Is Introversion really Asperger's?

Post Reply New Topic

From DSM-IV-TR (http://books.google.pt/books?id=3SQrtpnHb9MC&pg=PA80):



and

Asperger's is basically extreme introversion.

That is almost true, if by mentioning Introverted and Extroverted you are referring to neurotypicals.

That is exactly how I feel. In a social setting, I come across as an introvert in a less comfortable situation and as an extrovert in a more comfortable situation. I used to live an introverted lifestyle due to not having anyone to talk to, and HATED it. I have been told that I am an extrovert by those who are aware of my AS (as most, if not all, people I know are). It makes sense, because I don't crave alone time if I have the choice to interact with people about my special interests. And having narrow interests to the point where you find it difficult to process anything else is not a criterion for introversion. I do not understand the concept of "alone time" or "me time". The only time I disengage is when I've spent too much energy coping with non-structured external input and my brain just shuts off while I do something repetitive for a period of time to bring that structure back. Now, if I socially interact with topics that are part of my special interest for hours on end, I actually don't feel the need to withdraw and do this repetitive stuff, given a tolerable amount of unpredictable external stimuli.

To address your comment about extroverted Aspies being rare in real life, I have met many people with AS and have found that it's actually not that rare at all. With a lot of people, I see introverted affect as build-up resulting from a multitude of social failures in the past. Once people with diagnosed/undiagnosed AS realize that they are among similar-minded people in a supportive environment, some of them relax and begin initiating conversations, talking a lot, telling jokes, and acting like extroverts. I can see this as resulting from being typically unable to navigate conversations that are largely based on non-verbal communication. Personally, I go blank in a setting where people are talking to each other too fast about something that I cannot either grasp the meaning of, or if the conversation moves on too quickly. The MBTI does not address the unique differences/needs that people on the spectrum have. Some people's special interests are more narrow than others', and they often have no choice but to spend their time alone just because they simply can't find anybody to share their interest with in a meaningful way.

I am pretty sure that if I weren't autistic, I would be a social butterfly and a party animal. I always imagine myself doing these things, but then I tried to do them in real life and it never worked out. I'm lucky to have several supportive and understanding people at my side right now, who actually agree to go to various social events with me. I actually managed to go clubbing, and absolutely enjoyed it. I'm so glad that I can finally experience things I have wanted to experience for a long, long time and could never do so in the past due to my social impairment.

This statement is 100% false. My best friend with Asperger`s is an extrovert. Some people with Asperger`s are extroverts, some are introverts.
There is no nervousness included in introversion. That`s shyness.
We are capable of "thinking on our feet," but we prefer to have time to think, rather than do things on impulse. Yields much more practical results.

No. The two are similar, but have many differences.
For example, introverts are not socially awkward, we simply prefer not to socialize. We are overstimulated by socializing, as well.
There are many people with Asperger`s who are extroverts...my friend, for example. He`s a classic extrovert, but it`s also clearly evident he has Asperger`s, though to the untrained eye, perhaps not.
While it`s been brought up for years of whether or not introversion should be on the autism spectrum, and most recently, Jennifer Grimes wrote a thesis on it, there is no evidence to support these claims.
So the debate continues...

Most of Aspies are introverted, but of course it doesn't mean that most of introverts are Aspies.

There are also some extroverted Aspies, at least 5% - in this poll 2 out of 37 are extroverted:

viewtopic.php?t=338740

So perhaps around 90-95% of Aspies are introverted. Not sure if this poll is representative.

Its more like asking if "American" is the same thing as "English Speaking".

The U.S.A. is historically an English speaking country, and continues to be majority English speaking. But there are pockets were folks speak some minority language as their first language (Spanish, or Native American tribal languages).

English is the main language in many other countries besides the USA (including England). So "American" and "English speaking" are not the same thing (though the two categories of people have a lot of overlap).

Likewise "introversion" is a trait associated with aspergers, but there is a much bigger chunk of the population who are introverts than the tiny sliver of the population who are aspie. And a minority of aspies are exceptions, and are extraverts.

IMHO a significant percentage of non introverted Aspies present as introverts and think of themselves as introverts due to lifelong negative consequences from their atypical social communication.

I had blatant autistic traits as a little kid. Enough to almost get institutionalized.

I have Aspergian traits now.

I was somewhat introverted when I was a teen and young adult---but not overly so. I was shy with girls as a teen.

I wouldn't really call myself "introverted" these days.

But I am certainly on the Spectrum.

That's probably a factor too.

A talkative extrovert aspie will quickly get in trouble with his peers in childhood by talking about uncool subjects, or by not picking up the right social cues, and so forth, and get so many hard knocks that the extrovert aspie child will become "outwardly introverted"(if that makes any sense) by adolescence in order to survive.

I think Aspie's don't really fit into the introvert-extrovert categorisation. We can be very extrovert when we want to be (if we are talking about what we are interested in). In fact we can overwhelm people. I was once asked to fill in the Myers-Briggs personality type test (as was everyone at my place of work). I was one of 2 out of 45 to get the 'introverted extrovert' label. I think that sums many of us up. The other person was also an obvious Aspie.

This is an interesting development:

Click here.

I think personality classifications can be very rigid, when in reality ALL human behavior operates over a wide spectrum. Human behavior is complex, and can be influenced by such factors as mood. Sometimes you might feel like socializing, sometimes you don't!