So that test came out at 36, I'm ok with it. I like and accept who I am, though haven't always done so in my youth.
Edit, for what it's worth. Logic/maths has always been my thing since a kid, now I'm employed as an engineer.
Broken link is broken.
Is that part of the test?
15 here although I suspect my family would disagree with some of my answers. No excuse for me being an arse then 🙁
good discussion though, it's helpful
Hmmm online tests. Unlikely to be worth the paper they’re written on. Having taken one for a condition (neurological but not autism or anything related) I do actually have (it said I didn’t have it) I wouldn’t use them anything. In fact I’d actively avoid them.
Beware of confirmation bias. Seek a proper diagnosis if you think it might help.
39. Not surprised.
I do think I might have scored lower when younger though so not sure if it's just being more curmudgeonly.
Beware of confirmation bias. Seek a proper diagnosis if you think it might help.
Absolutly. there are two separate things tho - gaining some understanding of oneself and getting a formal diagnosis to access services and support
Learning more about ASD has helped me but at my point in life a formal diagnosis would do little
So, the US handbook (DSM-5) no longer recognises Aspergers and (I think) groups anything on the autism spectrum as ASD. Uk uses the ICD (think it still recognises AS) is different. If my research is correct the AQ test was devised by Baron Cohen (et al) which prefers ASC (i.e. condition rather than disorder) as being on the spectrum doesn’t necessarily result in significant impairment… Something that would appear to be borne out in the sample of this (and other recent AS threads…).
Apparently most people with ASC will score 35 on the AQ test.
ETA: of course, you could just follow TiReds validation link… 🤦🏼♂️
In the past, I’ve scored 36…
Would a diagnosis (completely) change my life? No, but it would help me understand myself better (i.e. I am a weirdo, autistic or just a **** at times). When I first started down this road I was happy not to have one, now I’d prefer to know. But the whole NHS situation at present, I’m way down the hierarchy of need on this one, I’d much rather someone who would gain better outcomes get the (extremely limited) resource.
I’ve a close friend who had an Aspergers diagnosis in his late 30’s after work related issues. He seems to have benefited from it (and has pushes for me towards diagnosis). I’ve certainly benefited from our conversations/discussions over the years (he was the first to send me an AQ test link). I certainly see a lot of similarities in our outlooks and behaviours.
Seek a proper diagnosis if you think it might help.
You know pre-covid mental health referrals were running at 2 years waiting list (unless you are displaying ideation)? I did get referred to a nurse practitioner but that was an hour long ‘consultation’ with pretty much a summary of CBT outcomes and some handouts when I was experiencing strong anxiety (work related, I was even nonverbal at times).
the US handbook (DSM-5) no longer recognises Aspergers
I suspect that's at least in part to distance from Asperger himself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am_Spiegelgrund_clinic
Pretty much everyone has a variety of autistic traits - Key to diagnosis (and whether you need one) appears to be ‘how do your autistic traits affect your day to day life?’
If you’re chugging along fine, other than questioning yourself a bit, then it’s possible the impact would not be significant enough for diagnosis - and also likely that a diagnosis wouldn’t really make a practical difference to your life either.
If the variety of traits that you hold are, on the other hand, leading to real problems with relationships, friendships or career (and it’s not uncommon for autistics to mask, seemingly coping fine until they burn out) then things are different
I suspect that’s at least in part to distance from Asperger himself.
I think it’s more to do with whether ‘high’ and ‘low’ functioning characterisations are actually useful or whether they are detrimental…
AQ test I scored 43.
Pretty much everyone has a variety of autistic traits
Pardon me, but this is bollocks, and reasonably offensive bollocks at that. I do wish that people who clearly have no experience or understanding of autism would stop trotting it out.
If you want to do me on here I can probably put you on to a few things, especially how you can help your employer and co workers.
For others I will just give an example of how telling somebody about your Autism changed a relationship for the better: a good friend of ours started dating a guy, who just didn’t seem to trust us and was always looking sideways in social interactions. She happened to mention that he was autistic and everything just clicked. When I got the chance to talk one on one over a bit of diy he was doing I mentioned that his gf had mentioned his autism and shared what the situation was in our family. You could see his shoulders relax and he breathed a deep sigh. He said he was so relieved that he didn’t have to explain why he was like he was. In fact we ended up getting on really well and the fact that we knew to give him space and not always to expect social interaction led to a bit more of a friendship than just a nodding acquaintance.
It is actually more about trust and understanding that you may not act in a “normal” way. If you trust someone not to take offence because you can’t look at them or don’t always want to stop and chat (or even chat at all). It is often said that people should be able to change what they do to fit in, but it isn’t really that. What this means to someone who is neurodiverse is that they have to lie about how they feel, or who they are. That isn’t healthy, and the converse is that you have to just not take offence if someone doesn’t act just like you.
Pardon me, but this is bollocks, and reasonably offensive bollocks at that. I do wish that people who clearly have no experience or understanding of autism would stop trotting it out.
Oh, dear, do get over yourself. It’s well established scientific fact.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autism-traits-common-among-healthy-people/
Saying autistic traits are common across society is not, of course, the same as saying everyone is a bit autistic.
I'm increasingly of the opinion that "normal" can get in the gorram sea.
What is normal? It's just numbers. It is literally that simple, it's a majority vote, there's more of X than Y so you're normal. Well, good for you. Perhaps rather than trying to hang labels onto neurodiversity we should maybe consider redefining "normal" as not being a judgemental prick? What are we diverse from exactly, a larger number of people? If non-normal people were the majority than what we call 'typical' would need a support group.
See also, "you don't look disabled" and a whole host of related ****tery. Fact is, we're all different, how about we all embrace that and crack on?
And who wants to be normal anyway? That sounds monumentally tedious.
I think I need to make a start on the sherry. Happy new year.
Oh, dear, do get over yourself. It’s well established scientific fact.
Autism traits common among healthy people
Woah. So Autism traits are typically reserved for the unhealthy?
The coast is that way. ⬅
From that link above...
many people diagnosed with autism also have ADHD, depression or other mental disorders. But the researchers say they were surprised to find that even people with only one or two autism-related traits are at markedly higher risk.
Depression could of course cause a person to withdraw socially, or communication problems could result in anxiety.
Funny. I was thinking the same myself after doing the AQ test. I wonder how many folk experiencing anxiety are doing so due to some degree of autism?
Apparently most people with ASC will score 35 on the AQ test.
Well, I did. I think many of my family members would too, both up and down the generations. I don't think a diagnosis would have helped me much. I did OK at work, and I always knew that if I could have been more comfortable around people I could have done better, I'm sceptical that anything could have changed that aspect of my personality.
[edit: It occurs to me that it's been pointed out that I display a lack of empathy on here a few times. Hmmmm....]
I hadn’t. I’ll try to bear it in mind, apologies.
Naw, dont worry about it, and in truth I do this all the time. Bring up some trait of the aspie and highlight it in the negative or at least sort of a jocular way waiting for someone to jump to the defence of all aspies. Bit of a baited hook really 😆 kind of evil of me.
Its just really the obvious which i know myself from being in a room with 30 other aspies, at one of the big meetings the NAS(national autistic society) run from time to time.
I've always felt to have inclusion you have to understand the points of your own condition both good and bad, and theres no reason not to indulge in a little self piss taking.
autism and an autism diagnosis self diagnosed or official is not an excuse or reason to be an arse
Sorry, are you speaking from a personal point of view ? 😆
Learning more about ASD has helped me, but at my point in life a formal diagnosis would do little
You get a free bus pass 😉
You get a free bus pass
I get one anyway 🙂
So, the US handbook (DSM-5) no longer recognises Aspergers and (I think)
If I understand it correctly, someone wouldn’t now be diagnosed with Aspergers, but there is caution to continue recognising those who identify as having Aspergers following an earlier diagnosis.
In answer to the OP I would say go for it if you think it would be a positive benef
Apologies for the long post but it's a subject that a large presence in my and my families lives.
I have found social situations mostly torture my entire life and do not seem to understand how banter works. I have in the past been bullied, belittled or teased due to my selective mutism and have regularly been called weird or the quiet strange one. I have also often been perceived as arrogant, stand offish or rude due to my poor communication skills.
I think there are many preconceptions and misconceptions surrounding Autism. While there maybe some commonality of traits, how inviduals and their families lives are affected is very varied.
In my experience an autistic individual's reaction to external stimuli and social interaction tends to be often extreme, (by which I mean in comparison to a neuro typical person). That extreme reaction can manifest at one end of the scale as an overly emotional/ physical reaction such as floods of tears, self harm, rocking, hand flapping, shouting etc. On the other end of the scale the reaction could be deemed extreme because there is the abence of any reaction (where there would be one in a neuro typical person) - which manifests in the idea of a lack of empathy sympathy etc.
I personally think these reactions are linked to how the autistic brain has difficulties dealing with anxiety.
I do believe coping strategies can be learnt by some individuals.
I think we should all give neuro diverse people some dispensation due to the difficulties they often face with social interaction , but I don’t believe it is a carte blanche excuse for someone to act like a .... with impunity, and talk to people as if they are something they just stepped in unchallenged ( just noted TJ put this more succinctly than I earlier).
There has been some discussion in recent years regarding the validity of the use of and application of the term 'spectrum' Some Autistic activists/ advocates purport to speak on behalf of the whole Autistic community, but I believe this can sometimes be problematic due to the broad range of traits, needs etc of autistic individuals. It can mean the views of those on the 'Lower functioning' (FWOABW) end of the spectrum are being supposedly represented by people who have no real life experience of that individual's needs. I don't believe just because you have an autism diagnosis you can automatically speak for every autistic person. I do believe however having autistic people sharing their personal experiences can help people better understand what life can be like for them and other autistic individuals, and also having people with autism leading the charge to help bring about positive changes is a positive thing.
I would also argue that in many cases the views and experiences of parents and care givers that have given 24/7 care to an Autistic child/ service user who has a high level of needs are just as important in helping us better understand how autism affects individuals and their families.
In my personal situation if my daughter was in the care of someone (be they autistic or not) who did not know her specific care plan, there is a high liklihood they could inadvertently put her life in danger.
I can see how some could view the term 'Lower functioning' as having negative connotations and would usually personally use ' higher level of needs', but the uncomfortable fact is a autistic person with commucation difficulties and challenging behaviour functions in society far differently than a 'higher' functioning autistic individual.
My worry is the Autism narrative has become recently more focused on what I would call (FWOABW) the higher end of the spectrum.
It is important to remember that an estimated 40 percent of people with autism are nonverbal. 31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70) with significant challenges in daily function.
It does sometimes seem the current prevailing perception of an autistic person 'stereotype" is someone like Sheldon (from Big bang theory) or Elon Musk, which is pretty far removed from my own experience.
Apologies for the long post
No need it's welcome.
The difficulty I have is when complex interactions with people I don't know are expected, so I hate weddings, but have no issue as a customer talking to shop staff, fine having a meal with family in a busy pub for instance. In a new job it usually takes me a year to feel comfortable talking with colleagues.
But having been in the same job for nearly a decade, and rarely being in social situations requiring complex interactions, I tend to forget about some of the difficulties I face, my life has adapted... Though I've always felt I could have adapted given the chance, but the gap in social ability only gets larger as we get older, in some ways (ie more socially isolated we become there more difficult it is to reverse that).
Leaning toward no diagnosis from the save-resources-for-those-who-can't-function perspective... But not from the perspective of being depressed/upset if it's a no it's not that it's this instead, or even no, just grow up be more manly or something lol. Can go round in circles like this, and having to be careful to not just vomit the entire contents of my head onto the page.
do not seem to understand how banter works.
Oh, that's easy. It's a term that sociopathic dickheads use to justify being sociopathic dickheads.
That extreme reaction can manifest at one end of the scale as an overly emotional/ physical reaction such as floods of tears, self harm, rocking, hand flapping, shouting etc.
I almost never stim. If I do it's a sure sign that the wheels have properly come off.
My comments about Aspergers was more it’s no longer available as a specific diagnosis under the DSM (but presumably covered under the more general ASD). I think the UK still ‘recognises’ it.
As I have a nephew who is nonverbal and will never be able to live a ‘normal’ unassisted life (those, ahem, challenging behaviours) and seen the effect of this directly on my brother and family I too have concerns about the current concentration on ‘HFA’. Except it doesn’t negate the obvious challenges faced of being ‘different’ In a NT world...
I think the UK still ‘recognises’ it.
Not officially I think.
Not officially I think.
Ah, a quick google says/shows ICD-11 (2022) uses ASD as an overall categorisation as well now:
Autism spectrum disorder in the ICD‐11 incorporates both childhood autism and Asperger's syndrome from the ICD‐10 under a single category characterized by social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities. Guidelines for autism spectrum disorder have been substantially updated to reflect the current literature, including presentations throughout the lifespan. Qualifiers are provided for the extent of impairment in intellectual functioning and functional language abilities to capture the full range of presentations of autism spectrum disorder in a more dimensional manner.
That would explain it...
Thanks for positive replies I'm always a little reticent to speak about this as my posts do seem a bit of a stream of consciousness.
Like corruptpolitician said it's the forced social interactions with people i don't know which are the most difficult. For the first 15 years of our daughter's life we had the valid 'excuse' of avoiding a lot of social situations because her behaviour was challenging enough that we couldn't leave her with many family members or taking her with us wasn't often an option. As I have got older I have tried to make more of an effort and learn some coping techniques. These are just really trying to visualise situations beforehand in a positive way and trying to think of subjects or current events to bring up in conversations (even writing down a list and taking with me ) . It doesn't always work and I'm often first to leave places, but I think I'm better at talking with strangers than twenty years ago.
Metalheart I agree. I know I had a bit of a rant but I didn't mean to belittle the real challenges anyone who is neuro-diverse/ autistic faces everyday. In many ways I think it's harder for many autistic people to navigate society with little or no support than someone who may receive one to one or higher care. I really just wanted to highlight that sometimes I think people view autism only from their own frames of reference (which is of course understandable). I know I have at times been guilty of that myself.
I think our western society, world etc is not currently the easiest place for the neuro-diverse, our value systems, views on success, fulfilment and social structures appear to me to favour the highly confident and social individuals and hold more negative connotations for the introverted socially inept.
There is of course the conundrum I think has already been alluded to where it is I feel right for us all to recognise, accept and cater for our differences and diversity (in the many forms they may take), but for many neuro-diverse people it is not easy to change or compromise.
Ah, a quick google says/shows ICD-11 (2022) uses ASD as an overall categorisation as well now:
I think its always been a case of they recognize you (or whomever) as being ASD rather than a specific title like Aspergers or such.
