Online tests say I'm not Aspie...

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I've taken a few of those tests out there once or twice, and they always result in saying I'm below the cutoff for an Aspie score, the most recent time being almost there but not quite. Yet, ever since I heard about AS, I've been positive that I have it. On another thread, I read something about a guy whose psychologists told him he didn't have it, but it was because he hid it so well. Does anyone think that's my problem? I've had a counsellor tell me she didn't think I have it, and I instead just have "social phobia". Which, is that not exactly what AS is sometimes??

Anyway, ranting aside... Have any other Aspies scored "not Aspie" on those online tests? Or am I just imagining my problems?

I can't help you, but social phobia is a common diagnoses of someone who has Asperger Syndrome.

Do you think you have any of the other symptoms of AS/autism, other than social issues?

Someone with AS, but not social phobia, is not particularly afraid of rejection or ridicule and does not spend too much time worrying what other people think of him. He will make social mistakes but is able to set them aside, or is simply focused on something other than socializing. If he is an introvert, he tends to spend time alone because socializing exhausts him, not because he fears being rejected. Such an individual willingly spends time with people, if the energy and desire are there, but solitude does not tend to result in persistent feelings of loneliness or inadequacy, nor does it result in worrying over whether other people have rejected him.

Someone with social phobia but not AS will avoid social contact, spend a lot of time thinking about how to avoid messing up socially, and obsess about whether other people are going to reject him; he is profoundly afraid of embarrassing himself. When the anxiety is lower, his social skills tend to be normal or low-normal. Many people with social phobia will drink to relax in social situations and find they are more able to socialize when they are relaxed. If there are one or more people that someone with social phobia knows very well and does not feel uncomfortable interacting with, his social skills when dealing with them will be normal. In addition, instead of misusing or not using nonverbal signals, someone with social phobia tends to correctly display body language that implies fear, defensiveness, or stress when socializing. The lack of eye contact from someone with social phobia is not an inability to use eye contact, but a fear of meeting the other person's eyes.

Someone with both AS and social phobia has a lot of social anxiety, but even in those situations where he is not anxious, such as with close friends or when particularly relaxed, he still displays very deficient social skills. In addition to the social skills deficits, he will have some form of repetitive behavior or intense interests, such as stimming or obsessive interests in narrow topics. One striking difference between AS and social phobia is that people with AS tend to be better at public speaking than at conversations, while people with social phobia are usually paralyzed with fear by the idea of public speaking, but find private conversations less threatening.

If your symptoms are purely social, without language or executive functioning problems, it is likely that you do not have an autism spectrum disorder. A few purely-social cases probably exist, and would have to be categorized with PDD-NOS, but for the most part, autism involves more than just problems with socializing.

Another thing - sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, have problems with speaking. I sometimes have a weird semi-stutter; sometimes I just fumble my words around. I don't know if this counts or not. I always used to just account it to being human until it made sense as an Aspie symptom.

Do you have any non-social symptoms?

If we're going with the current criteria, do you fit any of these?

Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

Because as of right now they're mandatory for a diagnosis (if what you want is a diagnosis)

(A) Playing only one video game, with no interest in others, in all my free time - does that qualify?
(B) I can't think of any, but maybe a psychologist would recognize some where I didn't see them. So my answer is no.
(C) Maybe mild. I've noticed myself doing it once in a while. This probably doesn't count, but when I'm playing a computer game or reading things on the computer I almost have to do crochet every few minutes. I realized that's kind of a fidgety thing for me.
(D) Idk? What does this entail or include?

Interesting - I didn't know those were the official requirements for a diagnosis. Now I know. If I had to guess, if I were to be evaluated by your average psychologist (certainly any I would end up with in my underdeveloped town) they would probably say no I don't have it.

Asperger's and social phobia are NOT the same thing. Not at all. The two can definitely coexist. AS can lead to social phobia, but AS is not social phobia itself. I wouldn't put too much stock into online tests, though they can give you an idea of where you are at. I have social phobia and have never been tested for AS (although I was diagnosed by my psychiatrist), but the online tests say I do have it. I still don't feel too comfortable saying that I unequivocally have it though because the only way to know for sure is to get properly tested. I feel I do as well as do my therapist and psychiatrist but I won't know until officially tested. So, my advice to you is to find a way to get officially, thoroughly, tested. That is the only way to know for sure.

You can have social phobia along with ASD, but you are born with ASD. If you were unresponsive and aloof as a baby you probably have ASD.

I wouldn´t trust online tests very well.

Thanks, guys. (: I feel a bit better about it and I think I'm going to stick with my "have asperger's - self diagnosed", mostly because it's good enough for me and consellors all make me nervous.