Another explanation for my aspie symptoms?

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Yeah, I struggle a lot because some docs say I am aspie and some don't. I have mixed traits, I have strong special interests and I used to have bad social skills but I have good non-verbal abilities and I have been called very empathetic.

I have a new CBT therapist. I didn't ask specifically about ASD's, but I asked what she thought was the cause of my special interest-like behavior. She believes it is a side effect of having a high IQ and in fact wants me to get a new IQ test.

I found one of my childhood tests and it said:
Performance: 115
Verbal: 128

I don't know what it is now but is that high enough to cause aspie-like traits in a person?

A lot of people think that the 'people with ASD's have no/little empathy' this is kind of... eh, not very accurate.

Have you read this? http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2011 ... pathy.html

I'm not saying you do or don't, but it's interesting reading if you don't fit the 'no empathy' trope.

High IQ people often do have special interests.

we have the same special interest, i LOVE sonic

While these numbers don't seem too terribly "high", it is common for many reasons that a gifted child may not test on par with their actual intellect since uneven development emotionally and otherwise are common. I think you should retake the test, I have mixed traits and it seems to be common with gifted people to have an entirely different way of navigating the world to those with average intelligence. Depending on that test and your age (I don't know which was administered to you and under what conditions) the verbal score pushing that 130 zone can indicate a lot. Does any other this sound familiar? http://talentdevelop.com/articles/ETGSAFTFT.html

No. It's pretty high, but there are plenty of people with higher IQ's who have just fine social skills.

Sensory processing disorder can cause some aspie symptoms. Maybe look into that?

Agreed.

I would second this entirely, but considering it was a very old childhood test a retake would prove helpful for a more accurate reading. Things like sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia can cause a botched IQ test before development has finished. Better to know if you're twice exceptional whenever possible, that knowledge can work wonders in moving forward.

How can you tell the difference between ASD and Gifted?

It seems to be a fine line, but the issues seem to be the biggest difference when it comes to defining the experience.

http://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com ... sm-5-help/

http://www.agnesburger.nl/images/upload ... tistic.pdf

http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10167.aspx

It is probably not the greatest example, but I'm more here on WP due to being ND in an ASD relationship more so than being gifted and the challenges that stem from that. I hear very little about the struggles conceptually I deal with especially things like existential depression or a strong humanitarian life mission which are common issues in dealing with non-gifted people. I also don't see many "dumbing themselves down" or other purposeful defamation to aid blending in and lessen suffering. The motives are different and the view seems to be different on matters that are not intellectual in nature. I do however relate a great deal since I'm 2E with ADHD/Dyslexia/Dyspraxia, but it's still a bit different. I have had a good number of ASD friends throughout life, but aside from standing out and more uncommon interests than my other friends (I think the sensory similarities are of course very similar), I do not share their personality or reason for sharing those interests. I have very broad interests that stem from conceptual goals and remedying issues that tend to plague people, I have no interest in "random" things, I'm very different from my ASD friends even though our motives bring us to common areas of interest. I hope that didn't come out sounding horrible, I don't really talk about these things because NTs are quite cruel when trying to explain these matters.

They can exist apart and together independently, if AS has an IQ requirement greater than 130 the blur would make sense to me...

It doesn't come across as sounding horrible at all, I know how cruel people can be sometimes. I was heavily bullied at school and have even been bullied in my adult life for various reasons. Growing up I had advanced development in areas such as moral development, a high level of academic ability, a remarkably good memory which allowed me to pass exams without revision etc but was considered to be emotionally immature, over sensitive and too idealistic as well. Add in a quirky personality (I like to find creative unorthodox ways of going about things and am not very good at doing things in a certain way just because that is how they are done by others...) and I was an instant target for my peers.

Despite being considered exceptionally bright by my schools and extremely intelligent by my colleges, socially I have pretty much been hung drawn a quartered by people in the general population.

It does not help that I have strong views, am overly verbose to the point I have been chased off forum boards because of it, can come across as argumentative if i don't agree with something (even if an expert said it...I need to see the evidence for myself and not just take someone's word for it) and can be overly passionate about things including my hobbies.

These tendencies are often read as my being deliberately difficult, arrogant, narcissistic, obsessive compulsive (due to tendency towards persistence, perfectionism and having intense interests) and so on. Drs keep trying to medicate me, I keep trying to avoid them.

So it's ok, I know what it feels like to be slaughtered by people for talking about this stuff.

I will check the links shortly. Thank you.

People keep suggesting that I might have an ASD due to my social problems and quirks so I am looking into things.

PN I also have a brother with dyslexia and get depression myself so I am non judgmental about such things. I wanted to help the world but I can't do a damned thing to make even the slightest difference it seems...sometimes I wonder what the hell I am here for and what I am supposed to do with my ability if all life consists of is being born, passing the time and then dying.

I should probably cheer up!

Please excuse any typographical errors.