Unsure if I have Aspergers...

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I am new to the forum, as you can all tell ( ) but I have joined because I can empathize easily with the community on this site. Where to start... Well, in the middle of last year, my latest obsessive research topic (mine tend to change over time, I have had many) was psychology. As I was browsing the internet, I happened across a page on pervasive developmental disorders, with a link to the AQ test. Although I scored consistently between 35-40 I did not trust the quiz, and threw myself into research on the topic of Aspergers syndrome. The more I read, the more similarities I found. Descriptions of some of the more telling traits follow.

I have just begun High School, and realized recently that in Middle School I never had a "social life" and never truly desired one. I have always had 2-3 close friends, maximum, and cannot cope with large social gatherings, as I can only follow the flow of one conversation at a time. I have been repeatedly told to "get out of my head" and have a tendency to go on and on about things that interest me, only belatedly realizing that the person I'm talking to isn't interested.

I find myself avoiding eye contact with anyone who wants to discuss my feelings, and find such discussions extremely difficult. I adopt an entirely different voice around other people than I use when alone, complete with a higher voice. When talking to other people, I mimic the language style they use, and adopt a similar posture, having trained myself to do so. I despise talking on the phone, because I can't mimic the mannerisms of the person I'm talking to as easily, so it feels awkward.

I am easily distracted by things that interest me, often to the detriment of other aspects of my life. I obviously display certain compulsive tendencies, such as arranging things "just so" and sharpening pencils. I subconsciously tuck my hair behind my ears, even when it is unnecessary and shake my head rapidly from side, especially when nervous or excited.

When I am hyper or tired these behaviors become more apparent. I have even been asked, by a friend of my Dad, whether I have considered that I may have Aspergers! I would greatly appreciate any input from the nonjudgmental audience of Wrong Planet on whether my suspicions are unfounded, and what I should do. Thank you!

Welkome to WP

Mick

There's no hard and fast line between asperger's and quirky normal. How well you are coping with life is more important than whether or not you have a diagnosis. being aware of your sensory and social issues is a good thing regardless so any research or consultation you do in that regard will be worthwhile, and If you do pursue diagnosis it will likely be much easier to make that happen while you are still in school. The only potential problem is if you think "oh I can't do x because I have fill in the blank problem (aspergers, depression, etc.) Or "This condition I have is the cause of all these other problems I'm having and if it disappeared everything would be fine." There's nothing wrong with having 2-3 good friends-- honestly, despite appearances that's a lot better than a lot of NT's Quality is more important than quantity. The one downside of having fewer (possibly closer) friends is that it hurts more if you have a falling out or separation from any one of them.

Hi Xena Sophia! Welcome to Wrong Planet! Check out the different forums and articles here. They are interesting and helpful. You are among friends here.

You sound like you may be on the Autism/Asperger's Syndrome spectrum, to me. On the Autism/Asperger's forum there is at least one article with links to online tests you can take about your symptoms. If your test results seem to indicate that you might be on the spectrum, then you can decide if you want to go for an official diagnosis. If you have been having problems this can be helpful, as there are treatment programs for people on the spectrum. There is no cure, but these treatment programs, and coping methods can be helpful, so I do suggest you try out the online tests to see if this might be worth pursuing.

To WrongPlanet!! !