Before I get a professional diagnosis...

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I just want to get a general opinion on whether or not I might have aspergers syndrome.

I've been wondering for awhile now on whether I have aspergers or if I'm just socially awkward.

I'm currently 20 years old (21 at the end of May) and here's my story.

Growing up I often would do weird things as a kid, I or anybody I knew had absolutely no comprehension let alone idea of aspergers or HFA so I was just dismissed as being odd. Fast forward a few years later and my nephew (10 years younger than me) was diagnosed with aspergers and thus we all learn't about it. After doing research on it, the more I found out the more I thought "that explains everything".

But that's where I hit a hurdle. For everything that makes me go "that is so me" I also think "but then again" or "but I also". Basically I find it hard to tell what could be a sign of Aspergers and what could have just been a sign of me being a little kid or a teenager.

Social: Now I don't ever remember being shy as a kid but I also remember sometimes just being happy to play games in my room all day, but than again what kid doesn't. What I do remember is sometimes saying stupid stuff or acting strange and as a result I was picked on alot and seen as a weirdo by other kids. A few years back I was talking to a girl I went to school with and she pretty much said she was scarred of me as a kid due to my behaviour. That said I could also hold a conversation with other kids and adults.

I would (and still do) often flick my fingers in various ways and make weird noises, the latter not so much until recently.

When I was about 4-5 I picked up a couple of dried out palm prond (always thought it was palm prom until writing this post) leaves and pretended I was Dr Octopus from Spider-Man. Simple enough for a little kid but what this triggered was a life long habit of picking up sticks, leaves wires ect, and flicking them around while I pace around and imagine stuff. Basicly I would and still do find a quite place or at least somewhere isolated enough from viewing and pace back and forth thinking up stuff whether it be something really serious or "what if Darth Vader from Star Wars fought Mewtwo from Pokemon." During this I go into an almost meditation like state and as a result I've been able to think up entire stories, concepts for games and even inventions that I would otherwise just have a brain fart if I sat down with a pen and notepad and tried to think them up. This is something I can spend a long time on and I hate having it ended or interrupted.


Anger: Apparently one sign is intense emotion and when it comes to anger it's beyond. I usually find that pushed hard enough (which isn't that hard) I end up feeling kind of nauseous.


Ok I know I haven't written that much, but it's very late and I need sleep. There is still alot I want to write especially on my anger and my interests which is apparently a big factor in Aspergers.

If you can afford it, and it will help you get accommodations, why not seek a diagnosis?

Based on what you write, you have some general symptoms of Aspergers/Autism (under the DSM-V, there is no Aspergers any more). What you wrote doesn't "scream" autism, though. It can be many other "disorders" or even "nondisorders."

Much depends on what you are actually "angry" about, I believe.

It's mainly arguments. Now I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, but I tend to get worked up with my family if I feel my side of the story isn't being listened to or if they've asked me to do something that I see as unfair or unneeded. There is still much I want to write, but right now I just need to listen to music for bed. PS Thanks for the feedback.

To be honest, many adolescents and young adults (and some older adults even LOL) get worked up over arguments, feel very passionate about what they are arguing about, etc.

This is not a sign of autism at all. More a sign of, perhaps, being stubborn or one who has staunch beliefs.

When you are able to write more, then we can speculate better.

Yes, what I'm doing is only speculating.

No "edit post" button. Darn.

On my anger. Yes I know it's common for people to get angry in an argument, but I seem to go a step beyond. I've toned it down slightly in the last few years but as a child I would have complete meltdowns sometimes. This couldn't be seen as "just being a kid" since I was the only one of my age who did it.

Back on my stick flicking, I find that if I can't find something to hold my hand flicking from my childhood comes back somewhat. And I will usually actively look for a stick of some kind to hold. This put me at odds with my schools "no sticks" policy.

Motor skills. I have terrible motor skills, and I find it much easier to just do one task at a time. I even find the "pat your head and rub your stomach" thing hard to do. Taking piano lessons and practising combos in fighting games has helped but not eliminated the problem.

Back onto social stuff. Now I don't consider myself an introvert but I usually keep to myself, even at a party. However I will ignite a conversations and I have felt very upset at times when I've felt like I have nobody to talk to. With eye contact I have noticed that I do tend to avoid it without even thinking and will only give a quick glance so the person knows I am listening or just look at their face but not directly into their eyes. When I'm on the phone I've found myself having conversations that have awkward pauses in them due to me finding it difficult because I can't see the person and thus can't play off them.

When speaking I usually wave my hands around and when I'm trying to explain something or remember something while in a conversation I rotate my right hand in a propeller like motion, almost like motor revving up. Though to my understanding it isn't that uncommon.

Interests: Now this is the one I'm the most curious about.

To put it simply I don't have one particular interest, but I do usually have one or two things I obsess over.
A quick timeline of my hobbies

As a child: Nintendo and Star Wars. Yes I know it's common for a child to like video games but I was REALLY into Nintendo, I would collect games, read magazines, speculate about games, think up stories based on those games, think about the lore of them, use whatever I could to learn about them both story and meta wise. And when not pacing with a stick I would of coarse spend pretty much spend all my free time on my 64 and GameCube only ever taking a break to watch TV or a movie. With Star Wars I had no access to things like the expanded universe books, so I was pretty much just stuck watching the movies and thinking about them.

As a teen: Dragonball and Vocaloid. To cut a long story short, if Dragonball was a school subject I would have a degree on it. With Vocaloid, it was another heavy interest of mine back from 2010-2012 and I did do a lot of research of it and memorised a ton of information of it.

Super Smash Bros and Street Fighter. Or more specifically the competitive side. It's more something I practised but I did heavily get into researching different techniques, the history of the fighting game community and it's many well known names.

Now: Video theory. Different video cables, signals, color spaces and getting the sharpest image and colors as possible on a screen. Also politcs is something I've fond myself researching.

Now all of these things I've retained the information of and it's not like I abandoned an interest and move onto another, but I'm usually stick to one or two topics of interest.

There's still a bit I want to ad, but yet again I need sleep.

Under the DSM-5 and pending ICD-10 diagnostic manuals, your described social-communication and restrictive behaviors suggest that you have reason to believe that you are autistic. But, as you and kraftiekortie have written, it would take a clinician to sort that out. One of the best autism diagnosticians in the world is Tony Attwood, Ph.D. He lives near you in Petrie, Queensland. If that is too far from you, you could always read his book The Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome. Another good book is Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder): How Seeking a Diagnosis in Adulthood Can Change Your Life by Philip Wylie. Both are available from Amazon.com.

Yep....should have mentioned Attwood!

One of THE experts on Asperger's.

Quick question. Can Autism run in the family? Since apparently my youngest uncle showed mannerism very similar to my nephew as a child. Also my mother after learning about Aspergers suspects my late grandfather might have had it due to him often hiding away in his shed or with a book and being overly blunt and rude sometimes. Then again it was probably just typical 1920's born old man behaviour. He would also apparently keep repeating certain phrases over and over "don't, thug, the grapes, don't, thug, the grapes, don't, thug, the grapes" over and over (never saw him do that myself), something I also do to a certain extent. Also he must have had at least some intelligence since he was a mining engineer who manged a mine in the 60's, and helped develop a tungsten mine in the 70's and 80's.

Both are on my mothers side.

Just want to mention Tony Attwood doesn't see new patients any more. His website recommends going to the Hearts and Minds clinic instead. I asked them about diagnosis and all in all they want $960! There's a place in Milton that will do it for $800 but that's still a lot. Other psychiatrists may do it for cheaper but I can't give any recommendations.

I don't know how much flights are but you could probably get a diagnosis/rule-out for cheaper by flying to Brisbane and staying a night. Both places I mentioned do four sessions (i.e. $240 per session at Hearts and Minds) but they said they may be able to do several sessions on one or two days if travel is a problem. Still, I think it's too much and the problem is none of it is subsidised.

I would take the RDOS Aspie Quiz and see what comes out of that, it's usually a fairly good indicator of where you lie (if true).

Sorry for double posting and necro posting, but I have a big question.

Can you be on the spectrum and not be hyper sensitive to noise? Believe me I hate tons of annoying noises but I have no memory of doing something like this. The closest I could think of is when my sisters bad singing was getting on my nerves and I knew she wouldn't stop if I asked so I got more frustrated in silence, almost like a was having a quiet panic attack. In the end I started clapping onto my ears really hard in frustration and as a result my headphones stopped working due to me basically smashing them with the palms of my hands. Sometimes if noise is too much and I can't go for a run to escape for whatever reason I'l become very agitated often leading to an argument or a spontaneous shut up! but it's not like I can't go near roads because of cars, or McDonalds due to too many people.

Also I redid the RDOS test, reconsidering some questions and I got an even higher ND score.
Can't remember the exact numbers but I think they were something around
NT score 75
ND score 138.

I think my first results were probably the more "accurate" ones but I did find it interesting none the less.

You need not have all of the traits just most of them. Most autistics do not have every trait. Also while you might not be sensitive to noise you might be sensitive to other things such as sight (Flickering florencent lights bothers a lot of autistics), taste, touch(certain textures bother many autistics). Even noise sensitivity can be very specific.

Hypo sensitivity is also a diagnostic criteria for autism.