# Sensory Processing Disorder or Aspergers?



## citizenbonaparte (Jul 2, 2009)

I am certain that I have Mild Sensory Processing Disorder.
I have problems with bright lights and loud noises.
However I am interested if there is anyone out there with SPD, that can tell if my symptoms are normal for SPD or possibly mild Aspergers.
I have stimming behaviors that I engage in at almost all hours of the day, when I am bored I stim a little and when anxious I stim a lot. I usually rock back and forth, pace, rub my arms and play with anything in my hands. As a child I was constantly hiding in the coat closet, at school or screaming and throwing furniture. I was very creative however I would get in trouble for my creativity, since it was usually socially unacceptable, like writing a Christmas report on how fat Santa was and that he was giving children guns for Christmas. Also I was sent to the school Psychologist at least once a week, for my behavioral problems. I had no friends, and it's not like I didn't want any, but I would say things that would upset them or their parents would send me home and tell me not to come back because they said I was too rude. I used to never make eye contact until at 28 years old, I noticed how odd it was and have been trying to hold it ever since with limited success. I also have to modulate my voice because it usually comes out somewhat monotonic. I can read faces and I am hypersensitive to tone of voice, sometimes I think people are angry with me when they are not, they just talk loud and I just can't tell the difference. I have held a job for fifteen years and people say that I can be a very caring person, I am usually aware of when others are upset and talk to them, however I don't hug people or show affection. Also when I was a kid I used to arrange my toys and things by lining them up and making sure that the spaces were even between each toy and I would get upset if someone moved my things, and then I would move them back. Also at work people will stare at me when I eat my lunch because they think the way I eat is very strange. I also seem to have the maturity level of a 12 year old, however my IQ is 127. Also people say that I walk funny and that I don't have facial expressions, unless happy.


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## citizenbonaparte (Jul 2, 2009)

*I forgot*

One of the main reason I suspect Asperger's is that on a day off, I can spend at least 10 hours a day, on the computer researching or watching things that interest me like Psychological disorders in Prison inmates or videos of the Big Bang Theory. Usually I will do this to the point that I shut others out, fail to respond to emails and sometimes I will forget to eat, until late at night. And when I talk, that is usually all I can talk about, to the point I will turn every conversation into a discussion on Psychology.


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

Yeah, that's Asperger's with SPD. I have it too.


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## Opiman (Aug 8, 2011)

I was extremely depressed today with the realization that after the first 18 years of my life, I still don't understand how to form friendships, talk to people, etc, etc. Basically everything you wrote above. I managed to talk some thought into myself and finally came to the conclusion I have Aspergers, which was a relief.

Anyway, I have a few questions. You grew up during a different time than me, and these things are as much a part of socialization as talking these days, but I'm wondering..

How do you feel about talking on the phone? Texting people? How about IMing or posting/talking on facebook (if you have one)?

For myself, it feels like I'm as awkward and unable to deal with these things as I am with normal, in person, social interaction.

It seems like this awkwardness has led to incredible insecurities when it comes to online communication (with people I know/hang around with). With speech, in person, once I say something, I've said it. There's no going back and changing the words that came out of my mouth if they sounded awkward or whatever. The result is often anxiety or quietness. But when texting, I constantly feel like my words are the wrong words, and I go back and re-edit what I wrote 3 or 4 times, and sometimes end up not sending the message at all, because everything I write sounds wrong.

It seems like it's expected these days for people to constantly be checking in with their friends, even when they move (far away) and asking how their life's going or whatever. Well, texting feels awkward, so I don't do it, which I feel leads people to believe I don't like them or don't want to talk to them.

Can anybody relate? Similar experiences?


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## citizenbonaparte (Jul 2, 2009)

*Same Problem*

Until a few years ago I couldn't even use the telephone without a great feeling of anxiety, I still have some problems if I am talking to someone that I don't know. As for the internet I like Facebook because I can leave messages behind and it only takes a few minutes, however I am very bad at getting back to people and I have made many family members and friends angry with me for not responding to them. E-mail is even worse for me it takes too much time for me to E-mail and I usually want to focus on my interests instead. However with talking I have an odd habit of saying what I am thinking and have a tendency to edit my conversations mid sentence by correcting bad grammar as I am speaking to people. However when I talk to people I don't have as much social phobia anymore, but for the most part I am not looking them in the eyes and I am usually not aware if they are even listening to me.

What you mentioned about texting sound like being a perfectionist. I have the same problem and I every time I come, here I keep editing my posts.

Also people with Asperger's may have food sensitivities, if you suspect Asperger's I would look into any Psychoactive reactions that you may be getting from food sensitivities. I had extreme sensitivities to sugar and caffeine and by cutting it my Sensory and Anxiety problems were reduced.

Hope this helps


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

If you meet these criteria you might have it:



> *Asperger's Disorder *
> 
> A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by* at least two* of the following:
> 
> ...


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

Your symptoms include social communication problems to a large extent and repetitive behaviours. They appear consistent with a form of autism. I suspect some are diagnosed with SPD alone to avoid the stigma of an autism diagnosis. Sensory overloads also happen in other disorders (like ME).

For an autism spectrum diagnosis the symptoms associated with the core criteria also have to be apparent in early childhood (younger than 3 for the classic form of autism). With milder forms some of the symptoms might not be significant until later childhood when demands start to increase.

People with Asperger's, even when they don't have comorbid OCD, display similar symptoms to OCD. Their level of OCD traits in general has been found to reside in between normal and clinically significant.

I struggle communicating online too. When someone addresses me, whether positively or negatively (neutral's easier to handle), I go into some immediate level of overload and have to take a break. Relatively minor negative encounters can knock me out for a day or two where I'll be unable to function and be bedridden. Light, noise, anxiety, stress, temperature, touch, appetite/food problems/blood sugar problems, and getting caught up in obsessive interests (and therefore neglecting basics like food and sleep) all interact to produce a constant state of overload ranging from moderate discomfort to debilitating.

I also have the meltdowns (weekly on average) and executive functioning issues. They all feed off one another. It means I isolate myself more than I would due to my personality, anxiety and social communication problems alone, to reduce overstimulation and fatigue.


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## Opiman (Aug 8, 2011)

Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that I have Aspergers. I'm not sure I have any food sensitivities, though I've found that eating more often puts me in a better mood and makes socializing easier.

On second thought, I do have ADHD (the inattentive type) and sugar can make me more hyper or more sedated, depending on which extreme I'm currently at. Caffeine helps with my ADHD, but caffeine and sugar is a bad combo. Caffeine probably makes aspergers symptoms worse, but I don't notice.

Edit: In response to odd one out.. Many symptoms of Aspergers also exist with autism. The two you listed are the primary symptoms of Aspergers. I can relate to most of what you're saying though


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## Opiman (Aug 8, 2011)

Has anybody tried using LSD for therapy? It was used in the 60 and had shown great potential: http://www.scn.org/autistics/pharmaceuticals.html

Or MDMA for the same reason (supposed to have similar effects)?


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## citizenbonaparte (Jul 2, 2009)

*Thanks for the posts*

I think I will see if I can get a formal Diagnosis it sound like according to the criteria that Kon posted that it is Asperger's

which explains why when people are sad or angry I seem to be emotionally unresponsive or respond with the incorrect emotions, such as laugh when someone tells me their car was totaled, I did this once to my boss at work, he didn't appreciate it


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

I think it's a good idea that they changed the criteria in DSM-V and eliminitated Asperger's. Others disagree though. To be honest, it seems that using these criteria, I can see that quite a few people with SAD may also meet the criteria of Asperger's. For instance, I'm guessing many individuals with SAD will have these symptoms: 


> A.1) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
> (2) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
> 
> B. (1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
> ...


With the new criteria of ASD (Autism Spoectrum Disorder) in DSM-V it seems less likely that there will be as much overlap?


> Autism Spectrum Disorder
> Must meet criteria A, B, C, and D:
> 
> A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest *by all 3 of the following*:
> ...


http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94

The rationale for the changes is also interesting, particularly the inclusion of sensory issues:




> *Unusual sensory behaviors* are explicitly included within a sudomain of stereotyped motor and verbal behaviors, expanding the specfication of different behaviors that can be coded within this domain, with examples particularly relevant for younger children.


http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94#

And severity details:

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94#


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## Opiman (Aug 8, 2011)

Kon said:


> I think it's a good idea that they changed the criteria in DSM-V and eliminitated Asperger's. Others disagree though. To be honest, it seems that using these criteria, I can see that quite a few people with SAD may also meet the criteria of Asperger's. For instance, I'm guessing many individuals with SAD will have these symptoms:
> 
> With the new criteria of ASD (Autism Spoectrum Disorder) in DSM-V it seems less likely that there will be as much overlap?
> 
> ...


I dislike these changes. Anxiety is not one of the requisites for Aspergers, and has never been. SA is an anxiety disorder. AS is an autism spectrum disorder, likely with similar causes.

Many (if not most) people with Aspergers do not have accompanying anxiety. I've had Aspergers since birth, and it has effected my life since grade school. But I didn't experience anxiety until the past two years. And that anxiety is a _result_ of my social difficulties, not a cause.

The problem with this change is that autism has a certain stigma, associated with even the word itself. I guarantee you, if you mention the word autistic in a conversation, most people picture a disabled man/woman in some sort of wheel chair who is, for lack of better word, retarded.

But that is not Aspergers.

I have Aspergers. I'm a functional part of society. I go to school. I get A's in all my college courses. I'm a funny, likeable guy. I have a decent social circle, and a good number of friends. But I have social deficits and strange OCD-like tendencies. Most people just think I'm awkward and when the anxiety I've developed recently doesn't get the best of me, I get by. Aside from mild ADHD, some disordered thoughts, and what seems like a difficulty following instructions, I have basically no cognitive deficits. I had a 4.0 GPA this last semester, including A's in both my calculus and computer science classes. You'd have a hard time convincing most people, aside from maybe my immediate family, that I have autism or that I'm autistic.

Aspergers is social impairment, with a few other symptoms. Autism is generally much more. And this new classification is confusing, misleading, and poorly thought out.


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

Opiman said:


> Aspergers is social impairment, with a few other symptoms. Autism is generally much more. And this new classification is confusing, misleading, and poorly thought out.


Yes, researchers like Tony Attwood and Simon Baron-Cohen and opposition groups like "Keep Asperger's Syndrome in the DSM-V" are fighting against the change that will come in 2013. But here's the DSM-V group justification for these changes:

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=97#

I don't know if these arguments are convincing to you because of the stigma associated with "autism". That's a good point and I never thought about that. I found this part interesting for individuals who have some but not all the features of ASD/AS:



> *There may be some i**ndividuals with subclinical features of Asperger/ASD who seek out a diagnosis of 'Asperger Disorder' in order to understand themselves better* (perhaps following an autism diagnosis in a relative), rather than because of clinical-level impairment in everyday life. While such a use of the term may be close to Hans Asperger's reference to a personality type, it is outside the scope of DSM, which explicitly concerns clinically-significant and impairing _disorders_. 'Asperger-type', like 'Kanner-type', may continue to be a useful shorthand for clinicians describing a constellation of features, or area of the multi-dimensional space defined by social/communication impairments, repetitive/restricted behaviour and interests, and IQ and language abilities.


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## Opiman (Aug 8, 2011)

It seems to me the issue is that the criteria for Aspergers is too vague, allowing people without the disorder to be diagnosed with it (or fall under the illusion that they have the disorder, thus seeking a diagnosis). I'm just not sure how reclassifying "Aspergers" as "Autism" is going to change this. If the criteria stay the same and we just call it a subset of autism, why would this prevent this problem?

Well, the answer to me is obvious. People have already have a predefined notion of what autism is and looks like. So if you just call the disorder autism, people aren't likely to seek that diagnosis if they don't actually have the condition. The problem is, the proposed change effects people who do have the disorder as well. I can tell you, with great certainty, that a good number of people who do have Aspergers (not just the diagnosis) would be far less likely to seek diagnosis or therapy for general autism if Aspergers didn't exist.

Autism doesn't describe my disorder. Aspergers does. The change is misguided. Ensuring that people with an actual disorder are diagnosed is far more important than ensuring that people without that disorder aren't diagnosed, IMO.


Even if Aspergers is simply part of the autism spectrum, it is different enough that keeping a separate label is immensely helpful for finding information on or discussing the condition with others.

"How do you cope with autism in daily life" and "How do you cope with Aspergers in daily life" are two immensely different questions with immensely different answers. That alone is reason enough to keep the diagnoses separate.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

^ No they're certainly not immensely different questions. It's a spectrum. The science backs this up as they can't adequately distinguish between the "two" conditions. They're more alike than different. I probably can't convince you of this even if I link to the research because you appear to be one of those who doesn't want the autism association, maybe based more on emotional reasons than reason.

You may be pretty functional and have a social circle, but many with so-called mild autism/AS find their symptoms utterly debilitating and autistic. Outcome studies and surveys also reveal this. AS is not merely being at the eccentric end of normal. It can't be adequately distinguished from high functioning autism. Within high functioning autism itself there's a huge spectrum. It consists of people with generally normal or high IQs, ranging from those who constantly melt down and stim like mad, or run around yelping and sniffing people, to those with similar IQs who have good careers and families. I know of a wide variety. Autism is a wide spectrum with no clear boundaries.

As for anxiety, several studies show most with higher functioning autism have anxiety.


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## LynnNBoys (Jul 13, 2011)

I may get another warning but here is the checklist for SPD: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/adult-SPD-checklist.html. There is also a checklist for children (can be used for adults remembering their own childhood or with the help of a parent). I have some of the checklists in my blog as well.

My older son was diagnosed with SPD and anxiety in 1st grade. He was evaluated for autism but he didn't fit enough of the criteria. But I think he is borderline. I have a first cousin who has Asperger's. There may be some genetic factors. My younger son has some sensory issues but not to the same extent as my older son. From reading about and learning more about SPD, I now am more aware of my own sensory sensitivities. My older son is a lot like me in many ways.

People with autism have sensory processing disorder but not everyone with SPD has autism. Many doctors have yet to see SPD as a stand-alone disorder. Many still see it as a symptom of other disorders because it's not yet in the DSM. But we in the SPD community are trying hard to get it there.

SPD also has a lack of social skills aspect. My son has been in a social skills group with 3 other boys for 3 years. He has come a long way, but I think he will always struggle with knowing what is appropriate behavior in various social situations.

ADHD is also related. It's my belief that most people diagnosed with ADHD are misdiagnosed and are being incorrectly medicated. Symptoms of ADHD and sensory seeking are almost identical. At this time, Asperger's is considered part of the autism spectrum, high-functioning autism.


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

LynnNBoys said:


> I may get another warning but here is the checklist for SPD: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/adult-SPD-checklist.html


Curious, is *dyspepsia* and *IBS* part of sensory-processing disorder? I have those also and I didn't realize that dyspepsia is really IBS of the upper GI tract (e.g. stomach) until I attended a recent lecture from a specialist in digestive disorders. He said that some people's GI tract is just extra-sensitive ("hypersensitivity to distention").


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## LynnNBoys (Jul 13, 2011)

Kon said:


> Curious, is *dyspepsia* and *IBS* part of sensory-processing disorder? I have those also and I didn't realize that dyspepsia is really IBS of the upper GI tract (e.g. stomach) until I attended a recent lecture from a specialist in digestive disorders. He said that some people's GI tract is just extra-sensitive ("hypersensitivity to distention").


That is a new theory I've been hearing more about in the last 6 months or so. I don't think they've studied it yet, but IBS does seem likely to be a sensory issue. Some people swear by the GFCF diets for those with SPD or autism spectrum. At this point iBS isn't officially a part of SPD, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is added in the future.


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