Mild, moderate, or severe AS.

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I suggest you do not try to assign functioning labels to yourself. If you're anything at all like me, it's probably useless to try.

My GAF of 55 is low for Asperger's, average for autism spectrum, moderate for general purposes.

But functioning labels don't really mean much for me. In some areas, I'm way ahead of my typical same-age peers; in other areas, I'm behind most people with mild global developmental delay (these tend to be adaptive skills); and that's the way it's always been.

I can calculate the exact contents of the most nutritious diet for a person my age, weight, gender, and genetic background, but cannot organize well enough to eat anything that doesn't come out of a can or a box. I can design a protocol for image analysis on microphotographs, but I can't remember to keep an appointment with the primary researcher. I can drive a car, but can't use a bus system. I can give a speech to a hundred people, but still can't hold a conversation. I haven't had a shower in two days because my schedule got messed up; and I forgot to eat today until dinner; but I just got a perfect score on a programming assignment that most people would apparently find difficult.

How do you assign an overall functioning label to a mess like that? Best not to try.

Moderate

Although it's hard to choose between 3 options...but by averaging out your symptoms I would say moderate.

I didn't speak until I was four and presented as if I were a low functning autistic but then this was WAY before the current "OMG! He's lining up his toys he must have autism!" kick. I didn't let anyone "in" and my mom says its as if I were in an inpenatrible bubble. I think I'd classify has having severe AS.

I didn't speak until I was 2, but that didn't mean I spoke very much after that. From 14/15 I started caring about being social. I had low grades in school and had to finish high school at TAFE college, which is an affordable college for working class people who haven't decided what job they want yet. They also have a high school certificate course, which I just narrowly passed.
I've never been employed, I don't pay bills or shop for groceries, I cook under 5 things, I must really force myself to clean things and I spend my weekdays trying to think of things to do while my friends are at work.

Moderate, severe? I have no idea.

That's classic autism, actually. Speech delay. Not that there's any difference in adulthood. Silly psychs.

I'm a moderate aspie methinks:

I still live with my mum at almost 19.

I have very little social skills

I can't cook (only microwave or prepare bento boxes)

I have special interests in anime, manga and Lazytown

I collect toys and plushies

I can't wash my clothes, and I struggle to wash the pots (mostly a sensory thing- there are some foods I hate touching)

I was an early reader but late speaker

I was toilet trained at about 3, but had some accidents until I was about 7.

I believe you're mild to moderate, op.

Thank you, guys. I've had a lot of fun, with this.

My big rule is: rinse your plates, cups etc because I end up doing the dishes and I hate food left in them.
I learned to use the washing machine before my NT sister, so I was proud of that.

I talked late too. I didn't start speaking correctly until I was six. But I said single words though at age two but they weren't real words. I said them wrong. But I had hearing loss.

I drive, but never clean my car.
I do my laundry, but typically wait until I've run out of underwear to wash anything.
I have friends, but I'm pretty inconsistent with hanging out with them.
I make enough money to live on my own, but I'm holding out on that so I can save money for some things I need.
I've dated a man I love very much, but we've had to put things on hold as he tries to get his life back together after losing a high-paying job.
I can cook some stuff, but I'm usually too lazy to do it.
My verbal IQ score is very high, but my performance score is average.
I take things really literally, but have since learned that if you reply with a completely flat expression and tone, it's seen as "deadpan" which I take and make it work for me.
Classic rock and video games are my obsessions, but I'm a musician, so the classic rock thing isn't seen as abnormal by other people. Plus, I hang out with mostly gamers, so nothing seems out of the ordinary there.
My (possible)AS is rather mild, really. I guess we'll get the real facts when my evaluation is over, however.

Ok---I started to post then closed it out thinking---I am not a psychologist or anything---but I do work with gifted students, and at least one AS. And I have AS---so I do have an opinion.

Ok...here it goes...you are moderate in my opinion. But you are able to function very well on your own. Moderate doesn't mean low to me on this. It just means to me that you do have noticeable traits of AS---sensory, interests, etc. I think of mild as being---hmm---does he/she have AS or not?---but after you get to know the person really well is it evident. So for these reasons, I would say moderate. I place myself at moderate too because I fulfilled the criteria for AS on the DSM-IV and Gillberg so well that my diagnosis was easy. But yet, I am a teacher of the gifted and drive a car. I have been lucky in life though, and things could have been a whole lot different for me.

Yep.
My GAF score surprised me... a 71? I don't have any friends at school. I don't have a social life that one would consider "normal". I do many things where I function well, but they are all related to my special interest. I get good marks at school because getting good grades is also an obsession of mine. So, I'm guessing that your high achievement at school would automatically place you in the higher functioning category.

As for me, I consider myself moderate. I've seen more high-functioning people than myself, and I've seen the really severe cases. I think I'm in-between.

You must have never seen a moderate to severe aspie. They can't hold down a job, and they cannot talk about anything other than their special interest. Unless their special interest is Asperger's, there's no way you would be able to get them to post on this site. I know two people like that - they cannot reciprocate even a little in a conversation, and their speech is very distinctively monotone and pedantic. The guy from my school, who has it very severe, struggles to get decent marks because of his intense interests and processing difficulties.

You must have never seen a moderate to severe aspie. They can't hold down a job, and they cannot talk about anything other than their special interest. Unless their special interest is Asperger's, there's no way you would be able to get them to post on this site. I know two people like that - they cannot reciprocate even a little in a conversation, and their speech is very distinctively monotone and pedantic. The guy from my school, who has it very severe, struggles to get decent marks because of his intense interests and processing difficulties.[/quote]


Really? But there are people out there who have an autism diagnoses and they can work. There are mildspies out there who can work but can't even keep a job because of discrimination. That goes for trying to find work. I even talk to a severe aspie on the phone and she doesn't talk about her special interests all the time. She talks about other things. We seem to think alike and have things in common but we are both different people and have our own opinions. She posts here sometimes.

Like I say, it's a spectrum and mild, moderate, and severe don't always mean anything.

I haven't met any aspies.

yeaah...don't work. Never have worked. Done work experience which was a stressful. So if I do one day work I think I'll be one of those that couldn't hold down a job.
I don't talk to people other than greet and make a few comments, then I'll just sit and stare for about 4 hours.


In school I got below average grades.

I did say moderate to severe. Truth is people that have said they're moderate have achieved more than I am yet to achieve.

Everything moderately Aspieaking topic

Are you worried about your special interests, CR?

Mine go through stages, sometimes more intense, soemtimes less.

But we are always curious about what is going on under our own skin and bone. this comes with being Homo Aspiens (this term was coined by another Aspie member here. )