So, I may not be *totally* aspie after all

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After eons of "not getting any" I finally decided to do something about it - I am starting a prolonged therapy with a psychologist/sexologist who is among the best rated in the country. I've been thru two sessions already, did some allocation tests, and the guy's temporal veredict is that I'm anything but an aspie. He does, however, recognize that I do have "traces" of aspie behavior.

His reasoning is founded, among other aspects, that a true aspie can't stand physical contact (not a problem for me) or eye contact (no problem for me either, most of the time) and that true aspies are prone to having serious fixations with odd topics, which I must recognize is not something that happens to me often. I hope to have this further explained on forthcoming sessions, but for what I've heard up to this point, I seem to be pretty "normal" by society standards; I just have some "underdeveloped" areas that I'd have to work out on the forthcoming months, if you know what I mean.

I was ready to hear anything anyway - I have never thought about the odds of having AS as an excuse for declaring myself handicapped for social relationships, unable to get a job, or underachieving. Either way, I want to be positive concerning changes to do and come on the forthcoming months, and I just felt like writing it here - I know you'd understand.

Congratulations on being declared mostly NT

You have no idea how much of a relief it would be if I knew you and you were being considered/tested for AS.

Having AS is a nightmare I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy so I really am happy for you

Good luck

I am mostly NT myself.

Tim

a true aspie can't stand physical contact
This would be more true for autistic people and not true of all of them or all aspies for that matter. And it can depend on who is trying to do the touching, the way they are touching (firm or light contact) and how sensitive the aspie person is feeling at that moment in time.

eye contact
again, true for some and not for others. Most of the time I'm fine with eye contact, but I avoid eye contact when I am angry or upset with someone, and sometimes I forget - if I'm distracted.

true aspies are prone to having serious fixations with odd topics
serious fixations - yes, I prefer to think of it as specific interest or strong focus on topics, but not necessarily odd topics. And again, having strong interests or not having strong interests is not diagnostic alone.

What about the other diagnostic criteria? What about the spectrum - where people will have the various traits in various combinations and intensities.

What about your communication skills? your cognitive skills and your social and emotional abilites? Do you understand and apply social conventions intuitively or do you need the "unwritten" rules of social interaction explained step by step?

I think this guy has Aspergers confused with (low functioning) Autism, but if he helps you - this doesn't matter.

I don't myself the be a true aspie.
Sure I hate physical contact like I hated getting cuddled or cuddling or kissing and I had to really work hard with my therapists on my eye contact, and even that messed up at bit because it just lead to inappropriate such as eye contact with like big tough hairy bikers etc. I am also obsessed with topics like the weather and snakes.
Also like many aspies I hate breaking routines.
Also like many aspies I have dreadful social skills and often portrayed as tactless and rude.
But I am not a true aspie because I had strong speech delay as a child. I did not speak until I was 4 and still suffer from speech apraxia to this day.
A true aspie speaks fluently albeit in a monotone kind of way and has normal speech development.

Paul

Last edited by paulsinnerchild on 27 Aug 2006, 2:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

So, Paul, if you had speech delay, would you perhaps be more High Functioning Austistic?? Lots of thing I've read seem to say that Autism = Speach delays and AS doesn't.
Just an idea!

Anyway, to be honest, if you have similiar problems as the others on this site, it doesn't really matter whether you fit the exact criteria for AS. After all, whatever you have or don't have you do share the problems of people with AS and thus you fit into this site : )

I'm sorry you feel that way about AS, Fraya. I see AS as a blessing in disguise. It provides me with an ironclad excuse to be cranky and to get out of some unpleasant obligations.

Do I wish I was born without it? Of course. Would I like for it to be taken away at this stage? Heck no.

I had a similar incident the other day when I was talking to a friend at a bar in the bowling alley I was at. This guy behind my friend suddenly stood up and walked over and said "you got a problem with me or something?" it turns out I was staring at him for a good 10 minutes and didnt realize it since when Im talking I tend to "turn off" my eyesight to help me concentrate better but it also means I tend to stare blankly without actually seeing what Im looking at.



Bah I never use it as an excuse hence why I dislike it a bit I guess.. its a disadvantage I dont allow myself to be forgiven for so its more a pain than a benefit.. but again its part of who I am so I wouldnt get rid of it either if I had a choice :p

I bet you're also disappointed if you fail to reach all of your goals.

Not really.. even if I fail I did my best and thats all anyone can do so what is there to be disappointed about?

Im also one of those stubborn people who say "If first you dont succeed try again as many times as it takes"

I am not.

I don't consider myself to be a "true" aspie, though the "true" NT's judge me that way .

I may have a very strange Obsession, but I see my AS as a Personality Difference as opposed to a Disability. Other than that, I'm happy for you. Maybe I'll get to the point to where you are, one day in the Future.

Sometimes I fell I have just the bad apsie stuff (sensory issues, social problems) but not the cool stuff like creativity or different thinking

Good to hear about your wanting "to be positive concerning changes to do and come on the forthcoming months." Perhaps you are somewhere on the NT spectrum leaning towards AS; or on the AS spectrum leaning towards NT; or perhaps you are not the same person now than when you were little; or whatever - but I think the point in any diagnosis or self-diagnosis is mostly in what you are going to do with it.

That's ok.

As long as people respect you and accept you for who you are, that's what matters. It's an interesting feeling because sometimes we feel like we understand certain things, but other times, we don't.