So I probably have mild Asperger's...

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Basically, I learned about Autism and Asperger's recently in school, especially how it is so common within engineers. I am going to college this fall for Electrical and Computer Engineering so I was curious about how much I have in me, so to speak, so I took those two tests, the Aspie Quiz and the AQ test on Wired and got the scores (Aspie score: 130 of 200|Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 65 of 200|"You are very likely an Aspie", AQ: 35/50). I'm not completely sure if I am technically an Aspie since I don't think I could be diagnosed with the dsm but I don't plan on it since it is pretty mild, but I was quite surprised.

However, it is bothering me that while I have a lot of the symptoms of Asperger's, I also have a lot of contradicting NT traits.

Aspie traits:
3rd percentile on facial recognition test
Very unconventional humor, heh
Good with patterns, computers, etc.
Don't like/akward in social situations
Flat affect usually, monotonous voice
90% of people my age annoy me, haha
Walk weird
Weird personality
Flapping hands when younger
Compulsive stuff like fiddling, shaking leg, biting lip
Hate giving hugs
Talk way too quietly, apparently, although I alway think I am talking loud enough
Verbal commands confuse me, plus I always forget them
Sometimes simple questions confuse me and I have to pause for a few seconds before answering, especially if I am attempting to do something else
Background noises make it really hard for me to follow conversations often
A little clumsy

NT traits:
I can tell emotions from eyes slightly above average, based on another test I did
I can tell sarcasm easily. Not sure if this is because I am good at judging based on context without thinking or it is just natural
I am actually the first person, usually, to understand a joke and I actually commonly get subtle jokes that go over everyone else's head
Don't obsess over one topic
No issues with understanding social customs and rules
Routines aren't so important although I like them
Whenever I watch a movie or in real life and someone doesn't say thank you or something when it would be expected makes me really uncomfortable (I don't quite understand this.. I am really sensitive to this.)

I know these aren't exactly Asperger's/NT traits but I am trying to communicate how confused I am and how split it is. I do not plan on getting diagnosed because it is pretty mild and I haven't been bullied since middle school (my high school rocks!) and I doubt I will have trouble fitting in at probably the most AS college even though I am probably more on the spectrum than the average even in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

I am just wondering what you guys think. Could I just be a nerdy NT?

I'm all for trying to find the right label for yourself. I'm on a mission like that right now.

There are several big problems though. Take it from someone who has had to be her own therapist because no psychologist knew what they were dealing with.

#1: When people talk about Asperger's, they really don't know what that means. I'm serious. The definition of the word "autism" has changed so radically since its first usage that it is barely recognizable. The things that professionals observe are real, so in that since autism is real. But to treat it as a single, identifiable "something" is highly misleading. Nobody truly knows what autism is.

#2: Because autism exists as a nebulous, vague thing, you don't just "have" or "not have" Asperger's.

#3: I can't judge what kind of neurotype you have based on a list of symptoms. To arrive at the conclusion I did, I had to dig through volumes of family history, go through the development of symptoms one by one, and practically teach myself neurology and abnormal psychology. If you're interested, I'd be happy to help you through that process.

Sorry if that sounded a little bitter. It's getting late and I might be kind of cranky.

If you lived where I live you would be diagnosed one way or another in two weeks. My cousin was recognized as having add or adhd and I was diagnosed with several disorders.

I guess tests can only give you a starting point. They are probably good for judging 'extreme' character types, but most people fall somewhere in the middle.
NT and Aspie are effective labels, but IMO both categories fall on a spectrum, so it's not unusual to be a little of both. Many NTs find social situations hard too etc...
Maybe it all boils down to how you feel about it... did you always feel alienated while growing up... if your Aspie traits don't cause you much distress or relationship difficulties, then I guess you should count yourself lucky and not worry too much and enjoy life to its fullest.
It's natural to want to find where you fit in though... I'm on that journey at the moment too. I think I would love to meet someone like me in person and be friends with them, instead of a forum, but this is a good start to help me get comfortable with accepting who I am

Oh and welcome!

The principal difference noticeable in aspies is in their apprehension by normal observers. There's a thing, apparently, that occurs between perception and behaviour in normals that doesn't occur between normals and aspies. This results in an unquestioned perception by the normals in the interaction that the aspie participant is not all there, which results in distrust, or at least in an unquestioned desire not to see the aspie again.

In, it goes without saying, my own - aspie - opinion.

Most of your potential diagnosticians are going to be NT, and they're going to diagnose you according to their training. Which, it goes without saying, doesn't include any of the above.

Thanks for your responses!

I definitely identify with aspies much more than NTs and I guess that is all that should be important to me.

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