must be at least one thing common to all autistics to really consider it as a diagnosis or even a spectrum, and with pretty much all the autistic kids I've worked with, there really is quite a chasm. I think perhaps your efforts might be better spent to that end (in order to help undiagnosed ASDers get a better sense of it) rather than dismissing some rather justifiable, even if stereotypical, traits. There are so many differences between SA and ASDs, the lines aren't as blurred as people seem to try and make it out to be, and it seems like it's often just a matter of denial regarding specific deficits that are pretty plainly observed.

I was even sent to a expert myself for diagnosis of such a developmental disorder because my particular case is so incredibly convoluted. One hour was all it really took for him to absolutely rule it out, and he helped me see why, as I was quite confused about it all myself at the time. After another hour-long appointment he reached a very strong conclusion of predominately-inattentive ADHD complicated by various psychiatric disorders, already diagnosed for the most part (depression, generalized/social anxiety, and in particular avoidant personality disorder.) I only bring it up because it's rather interesting. There are definitely neurologic comminalities between ADHD (especially inattentive), and social anxiety. There is also an increasing awareness of some very strong threads shared between ADHD and ASDs that experts are only recently coming to recognize. 

Unfortunately, psychology/psychiatry isn't much of an exact science, especially when it comes to the actual application of diagnosing people. Many of these labels are really just for the sake of convenience than anything else. Particularly when multiple diagnoses come into the mix, things can get confusing, even in areas of medicine where they are based primarily on physical findings. And while doctors or psychologists, even those specializing in the area, can't hand out perfectly accurate diagnoses, they are much better suited to do so than people self-diagnosing themselves, with Asperger's (and ADHD) probably being the disorder MOST OFTEN incorrectly self-diagnosed. 

There's always the chance that a doctor will be incorrect, but even on this off-chance, it's usually due to the fact that the disorder is at worst only minimally impairing daily function, in which case the diagnosis wouldn't hugely helpful to begin with, especially in adulthood. General life/social/occupational/coping skills can be taught and worked on, but beyond that, the big step (mostly with adults and older kids), is just learning to accept that you have this problem, which is why I feel self-diagnosis can be particularly disastrous because there's a strong chance you're overlooking something which CAN be better helped. So when it comes to ASDs, I don't feel it's wise to even weakly encourage self-diagnosis. Yes, you know yourself better than whatever specialist you happen to be seeing, but it's doubtful one really has as much understanding of the disorder, and an unbiased outside perspective is hugely important as well. 

I guess I wouldn't be so concerned about it if there weren't so many people looking to an Asperger's diagnosis as an easy way of explaining their difficulties while largely removing any responsibility on their part to work to fix it. Perhaps this is even somewhat fueled by the whole culture built around ASDs as well, who really try to turn their problem into a point of pride (the term "neurotypical" drives me nuts... as if people don't have other neurological differences and disorders). This isn't an issue with people who genuinely have an ASD, it's part of the whole acceptance thing, but it's not healthy if these problems are something that can otherwise be helped. Fixing these other issues can be a lot of the work and that's why I refer self-diagnosing Asperger's as being "an easy way."


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

The AQ measures 5 domains of interest: social, communication, imagination, attention to detail, and attention-switching.

The EQ has not been studied enough using other clinical populations (e.g., those with anxiety disorders), so the EQ researchers do not know how these groups would score. Several psych conditions are thought to affect empathy and it's advised that the EQ, when used as a screening instrument, be used at least in conjunction with the autism spectrum quotient (AQ). This is because high scores on the AQ may well be specific to autism and not other conditions. 

The EQ researchers mention that it's unlikely such instruments can distinguish between temporary states of low empathy and innately low empathy. Another drawback is that a person's view of their own empathy may be inaccurate and someone who knows them well might answer the questions differently.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

I hold a different opinion on self-diagnosis, especially after going through the system and experiencing how hard it was to get my diagnosis. There really is no other option than self-diagnosis for many adults due to financial limitations, concerns about the effect of a diagnosis on things like insurance, and lack of access to specialists experienced in diagnosing adults. There is also much incompetence in the field of adult diagnosis, which I have also experienced. Many professionals misdiagnose and access to autism ones can be very difficult. It's an extremely widespread (worldwide) problem. I was also a participant in a study investigating the difficulties accessing adult diagnostic and other autism services here. The Department of Health recently published the results of a large scale survey on access to adult ASD diagnostic and support services and the results were dire.

I have read numerous stories and discussions by the self-diagnosed and think it grossly unfair to automatically dismiss them and confuse them with the ones who do not responsibly self-identify or do their research.

More on high-functioning subtypes - Active-but-odd is only one of several AS/HFA subgroups found by Lorna Wing. She found several manifestations of the AS/HFA social impairment.

I took notes on each from Wing's chapter in _High-Functioning Individuals with Autism_, as follows.

Aloof
Most frequent subtype among the lower functioning. Most high-functioning in this group are a mixture of aloof and passive. Limited language use. Copes with life using autistic routines. Most are recognised in childhood. Independence is difficult to achieve. There may be loneliness and sadness beneath the aloofness. Rain Man is an excellent example of this subgroup.

Passive
Often amiable, gentle, and easily led. Those passive rather than aloof from infancy may fit AS. More likely than the aloof to have had a mainstream education, and their psych skill profiles are less uneven. Social approaches passively accepted (little response or show of feelings). Characteristic autistic egocentricity less obvious in this group than in others. Activities are limitied and repetitive, but less so than other autistics. Can react with unexpected anger or distress. Recognition of their autism depends more on observing the absence of the social and creative aspects of normal development than the presence of positive abnormalities. The general amenability is an advantage in work, and they are reliable, but sometimes their passivity and naivete can cause great problems. If undiagnosed, parents and teachers may be disappointed they cannot keep a job at the level predicted from their schoolwork.

Active-but-odd 
Can fall in any of the other groups in early childhood. Some show early developmental course of Kanner's, some show AS. Some have the characteristic picture of higher visuospatial abilities, others have better verbal scores (mainly due to wide vocabulary and memory for facts). May be specific learning disorders (e.g., numerical). School placement often difficult. They show social naivete, odd, persistent approaches to others, and are uncooperative in uninteresting tasks. Diagnosis often missed. Tend to look at people too long and hard. Circumscribed interests in subjects are common.

Stilted
Few, if any clues to the underlying subtle handicap upon first meeting. The features of AS are particularly frequent. Early histories vary. Normal range of ability with some peaks of performance. Polite and conventional. Manage well at work. Sometimes pompous and long-winded style of speech. Problems arise in family relationships, where spontaneity and empathy are required. Poor judgement as to the relative importance of different demands on their time. Characteristically pursue interests to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. May have temper tantrums or aggression if routine broken at home, but are polite at work. Diagnosis very often missed. Most attend mainstream schools. Independence achieved in most cases. This group shades into the eccentric end of normality.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

I feel like I could easily qualify as a stilted HFA person. I've never had a temper tantrum, though.

But if you have no trouble empathizing with others, and you can identify their emotions by looking at their faces, then shouldn't treatment for SA work for you?


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## Smitten (Oct 30, 2006)

odd_one_out said:


> Stilted
> Few, if any clues to the underlying subtle handicap upon first meeting. The features of AS are particularly frequent. Early histories vary. Normal range of ability with some peaks of performance. Polite and conventional. Manage well at work. Sometimes pompous and long-winded style of speech. Problems arise in family relationships, where spontaneity and empathy are required. Poor judgement as to the relative importance of different demands on their time. Characteristically pursue interests to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. May have temper tantrums or aggression if routine broken at home, but are polite at work. Diagnosis very often missed. Most attend mainstream schools. Independence achieved in most cases. This group shades into the eccentric end of normality.


This sounds a lot like my dad.


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## Fuzzy Logic (Sep 16, 2009)

I scored 27 on that AQ thing, which is scary, but since the threshold is 32 I'm pretty sure I am perfectly healthy.


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

I got 41 on the AQ test and 63 (1st percentile) on the EQ one. I don't think I have Asperger's though, because I don't display all of the signs.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

james25 said:


> But if you have no trouble empathizing with others, and you can identify their emotions by looking at their faces, then shouldn't treatment for SA work for you?


Assuming your social cognition is in the normal range (for instance, there are no developmental disorders present such Asperger's) it's still not necessarily the case that SAD treatments will work. Although SAD is quite treatable there are many factors present and possible causes of the condition, influencing treatment outcome.

But if there are social cognition deficits that have always been present they can range from subtle to severe and may not be detectable via simple tests such as Reading the Mind in the Eyes. Dziobek et al. 2006 (_Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders_ 36, 623-636) designed a movie to test social cognition (asking subjects about characters' thoughts, feelings, and intentions) in Asperger's subjects with high IQs because previous studies had shown some simpler tests failed to detect deficits in those of higher intellect.

Social anxiety and avoidance are not unreasonable in those who have underlying social cognition deficits. But since these deficits range from mild to severe, those with relatively mild deficits who have anxiety that is out of proportion to the skills they do have could benefit from a social anxiety diagnosis and treatment.

Some information on empathy and AS

Empathy is difficult to define but is described as consisting of a cognitive component and an emotional component.

For instance, the cognitive component involves the ability to detect when someone is sad, angry, or distressed. The emotional component involves experiencing an appropriate emotional response to others' emotions such as feeling sad when imagining what a friend is going through.

In Asperger's certain information processing deficits impede the cognitive component of empathy. The EQ researchers point out that the EQ does not measure the cognitive and emotional components of empathy separately, and when subjects in the original study were interviewed they reported a desire to avoid upsetting others and feeling remorse when their lack of understanding causes upset.

Deficits in the cognitive component of empathy (such as not noticing someone is distressed) understandably impede the emotional component of empathy. But when given the appropriate information, people with Asperger's can then have an appropriate emotional response and show desire to correct any errors.

There is preliminary evidence found by Rogers et al. 2007 (_Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders_, 37(4), 709-715) that although adults with AS score lower than controls on cognitive empathy there are no group differences on scores of empathic concern (implying those with AS are in general just as caring).


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## Mello (Oct 1, 2009)

I scored 27 on the test. I was diagnosed with autism PDD-NOS, but I don't think I have it, sometimes I do lack empathy but theres always a part of me that feels sorry. I do get intensely interested in certain subjects but not to the extend as AS or autistic people do. Sometimes I just really don't know who I am anymore, or what I have, and I really just want closure, thats why i'm going to see a real psychologist.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

> Assuming your social cognition is in the normal range . . .


Thanks for taking the time to post that. I'm going to come back and take a look at this again in a couple of weeks, when I can read more about the movie-based social cognition test and the prognosis for people with limited cognitive empathy.


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## Smitten (Oct 30, 2006)

delete


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

I scored a 25 on the eyes test. I looked at each picture before I chose an answer, and half the time my choice wasn't even there, so I picked one that was similar.

A.Q.-25 E.Q.-19. Wow, that is low. I am surprised.

I have a daughter dx'ed with Aspergers, and the other one with PDDNOS. Again, as far a perseverances go, my girls will persevere for a year or two, or more, on one subject. One of their subjects is Broadway musicals. They do NOT like to talk about themselves; it is very painful, difficult..it takes so much effort to do so. When other kids are socializing and learning about each other, they'd rather know if you saw Phantom, read the books, seen the play, know when the next Phantom is coming out..etc. If you're not into Phantom, or one of their other preferred subjects, the conversation will end very quickly. They're just so uncomfortable being 'real'. As they get older, they are better, but seem awkward with conversation.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

Mello said:


> Sometimes I just really don't know who I am anymore, or what I have, and I really just want closure, thats why i'm going to see a real psychologist.


What type of professional diagnosed you? I understand very well about not knowing who you are and wanting closure. I found this very difficult to obtain and even after diagnosis you can get other professionals doubting it and/or diagnosing something extra.



LaRibbon said:


> But I read somewhere some researchers think ASD and ADD/ADHD are on the same spectrum. I'm not surprised that there is so much misdiagnosing going on, the research on all these disorders is kind of a mess.


There is a large overlap between autism and ADHD, which can make differential diagnosis hard. Same with anxiety disorders. I am stunned at the incompetence I have encountered and heard about regarding diagnosis of these conditions.



james25 said:


> Thanks for taking the time to post that. I'm going to come back and take a look at this again in a couple of weeks, when I can read more about the movie-based social cognition test and the prognosis for people with limited cognitive empathy.


There is also relatively recent evidence for some subtle social cognition deficits in children with social anxiety disorder. This implies that assistance in this area, not just reducing anxiety symptoms, could be beneficial.

There are no movie-based social cognition tests available to the public as far as I know.



epril said:


> I have a daughter dx'ed with Aspergers, and the other one with PDDNOS. Again, as far a perseverances go, my girls will persevere for a year or two, or more, on one subject. One of their subjects is Broadway musicals. They do NOT like to talk about themselves; it is very painful, difficult..it takes so much effort to do so. When other kids are socializing and learning about each other, they'd rather know if you saw Phantom, read the books, seen the play, know when the next Phantom is coming out..etc. If you're not into Phantom, or one of their other preferred subjects, the conversation will end very quickly. They're just so uncomfortable being 'real'. As they get older, they are better, but seem awkward with conversation.


I remember rarely conversing with my parents. They just let me get on with my own thing all day and did not pay me much attention. When did your daughters first exhibit special interests?

My mother only started to worry when I was approaching adulthood and was still interested in playing and space_/Star Trek_, and had no interest in socialising or going anywhere. She could not handle it and would be quite emotionally abusive and was neglectful.


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## PHD in Ebonics (Jan 5, 2010)

odd_one_out said:


> You can take the AQ and the EQ online.


I scored a 19 on the AQ and a 50 on the EQ. What does that mean? :sus


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

Psychedelic Breakfast said:


> I scored a 19 on the AQ and a 50 on the EQ. What does that mean? :sus


All it means is that you did not score within the autism range as determined by the score cut-offs. It does not provide a diagnosis or rule one out - 80% of those diagnosed with the condition score at or above 32 on the AQ, but so do 2% of controls.

32 was chosen as the cut-off because it minimised false positives (the 2% figure) without creating too many false negatives.


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## Lumiere (Jun 13, 2009)

AQ = 37
EQ = 21

Whenever I take tests like these I end up with scores that suggest I have AS, but I've always put that down to my SA influencing the result. I've never really exhibited any of the marked symptoms associated with AS.


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## Mello (Oct 1, 2009)

My score for the AQ: 20

Now i know for sure I've been misdiagnosed.


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## Aspiefina (Jan 12, 2010)

I got a 40 on the AQ test, 7 on the EQ test, and 17 on the Mind in The Eyes test. I have Asperger's. 

My grandma that doesn't have Asperger's got a 23 on the Mind in The Eyes test. The difference really isn't that big.


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

Step 1. Get a mirror
Step 2. Check crack for big macs

(I already regret this insensitive and unfunny pun)


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

epril said:


> You could be immersed in things that are acceptable in the neurotypical realm, like music, art, movies, sports, animals, science, anime, religion...but you are very consumed with the activity, to the point of having little real relationship skills; you tend to or prefer to live in a kind of fantasy world where you don't need to be YOU, you are the bearer of info. on your preferred subject.


This perfectly describes my obsessions.
I have a really, _really_ strong interest (ok, obsession) with Harry Potter. I've read each book at least 18 times, watched each movie upwards of 20 times (with the exception of the most recent, which I've seen three times, as it was only released on dvd in December), I spend my time taking Harry Potter trivia quizzes online, finding pictures from the movies, reading interviews with Rowling as well as the actors in the films, etc.
I'm incredibly "consumed," as you said, with Harry Potter. For example, I spent 3 hours searching rare booksellers online, trying to find First American Editions- first printing of every book (I have a set of FAE, not all first printing however), rather than working on my article of the newspaper.
I talk about HP non-stop, and when I'm not talking about it, I'm thinking about it.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

odd_one_out said:


> You can take the AQ and the EQ online.


I got a 46 on the AQ and 15 on the EQ.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

I got 42 on the AQ and 14 on the EQ.

Miss Meggie, do you experience sensory issues?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

You should seek professional diagnoses, not the equations. :yes


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

odd_one_out said:


> Miss Meggie, do you experience sensory issues?


I'm not sure.
Whenever I talk to my boyfriend on the phone, 9 times out of 10, I'll ask him where he is because it's so loud and ask him to go into another room. Usually he tells me he's in the kitchen with our best friend and his mom (or something along those lines) and that it's really not loud in there.
If my roommate leaves her tv on at night, I can't fall asleep because of the sound and the light from the tv. I have to lay with my blankets over my head to fall asleep.
I also hate bright lights. I think more of the light sensitivity might be more because of my epilepsy though. 
And I'm not sure if this counts, but if I come into contact with something that's cold (perfect examples would be a cold toilet seat or a swimming pool that's not got a water temperature of borderline-jaccuzi), it actually hurts.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

Miss Meggie said:


> And I'm not sure if this counts, but if I come into contact with something that's cold (perfect examples would be a cold toilet seat or a swimming pool that's not got a water temperature of borderline-jaccuzi), it actually hurts.


I have experienced this all my life to the extent of disability. I was put with the non-swimmers at school because I took so long getting into the pool they assumed I was lying that I could swim. The air outdoors would deter me from socialising even more at school. Asperger's is associated with lack of sensitivity to this, but I have known a few with it who are like me and far more sensitive to it than most. My sensory issues concerning noise, light, taste, smell, and touch are very disabling.

Your phone issue might be partly related to auditory processing. Do you generally seem to have more difficulty than most understanding and following conversations where there is background noise? Auditory processing issues have been linked to both SAD and ASDs. It's possible to get this tested.

Did you know epilepsy is prevalent in autism spectrum disorders?


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

odd_one_out said:


> Your phone issue might be partly related to auditory processing. Do you generally seem to have more difficulty than most understanding and following conversations where there is background noise? Auditory processing issues have been linked to both SA and ASDs. It's possible to get this tested.
> 
> Did you know epilepsy is prevalent in autism spectrum disorders?


I did not know that epilepsy is common in autism disorders. None of my doctors can find a reason for or a cause of my epilepsy.
And yes, I do usually have a hard time following conversations when there is background noise. I also find it difficult to follow a conversation when multiple people are part of the conversation and sort of talk over each other or overlap what they're saying.


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