How Many People Here Are actually Autistic or have Aspergers

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I think much of what you say is true and of course there is no blood test for AS/autism. As you state, a diagnosis is all based on behaviors and more importantly what the subject relates about his or her life to the therapist. However, while having a monotone voice might be a strong indicator for AS, I've never seen it suggested anywhere that all AS people have a monotone voice. If there is a single key factor that indicates AS, I think it is the inability to interact and form normal, lasting relationships with others. I can imagine that some might read up on AS/autism and get it in there minds that they have it, when in fact they suffer from some other disorder. I suppose also there may a few posers out there seeking sympathy or whatever, but it would take a lot of dedication to live alone without friends or anything resembling a social life like I do.

My theory is that, despite high intelligence and a lifetime of experience I can only speak for myself, and that making an assessment of others, with only their posts on an internet forum to go by, is, at best, invalid. I'm not here to exclude anyone. I'm here to observe, understand, and try to help, if that's possible.

i do not have a monotone voice, and I have developed lasting relationships with other dysfunctional people..Therefore I must not be an aspie.

Nah, but you have the voice of a child and your external environment has suited you a little better than others (see: you found your "crowd"). Therefore, you can have Asperger's.

good point...

I got diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and ADHD about a month ago. But well, we've been knowing I was having something on the spectrum for many years. I've met many people that asked : How can you have asperger, you don't look like one or behaves like one - or : How can you have ADHD - you're not hyper at all!

For both things then it can have a lot to do with 1 thing. I am a girl. There's many boys and few girls with these diagnoses. And if the girls have, then it's often in such a hard degrade, so you can see it loong loong away from them - DO PEOPLE THINK. But that's a thing that's different with girls which is having a diagnose. Many girls are ''hiding'' and trying to fix in - trying not to get seen.
SO- People can't imagine that they can acturally be having a diagnose on the spectrum. Cause they don' look or act like the autistic people they've heard about! Also the ADHD thing.. mostly people think ADHD persons as really hyper persons like crawling at the walls or so. But often girls do have an ''inside turmoil'' so their 'H' is only inside.

So - to get back to the subject - do I think that a lot of these people on here DO have something on the spectrum. It isn't important if it is Asperger, infantile autism, Atypical autism, NLD, AHDH or ADD.
Of course there's some that don't have the diagnoses, but just feels like they got some of the symptoms, or doesn't have it at all.

(This is just my opinion and look at the subject, doesn't mean that everyone has to agree in it)

Thanx, Gary. I admit that I maybe misunderstood your post, but I tried to make it right in my last post. I usually misunderstand people and often are misunderstood myself. In your avatar, you don't look like someone as bad as your signature says. You look like a perfectly normal person to me.

Last edited by mosez on 13 Dec 2008, 8:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

how strange... I would never call posting on any forum "socialising"... is it just me? I mean, I never feel like I'm socialising here, just commenting, forming opinions. it's so uncomparable to normal interaction with humans

[quote="Inventor"]Happy Birthday!

I am just going to cop to being a known opinion.

A rough tally of this thread, most do. Of the several hundred regulars, most do, and the few other find it contagious. I have seen converts, just as we can take on NT ways. We never get great at that, but our converts can never go back. We are not weak like your Satanist rock and roll, we are forever!

Your post is a good one. I just think I might misunderstood the starter of this thread, Mr. Gary. And I might sounded a bit harsh in replying to him. Tried to fix it though. But to the case. I've allways wondered why I feel different, and some time ago I heard a quite famous writer on the radio, talking about her AS. Before that I never suspected that it might be AS. Several meds has, however, mentioned that I might be in the specter. I like to be here, and hope to contribute in a positive way. I got a weird sense of humour and a special view of the world. Bear that in mind, if you feel I'm offending you. I'll try my best not to do so.

I wonder if there are other AS who have come here as traumatized hyperverbalizers like myself. It's like there are certain subjects that unleash a torrent of verbalization and hypervigilance from me. Do you have AS people who come here and unleash an erratic voice all over the place until their semantic-pragmatic disorder (and trauma) stabilizes? It's so difficult to not verbally meltdown with the kinds of topics central to the PTSD popping up here all the time. If I can't get it under control, I'm going to have to go away (or become a "lurker") for a while.

Your post talks about some AS here, are there traumatized SPD AS voices and what is their rate of posting, and do they settle down after a while?

Your avatar is very attractive with a certain charm. It's not "hideous".

In reconsideration of my original criticism of your posts' wording and the question asked, I think you asked a great question and the right question, too.

I agree with the poster above who says that there are a lot of Aspies here and your post that said that 80 percent seems NT. There are a lot of AS here but if you go by the posting rate and the popularity of the NT (or NT-like) posters, they do appear to overwhelm the site. They obviously contribute to the place enormously by adding elements of real-world NT issues and NT-AS interface issues, tho. So they should be here. I just think it's good to be aware of the social culture, which I wasn't paying any attention to previously.

So I think you asked a great question!

Ephy, I've heard it called hyperlexia. Some of us have it, some don't.

Welcome to the club. Mine usually manifests in person. It gets really good if I've been provoked. Friends actually find it entertaining.

Garyww,

WOW, you have me ALL figured out! Never mind the forum I once joined, didn't post on for YEARS, became THE overwelming most prolific writer on it, and didn't make a single post for 3 YEARS, while everyone else caught up to me. I lost my number one spot less than 3 months ago!(TENS of THOUSANDS of members, one of the most popular sites on the web, and it took them THREE YEARS to catch up to me! OBVIOUSLY, I posted a lot!) MEANWHILE, during that 3 year period THERE, I was on here, and almost 100% of my posts, like there, were responses.

Fernando,

And how do you figure the monotone voice is so reliable?

Frankly, you sound like the people that figure that, if you have been diagnosed, you DEFINITELY have it and, because you have it, all others that have it MUST have every symptom YOU do. MAN, what hubris!

So why do I post all the time? Check it out! Some is opinionated(AS symptom). Some is because I want to help.(AS tendency). Some is because I identify with many here(Typical type of herd mentality that even people with AS have). I'm addicted(AS tendency). I have LOT'S of time when I am by a computer(outgrowth of poor social skills). YEP, I would LOVE to have lots of friends that knew my prefences, etc... and respected them. Maybe I wouldn't even care about any problems I have with AS then. In such a case, I wouldn't post here at all. IRONIC, given garyww's theory!

ALSO, HOW often do I talk about sports, fashion, pop culture, etc... like so many NTs, and even some others here? I DON'T!

I won't say more about the other forum but, suffice it to say, that IT is also just on my interests and the posts were for the same reason as here.

I wish it WERE so easy to spot people with AS. I have some symptoms that ARE common, but some here even have the OPPOSITE symptoms. For example, I HATE being touched, want personal space, and am hyposensitive to the cold. Some here WANT to be touched, INVADE personal space, and are HYPERsensitive to the cold.

And I guess Labpet ISN'T even PARTIALLY nonverbal, because SHE posts here so much and well. Just kidding labpet. I wanted to make a point. BESIDES, I have had whole conversations for MINUTES without saying a word! I have gone DAYS without speaking. YEAH, you wouldn't know it to look here. I started speaking early, and know, to some degree, 6 languages. Still, I even try to speak very little English.

You have unusual prosody though. I don't think that is true about the monotone voice. Some Aspies have monotone voice, others have a very formal type prosody in informal situations, others (like yourself) have a singsong prosody. Aspies do have variations of prosody that are not considered 'normal', but they are not all monotone.

I agree. The reason I like to post here - as well as on other, non-AS forums - is because I like to discuss subjects and exchange information, but find face-to-face communication difficult and therefore anxiety-provoking.

Thank you for that info. I thought hyperlexia was oral (in person chatter). Perhaps I have developed a written form. I will look it up some more.