An unsure newbie from Michigan

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Hello WrongPlanet.

This looks like a nice, friendly berg. I figured I'd stop beating around the bush and hop in over here. My name is Dan. I am not a diagnosed Aspie, but many would have a hard time believing that I don't have ASD based on a lot of my symptoms. Of course, scoring a "185 Aspie/24 NT" on the Aspie quotient test helps to confirm said suspicions that I am, indeed, autistic.

I have lived my whole life with a great deal of the same issues that snag many people on the spectrum. I have been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which many of you may or may not be familiar with. It was formerly known as SID (Sensory Integration Disorder), and I initially began Occupational Therapy treatment for it back in 1989. I was not yet 2 years old at the time. Eventually though, treatment got to be too expensive, and raising 4 kids with disabilities got to be too much for my mom, so treatment ended up going away by the time I was 6 or 7.

I spent most of my life not knowing that I had any sort of disability, leaving me to feel pretty odd and largely inadequate in my childhood social life. I was always the loner at the side, playing by himself, pacing around and talking to himself at times. I could sit there for hours, lost in a book, watching others play video games, or just lost in my own thoughts. I was very hypersensitive to noise, touch, light, and tastes. I would get motion sickness and had balance issues.

I was slower than the other kids and uncoordinated. I had been a Failure To Thrive kid, as I spent a long time eating little else than scrambled eggs (was hospitalized for dehydration at that time). So, I was always really short, which, coupled with my red hair and low muscle tone, made me an easy target for bullies. I ended up being pretty lonely all through elementary, middle, and high school. A childhood dog and cat didn't hurt though.

Things didn't really start to turn around for me until I was 20 and in my second year of classes at a community college. I was floundering and struggling real hard with work and school and juggling the two. It was way too much for me, but I honestly didn't know I was disabled, so I didn't know why it was tough. Well, that is when I discovered SPD, and my eyes were opened at last. I finally knew why I was the way I was, and the disorder not only fit me like a glove, but it explained so much about me that I was pretty much in shock for quite some time.

That was back in January of 2008, and since that time I have been active online promoting the SPD cause, supporting others with it, and reaching out in whatever way I possibly can. I am very dedicated to it and have already been published for at least one article in the field. I run a small network of websites, including a forum site that I launched last year (small but growing).

So, here is a question I have been trying to answer lately:
Do I have ASD?

I have very severe SPD, which is a co-morbid condition that is believed to exist in as many as 95+% of the ASD population, and is often confused as being a part of ASD. So, I have hypersensitivities, hyposensitivities, sensory seeking tendencies, dyspraxia and muscle tone issues, as a result of that. Aside from that, I have numerous obsessions, am a walking encyclopedia of 'useless hockey facts,' I stim, I rock, I wring my hands, I'll go on and on talking loudly about my interests without noticing I'm practically yelling, I am often in my own world and distracted, I'll listen to the same songs for hours, I quote my favorite shows a lot, I repeat whatever I say over to myself quietly, I stare at pictures a lot... the list just goes on. I could really elaborate all day, and I have for people before.

However! I also have a few traits that are very non-autistic. These traits are so present that people who claim to have known a lot of people with Asperger's don't believe I have it. For one, I am able to register sarcasm and other people's emotions and some of their cues. I'm not always right, and sometimes I miss things or misinterpret them, but for the most part I am able to reciprocate in conversations. My eye contact isn't perfect, but I've been able to do pretty well in that area. I also feel an emotional connection to people when I look them in the eye that I just don't know if I'd be getting if I truly had ASD. I also am not very (to my knowledge) monotone voiced, and can adjust my pitch and demeanor without too much hassle.

So, if anyone got through this long introduction, I am curious as to what the general population of this site thinks of whether or not I likely have ASD. :/

Anyhow, thanks for reading. If the question gets lost here, I might post it elsewhere later. Gotta love the internet though and not having to be face-to-face for all of this, lol.
*Hugs all around*

Dan! *hugs tight* Nice to see you around here, finally a friendly familiar face so I don't feel so alone

I'm curious to see what others think about what you wrote. I share a lot of the same traits as you, as you're already aware. Heck you're the one who introduced me to it all, without you I'd be stuck in your previous situation, but without an answer. (Almost) 20, in college, struggling with no known cause or reason as to why. No known or identified disability, no "real" cause for it all.

Thanks to you (and I say that sincerely, no hidden negative feelings attached) I actually feel like I'm not just some ret*d who's not made out for college. There's reasons to it all, and it finally makes a bit more sense.

No matter what happens to ya, I'm going to stick around (and cling to your side), regardless if you're actually ASD or not.

Welcome!

Welkome to WrongPlanet.

The WP Kink

I get the whole red hair thing. You wouldn't believe all the Little Mermaid jokes I get, and my first name doesn't help. Anywho, welcome!

PS: You're not a Wolverines fan are you?

Hey to my fellow Michigander!! !!

Thanks for the welcoming responses there guys.

Aw, Silachan, you made my day when you wrote this.
Thank you so much for the kind words, and you are very welcome! I can't stand to see people unaware of SPD and suffering the effects of it when knowing about it does so much good for a person. I am real glad I met you, for both our sakes really, and thanks for the welcome. *Hugs*



Thanks for the welcome there GammaGeek.
Sorry to hear you too suffer from the red hair social curse. We are probably one of the least publicized minority groups that gets hassled and prejudiced against on a daily basis, lol. I didn't get many Little Mermaid comments (name here not a problem on that one), but I have gotten all kinds of comments, and people have told me I look like various famous redheads, even though I don't look a thing like them. Oh, and the worst has probably been the 'ginger' word, especially after that lousy South Park episode. I swear, the feeling that word gives me is probably equivalent to what a black guy feels when someone drops the "N bomb" around them, lol.


You know, geographically, I probably should be, but I am not. I live real close to Ann Arbor, but I can't stand Ann Arbor, lol. I am not a big college sports fan in general, really. I tend to stick to the pros, hockey in particular, so the Detroit Red Wings would probably be the sports team of which I am the biggest fan. Besides, if I *had* to choose a college team to root for the most, I am closer to the Eastern Michigan University Eagles, so that would probably be 'my team' or whatever, but they aren't particularly great at many sports, hehe.

Oh, and your signature line, ha! I haven't been a big Warcraft gamer since Warcraft II (real old, I know), but I still remember those Orcish terms. In that game, "Lok'tar" is something the grunts would say if you kept clicking on them, which I did a lot of as a kid. I had a lot of fun clicking on stuff over and over again in that game to see what would happen. I especially loved making the critters explode from clicking them enough. So cruel, but so fun.



Why hello there Simmian7. Thanks for the response. I figured there had to be a number of Michiganders in here, so good to meet one. After all, I have lived here my whole life and I probably have met at least a dozen Aspies. Perhaps the only famous one I've met is Jean K. Miller, author of "Women from Another Planet," who actually works at the writing center I work at. We're trying to set up a student program on the campus to promote neurodiversity and help to change the local stigma against people with ASD, ADHD, bipolar, OCD, etc.


Anyhow, thanks again guys.
If anyone has any input on my 'do I have ASD or not' debacle, that would be much appreciated. I can continue to look around though. I am positive it has been debated quite a bit here with other people. I just wish the search function was working at the moment, lol, as that would make it easier to find stuff.

Welcome!
Wow you sound just like me.
There's no doubt you have it to me but you are on the higher part of the scale.
You get a lot of the social dos and donts but aren't always sure on how to use
them correctly right?

Sorry lol, as an Ohioan and a huge Buckeyes fan I was required to ask.


I saw that too. Some kid at my school made up some disease called "gingervitis" and diagnosed me with it because of that episode.

As for whether your an Aspie or not, I'd say you just might be. I had all of the traits you describe when I was younger, but I'm more of a encyclopedia of useless animal and disease facts. For example: a blue whale's tongue is the same size and weight as a full-grown African elephant.

I'm somewhat famous...been in a couple hollywood movies...sang in various places round here in Michigan...still an unpublished author...
Good luck with that program. I've been educating anyone around me about Aspergers and other ASDs...as well as helping out my friend in his "Bullying No Way" campaign.

Well, thanks for your input on this.

Hmm, perhaps that is one way to put what I deal with. I understand, for the most part, what is or isn't socially acceptable, though I do sometimes say things that aren't quite right (like when I used to call my mom fat when I was 11 or 12, hehe). I am able to express my emotions quite well, though my reception isn't quite as good. I get a bit confused at times or will laugh when I shouldn't be laughing. So yeah, perhaps you are right that I am on the higher of the high functioning end of the scale. Thanks for sharing your take on the situation.


Ohio? Cool.

My mom actually grew up around Columbus and went to OSU back in the '70s. I go down there several times each year to visit her side of the family, as most of them are Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky natives.


Thanks for your input on this topic too. It is much appreciated.

Oh, and no worries on the 'useless animal and disease facts.' I know some trivia in that area, but it's not my most sought-out subject. I'm one to memorize a ton of hockey statistics. For instance, I used to have the Stanley Cup championship winning teams memorized chronologically back to 1916. I've gotten a bit rusty, so I'm only able to recall from '43 to date, but can do so in 30 seconds.


Oh cool.

I'm glad you've been able to find success in the entertainment industry. I can't say I'm much for singing or acting, but I am in the process of writing an animated comedy TV series with a coworker. Not sure what will happen, but our ideas are original and I think it has some hope, so we'll work hard on it and see where it goes . I am also starting to write a book, so I'm involved in many projects, as it is. Good luck on getting published some day (soon hopefully). I've only got one published magazine article to my credit, but that's bound to change eventually.


Thanks again guys for the welcome. I'm not sure how active I'll be here yet, but it's good to meet people and get to know a few of you.

You sound like a lot of us. I can understand your feelings. But the question of "whether you have ASD" is so vague and nebulous; a diagnosis is just someone's opinion of whether you fit his or her interpretation of a certain set of printed criteria, and even if one real doctor says you have it, another one might not.

I try not to worry about the "correctness" of my diagnoses, but whether they help me in any way: do they get me medical help and accommodations that benefit me? Do they help me find friends I relate well to? As for you, it sounds as if you've already found some people you'll get along with well.

Welcome, and have a great day.

To WrongPlanet!! !

Hello, I have had a diagnosis of autism since age two, and have always had severe sensory integration disorder as well.

I am perfectly capable of understanding humor, so I would not let that dissuade you from considering an Asperger's diagnosis if you want to seek one.