survey for Aspies/Autistic

Post Reply New Topic

[quote="iceveela"]I am trying to collect information for a paper I am planning on writing, and I was told to do a ton of research, I also have a few autistic or asperger friends that I plan on also asking questions to...


1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
formal diagnosis of AS at 13. i think that was in 2004 since im turning 20 soon.
2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
i think the wrong planet metaphor works well. sometimes its just like what the fudge is everyone going on about? what the heck does that even mean? i think i can understand people when they say auties are in their own world. it has its positives as well as its neutrals and i guess maybe some negatives. other than that its the norm for me so it is not something i can speak of comparitively.
3. what are the main symptoms you have?
blank face/innapropriate expressions, used to have a monotone, i think my voice may be more expressive now but i still get sarcasm wrong, suck at sport and walk funny, really obsessive interrests, dont really have sensory issues besides the fact that i get really distracted/entranced by colour and light, certain textures are pleasing to me and if you shove me in an extreme situation(clubs: loud noise, vibrations, flashing lights, multicolours) i feel sick, have mild issues reading people: humour, is sarcasm directed at me at play or with malice, anger vs happiness, etc. dont deal with major changes to life well, misinterrpret social cues or dont notice them at all, poor eye contact- too much, too little.
5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
depression has been an issue in the past but not at the moment.
6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
overbearing parents, studying for a job i hate, not being able to do the things i love because of problem #1, not being able to be me because of reason #1 and society in general, finding it hard to make friends/talk to humans on the rare occasion i want to. not totally AS induced problems but then you didnt specify if they ought to be or not...
7. What are your interests?
right now its AS/autism. in the past it has been predominantly paganism and herbs. also saints, greco roman myth, paranormal. you meant special interests right?
8. what were you like as a child?
quiet, shy, bookworm, above AS symptoms more obvious, apparently im argumentive and stubborn, asocial, a loner, didnt give a crap about society's expactations.
9. do you have memory issues?
i think it tested as average.
10. how do you take criticism?
depends on who it comes from and in what way. ok overall.
11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
no. ive met one of each but we were never friends and i never knew them well enough to warrant remembering their names.
12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
i like stuff from the rock side of the music spectrum. not exclusively though. right now its punk. i tend to listen, not to the same song, but the same band over and over and over. right now its rise against. i have 10 of their songs on my ipod and i just keep pushing replay. over and over. does that count?
13. what is your social life like?
hehe "social life", funny. i have maybe 1 friend who i met like a month ago. there are a couple of people i started talking to but dont really see any more and i try interact with people at the political group i go to but fail miserably.
14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
no but i do get down if my routine changes massively. like thursdays did(go to class, go to youth group, go to discussion group) that changed and now i only go to class. even if i had switched the last 2 with something fun i would still be unsettled. brushing before i leave the house and before bed is important. eating a broen egg with a white egg is important, eating the brown half of a lebanese laof of bread is important. routine isnt a major thing for me.
15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
um if anybody touched my butt i think id break their arm... otherwise id tolerate or even enjoy the others from friends or aquaintences i like. if it were family i wouldnt enjoy it and struggle to get free and basically do my best impression of an ironing board.
16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
both. i like being alone. but when i dont want to i dont actually know how to talk to people, what to say, how to act, etc and theyre a bit scary to approach. dont really mind though since most people i meet turn me off by being themselves and i just dont wanna be near them. very few people i know i actually like, admire or respect or dont bore me.
17. anything else you can think of!! !
not specific. i have this need for questions to be very specific or i can not/do not know how to answer them.

1. I was originally diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder when I was only 2 years old. About three years later, I got diagnosed with PDD-NOS.

2. Well, to tell you the truth, it is a bittersweet feeling being someone who was clinically diagnosed on the autism spectrum. It is sweet in the sense that it gives me a great talent for mathematics, chess, and having a good memory for certain subjects. It is also bitter in the sense that it makes it more difficult for me to establish strong relationships/friendships with people than those who are neurotypical.

3. The only symptom of autism/Asperger's that truly shows is how I communicate with people at times (i.e. how I word/phrase things). Despite this, I was able to communicate well enough with professors and the people that I worked with on group projects to get through college and I was able to communicate well enough during 30-minute interviews for graduate school to get accepted into all of the grad schools that I applied to.

4. Question 4 does not apply to me since I got diagnosed at a very early age.

5. I don't have depression and I don't have anxiety.

6. My biggest issue in life is finding a woman who I can truly love (for who they are as a person, not for their looks) and eventually marry (and stay married until death do us part) and start a family with them. I am a straight guy and I definitely get turned on by a woman's looks(if her looks are good enough), but I realize that if I date her and marry her solely for her looks, unless she has a good personality that is trustworthy, then there's a strong chance that the marriage will fail. I can like a woman for who she is as a person (regardless of her looks), but if she's not good-looking enough, then I won't be turned on enough to engage in sexual (and romantic) activities with her and I would, thus, just be friends with her. Despite this, I have a girl who drove 2 hours (on plenty of occasions) just to meet up with me (I guess that says a lot about how special our friendship is ).

7. My interests include chess, autism, running, video games, math, and fantasy sports(NASCAR).

8. As a child, although I was quiet most of the time, I never wanted to be left alone. I wanted to be surrounded by people. Like any other kid growing up, I participated in many little league sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer. There were instances where people claimed that I didn't really have autism (probably because they noticed that I was able to communicate with peers and follow any directions that were given out).

9. I don't recall having any memory issues in my life. I've always had a good memory for things.

10. If the criticism that someone gives me about something I did is constructive, then I won't get too angry about it. However, if someone gives me criticism that is not constructive at all and just sounds really insulting, then I would probably get mad at them.

11. I actually have one friend in real life that was, like me, diagnosed on the autism spectrum, at a young age. His name is Sean. A lot of our mutual friends feel that he has it worse than I do. I agree with them for several reasons:

[1] Sean stutters (i.e. when I call him and he answers it, he stutters "He--he--hello" as if he just saw something that scared him) and always had a stuttering problem since I first met Sean years ago. I never
had this problem.
[2] He is more socially awkward than I am. When some of our mutual friends (their names are Michael and Matt) and I were at his place one night, we wanted to play a video game. Sean wanted to
play a single-player video game called "The Godfather" when Michael, Matt, and I wanted to play a multiplayer game. Sean sticks "The Godfather" into his XBOX and plays it, thinking that it was a game
that was fun for people to watch. I don't think Sean even realized what I realize which is that when his friends hang out with him, he's supposed to find an activity that involves social interaction amongst
him and his friends (NOT an activity that only includes one person) .
[3] He is, by a longshot, more introverted than I am. When I am hanging out with Michael and/or want to hang out with Sean, I would have to be the one to call him and ask if Sean wants to hang out with
us. Even when he has nothing important to do, Sean seldomly calls me to ask if I want to hang out with him. It is as if Sean prefers to do things by himself most of the time.

I can go on stating more reasons why I agree with my friends on that Sean has a worse case of autism/Asperger's than I do. But I don't want to spend the time to do so.

12. I like to listen to rap/hip-hop (especially Eminem), rock, and metal. I might like a song enough that I want to hear it again multiple times, but I would never listen to it for hours (even if it was an Eminem song that was universally praised).

13. While I was still in college, my main means of a social life (during the fall and spring semesters) consisted of things that my fraternity did (i.e. game nights, basketball games, bowling, etc.). Outside of college, I hung out with friends that I have known for a long time at their places doing whatever (and I still do this to this day). Now that I am out of college and currently in my first year of grad school, although I plan to stay in touch with my fraternity and occasionally get together with my fraternity friends (since I am too busy with classes and teaching assistant responsibilities to get together with them), I am doing well in the process of making new friends in grad school and establishing a social life (outside that of college) with the people that I have met so far in grad school.

14. I have routines that I have to follow. But most of these consists of things that a regular person must do everyday. Every single morning, for example, I wake up, brush my teeth, feed the dog, take a shower, get dressed in clothes other than those I wore the previous day, put in my contacts, check my e-mail and facebook for any messages, and then do whatever I have to get done for that day.

15. If a person did any of those three things to me, I would usually be a bit startled at first (unless I am being hugged by a good-looking broad blonde that is clearly happy to see me). But it doesn't take long at all before I get over it.

16. When I was a lot younger (i.e. in middle school and high school), I used to have a lack of interest in making friends (although I did have friends to hang out with). Up until my first couple of years in high school, I hung out with a boy who lived next door to me who I consider to be my best friend. Because he was a few years younger than me and how much we had in common, he was like a little brotherto me. Anyway, I believe that the main source of why I didn't have much interest in making friends while in school was due to the high amount of ADD medication I was on during the school day (NOT solely because of my ASD) because after school was over for the day, my ADD medication would wear off and I actually was more talkative and sociable when I wasn't on ADD medication. When I am on my ADD meds, I am mainly focused on getting work done and getting good grades whereas when I am not on them, I am more talkative and interested in doing things with people.

17. I intend on getting married sometime in my late 20s/early 30s and raise a family of either 1 or 2 kids.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
I suspected it after watching a TV show in 2005 or 2006 (in my late 20’s), then didn’t think of it until the fall of 2008 (age 31), when I started investigating it and became self diagnosed. Official diagnosis came in March 2009.


2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
What’s it like to not be one? Like others have said here, I’m just me.
I’ve always known that I differed (although to me, others were different from me). As you know this site is called wrong planet, and there are very good reasons for that. A good analogy would be: I feel I am on the right planet, but in the wrong dimension/ alternate reality. People and society doesn’t make sense; this isn’t where I feel I belong.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Lack of ability and desire for reciprocal social interaction, obsessive, unable to have eye contact with anyone, bad at reading body language and facial expressions (was unaware of them until they were pointed out to me), very bad at subtlety and physically clumsy.
Of the typical stuff that’s typical but not required: Extremely introvert and aloof. And I’m as uninterested in the stuff I don’t find interesting as I am taken by the topics I’m into.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
I was subjected to psychiatry when I was in elementary school but this was in the 1980’s, before AS was made part of DSM. After the mandatory school, there hasn’t been anyone in my life who would be able to recognize it, until I became aware of AS myself.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
I have always been somewhat prone to negativity but I never suffered depression until a death last year.
Anxiety has been part of me for most of my life, in some way or other.

6. What are the biggest issues you face in life?
My biggest issue is that I love animals, and working with animals is the only thing I have ever wanted to do. However, I suffer from asthma and allergies, so I can’t, and due to the effed up laws here, reptiles are illegal, so herpetology isn’t possible, which means there is no market for working with the animals I both like the most and aren’t allergic to. there’s a source for frustration and rage if ever I saw one.
You probably meant autism wise but this is the worst part of my life, and what stops me from leading the life I want. It might be AS related in the way that it shows “narrow interest”, and not being interested at all when I’m not interested. Just the thought of wasting my life on something there is no meaning in and something that’ll bore me nuts within minutes, is enough to make me wanna jump off the roof. Add to that no so called feeling of social responsibility and even more important: no wish to contribute to a state that kills turtles and other reptiles as they are found.
Purely autism wise it’s when people can’t simply accept that I differ but try to make a discussion out of it (no one is like that, you don’t really feel like that et c)

7. What are your interests?
Turtles, other animals, turtles, Pokemon, turtles, science fiction, fantasy and horror, turtles, video games and paleontology.
I also like archaeology and history (in varying degree, archaeology and history usually not to the point of obsession although there has been exceptions like the black death). I am also interested in some parts of medicine and psychology, astronomy, somewhat planes, boats, cars and trains, the paranormal and extreme phenomenon like hurricanes and earth quakes. I am into extremes (weather, nukes, catastrophes) anything big and extreme, not in the way that I want them to happen but in the way that I can’t help finding them incredibly fascinating and exciting.
Oh and turtles!

8. what were you like as a child?
I was intense in my interests (obsessive), I had highly repetitive ways of playing. I was very quiet, hardly ever spoke in school or day care, kept to myself (willingly). I never took any interest in other kids, all contact occurred because they approached me.
I was content being in my room lost in my dreams, thoughts and play my way.

9. do you have memory issues?
My long term memory is as good as my short term/work memory is bad.

10. how do you take criticism?
Not well. Just let me do it my way, okay, and you can do it your way. Do I bother you about how you go about your business? No, so show me the same courtesy.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
No, I know of no other autistic people offline.

12. a) What type of music do you listen to? b) and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
a) Pop, country, some folk/ethnic, mostly those, but I listen to a lot of different music and like a little of everything (with the exception of opera and R n B). b) oh god yes! When I am stuck on a tune I play it over and over and over and…

13. what is your social life like?
IRL it’s non-existent, just the way I like it. I am as aloof and uninterested in people now as I was as a child. Other than my family I am very happy not being around people at all.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
Probably, but none that comes to mind right now.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Slap on the butt: Feeling extreme anger and not “just” uncomfortable but violated. Forcefully backing off, close to snarling. In addition to hating being touched, that would be an inappropriate touch IMO. I might not do more than that, or I might give them a very honest and resolute piece of my mind, it would depend on the situation and my mood.
Slap on the back, pat on the head, hug: Feeling annoyed and uncomfortable. Either stiffen or pull away, maybe sigh annoyed.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Yes, I’ve always lacked the interest altogether.
In my first 33 years I had some acquaintances that meant very little to me. The last year I have gotten a few online friends, who I appreciate.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
Like what??
I am unemployed, a 3 time high school dropout, single. I strongly suspect I have ADD, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
When I was 17 but my mom had suspicions of it since she heard of it when I was about 14

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Compaired to? I don't know what its like to not be one.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
I have no idea how to answer this :s

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
We had never heard of Aspergers and my psychyatrist never bothered to diagnose me he just gave me meds for my syptoms which ended up screwing me over

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Both from being picked on for most of my life

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Social anxiety I guess?

7. What are your interests?
Emily the strange, History, Family tree

8. what were you like as a child?
How young are we talking?

9. do you have memory issues?
What was I doing again? Sometimes I do especially when I'm in the middle of talking and I forget what I'm saying or I forget a word

10. how do you take criticism?
Depends on who is criticizing me. Sometimes I cry or I'll argue

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
I was at one point. My best friend isnt all there and sometimes I think she has aspergers

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I listen to all kinds of music and yes

13. what is your social life like?
I have a social life? I have a few friends I hang out with but most of the time I talk to friends online

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
I'm not sure I have any set routines...

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
I would jump and depending on who did it I wouldn't react or I would probably punch them

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
I was always told I was weird and lost friends cause of my weirdness and I never call friends
17. anything else you can think of!! !
idk

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?

The first time I had an inkling that something was up was in 1999, when I read Donna William's autobiography. I found that I was able to relate to her experiences.

In 2005, I was having a lot of issues so I went to a GP who diagnosed me with major depression and social anxiety. I felt that only went so far in describing my experiences and that they weren't wholly descriptive. I was dissatisfied with my experiences in mental health, so I stopped seeing her and the psychologist.

Fast forward to 2009, when I finally get some decent help. I start talking to my therapist - a clinical psychologist - about my speculations that I might be on the spectrum. She goes in and bats for me against two psychiatrists who disagree.

Fast forward to July 2011. My current psychiatrist has a change of mind and diagnoses me with Asperger's Syndrome, at age 28.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?

It feels like I'm viewing the rest of humanity from behind a glass. It's akin to wandering around a zoo. I can see people, but there is always a gap between our communications.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?

Social issues: difficulties in reading people's facial expressions and body language, difficulties in picking up social cues, some issues with carrying on conversations [I tend to monologue]. At times, apparently I display a limited palette of facial expressions [i.e. I can appear "flat"]. Issues with empathy. Apparently I also have issues with understanding other people's points of view.

Obsessive interests: If I like something, I can easily get lost in a sea of information. I read all about the subject, for instance. If it's a TV series, I'll watch all the episodes, over and over, and quote them. I find it hard to focus on anything other than my interest.

Some sensory sensitivities.

Apparently I have some "rigid", "concrete" and "literal" thinking.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?

If by "later on", you mean "not in childhood"...

a) Asperger's didn't exist in the 1980s;
b) My co-morbid diagnosis, schizoaffective disorder, got in the way. Some elements of schizoaffective [i.e. negative symptoms] can look like ASD. I insisted to my psychiatrist that my ASD symptoms have been around since childhood and before the development of schizoaffective but he was sceptical, until I guess my schizoaffective became asymptomatic but I was still displaying ASD issues.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?

I have had depression, although I don't have depression now. Part of my schizoaffective involves bipolar mood swings, so I've swung all the way down into severe depression numerous times.

I have had some anxiety, but it has improved greatly recently and I don't think it's clinically significant anymore.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?

With ASD, social interaction - it's a hurdle I face almost every day. Also, trying not to get too suckered into obsessional interests.

I'd also like to get some part-time work.

7. What are your interests?

Guitars, music, mental health, Transformers, Anarchy Online, Metallica, Jethro Tull.

8. what were you like as a child?

Socially clueless. Often ostracised by other kids. I found it very hard to understand why people acted in the way they did, and I often felt like I was literally an alien who had dropped onto a different planet.

My obsessional interests: a certain actor who shall be unnamed, and Australian horse racing.

9. do you have memory issues?

Not that I'm aware of? I have a fairly good memory.

10. how do you take criticism?

Even when well-intentioned and done gently - not very well at all. I get very hurt. I'm unfortunately quite sensitive.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?

No.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?

All kinds of music. Generally rock and a bit of melodic heavy metal, and also folk.

Yes, I do listen to the same song for hours on end.

13. what is your social life like?

Pretty good, thanks. I have a good family, a nice boyfriend and some great friends. I enjoy going out to social occasions with them.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?

Have a coffee in the morning.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?

I'd laugh.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?

Yes, although not from lack of trying. I'd always wanted friends, I just didn't know how to make or keep them. The people I know now seem to be able to tolerate my eccentricities.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose? Self. I started hearing about Asperger's a few years ago & thought it was amusing that psychologists would want to classify "nerds" like me, but i didn't take it seriously till somewhat later. Reading a forum like Wrong Planet has taught me a lot about how i am perceived by others (something i don't normally have awareness of), as well as the many things i had believed were unique to myself, but aren't.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti? I am perfectly content in my solitude, efficient in routine, uncomfortable in crowds or with strangers, & often nonplussed by situations i haven't anticipated.

3. what are the main symptoms you have? Lack of eye contact, innate unconventionality, tendency to interrupt & go on talking too long, ability to concentrate on one thing for long periods, & dislike of randomness.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why? N/A

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both? When i was a teenager i was very unhappy. I found it hard to approach girls & they had little use for me. In my twenties this got better.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life? The precariousness of both health & employment which seem to be permanent features, present me with problems i can't ignore & only with difficulty solve.

7. What are your interests? Languages, philosophy, astronomy, poetry, oil painting, chess, exotic music.

8. what were you like as a child? Intense, arrogant, precocious, a perfect monster. Not only did i think i was smarter than the grown-ups around me, i really was.

9. do you have memory issues? In middle age i find i have small but annoying lapses of memory; when i was younger, i could remember large volumes of (mostly irrelevant) information.

10. how do you take criticism? Used to, i would always argue. Since then, i've learned better.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism? I had a close friend awhile back whom i've about lost touch with, who was definitely on the spectrum; these days i tend to notice co-workers who seem so, without becoming very much involved.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours? All kinds. Never been into that particular repetition, except for once with "Einstein on the Beach"...

13. what is your social life like? In my twenties i was involved in numerous art & political activities which caused me to meet many people; some became friends; over the years, i haven't kept up, & since getting married i hardly see anyone else.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do? Not necessarily, but my day goes worse if i don't get to follow my typical habits, especially concerning meals & sleep.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react? I would probably back away a distance & be speechless at first. Maybe i would then laugh, or be angry, depending on who it was.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
To some degree, yes; i think the time in my life when this was otherwise, was the result of my beliefs & not my tendencies & it was a strain i felt & finally longed to be free of. I am sometimes good for a long conversation one-on-one: after one's youth this is not an easy thing to happen spontaneously.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose? Dad diagnosed me when I was five or six, but I didn't get my official diagnosis until 10.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti? I don't know. Cliche, but I have nothing else to compare it to.

3. what are the main symptoms you have? Severe sensory problems, organization problems, anxiety, some social problems, etc.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why? --

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both? I've had both, but I'm more anxious than depressed.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life? School.

7. What are your interests? Music, Philosophy, Linguistics, Psychology, Literature, History, Genetics, etc.

8. what were you like as a child? Peculiar.

9. do you have memory issues? No.

10. how do you take criticism? Not too well.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism? No, but I know people who have it.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours? http://www.last.fm/user/jmnixon95

13. what is your social life like? Practically nonexistent.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do? Sometimes.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react? Depends on the person. Pull away, jump, or yell at them.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life? I've had problems in this area for a long time, yes.

17. anything else you can think of!! ! Nope.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
At the age of 33 during a nice mental break down.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Compared to what? I feel normal. I don't get other people and other people don't get me. I have been called arrogant, and I am still trying to understand why. I am actually quite the opposite of arrogant. I am hyper sensitive to touch, sounds, sights, smells, taste. This mean I can not stand touching certain fabrics (velvet, anything thing rough, microfiber sofas). I hate yellow because it makes me have a headache. I have no social life, and I really don't seem to care much. Gatherings of people stress me out.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
I dunno. I guess I have hypersensitivity. I don't like making eye contact. I really have poor social skills. I don't understand certain social activities. I have trouble reading people. I take things literally at times. I am a bully magnet. Can be consumed by my interests. My executive functions are not real good either.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
Later on from when? If you mean not as a child: I don't think there was a diagnosis back then. If you mean later in therapy: I had other problems more urgently pressing when I started therapy. What exactly do you mean?

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Both and are on meds for both.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
At this moment I am trying to find employment and also not have a relapse back into major depression. I also want to have children, but I would need medical assistance for that.

7. What are your interests?
My primary interest has been stories and languages. I also love video games, chemistry, and programming (this is new interest).

8. what were you like as a child?
Was talkative for a while but the rejection of the other children shut me up. Not very social by the time I hit second grade. Hated change. Focused on projects that I enjoyed and didn't do the boring stuff. Easy mark for bullies in both the student body and the teachers. Quiet, shy, scared. Bored in school. Maybe one close friend.

9. do you have memory issues?
I can't remember 9th grade.

10. how do you take criticism?
Very poorly. I internalize it and think I am defective in some way. I need positive feedback as well as negative feedback, otherwise I feel defeated after awhile.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
My husband (who is my best friend also) is an aspie. Otherwise, no.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I like rock, metal, classical, etc. I like good music. Why not listen to the same song over and over for hours if it is good?

13. what is your social life like?
Don't have one. I have a few people who know me and my family. I am trying to understand how to define friendship. I have almost no ability to make friends.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
Coffee in the morning with a bowl of cereal. I judge the quality of my day by the quality of my cup of coffee.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Butt smacking is only acceptable from my husband. If it was some one else I would tell them never to do that again, and take legal action if need be.
All of the rest. I would jump. It would feel to me like being shocked with electricity, and the feeling takes minutes to go away. I would be very unhappy but would deal with the situation as politely as possible.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Yes. I would like friends and am a very loyal friend. But people seem to need more contact than I give them. I also have no notion as to what people view as friends etc. Socializing with anyone but my husband wears me out. It is pleasant at times, but it is also very stressful and I like to be on my full dose of anti anxiety pills at the time.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
About what? I need more data and certain parameters set before answering the exclamation. I guess you could calm down a bit. There really is no need for triple exclamation points. Then again I really am socially inept both in RL and online, so what do I know?

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
Was diagnosed when I was 17

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
IDK What's this thing they call normal? I'm anything but that.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Needs routine and panics if there's a change, stimming, extreme special interests (I'd prefer to call them extreme hobbies), hyperfocusing, socially awkward, very quiet almost nonverbal, clumsy, and naive. Also sensory issues with light, touch, and balance.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
Aspergers was unknown to us when I was younger. They'd always call it 'selective mutism' when ever I stopped talking when I was young.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Anxiety

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Gaining employment in my field. I hate personality tests. :C

7. What are your interests?
Anime, Video Games, Football, Art, Photography, Harry Potter Series, and Cartoons <--copy pasted from profile.

8. what were you like as a child?
Very quiet and often by myself. Always known as the 'shy' kid. I enjoyed capturing frogs and butterflies. Drew a lot more then I do now.

9. do you have memory issues?
I've got a terrible verbal memory. I need something visual to remember. (Either written, pictures, or physical demonstration.)

10. how do you take criticism?
As long as it's constructive criticism I'm fine. Any other I don't tolerate it well.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
No, I've never met anyone like me tbh.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Soundtracks, Classical, Alternative, Pop, Rock...pretty much everything. Yes, I think I have a song in my ipod I've played over 200 times. xD

13. what is your social life like?
It's all online. I don't have a social life offline. I guess the computer's my way of communicating.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
For some odd reason I always have to change what I'm currently doing at 3pm/am. It's automatic and weird. Why 3 brain? Why?!

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Smack on the butt = punch in the face
Slap on the back of head = jump five feet
Hug when least expect it = what's that wrestling move where they flip you over?
I'm hypersensitive to touch if you couldn't tell.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Yes, but oddly enough I don't have any trouble online.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
Oh look it's 3 am time for bed. See it's that 3 thing again. xD

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose? I was diagnosed around age 9.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti? I guess it is difficult.

3. what are the main symptoms you have? itchy, different materials bothering my skin, tags and seems bothering my skin, difficulty with eye contact, making weird faces, I dislike change, sensitive to loud noises and lights, talking very loudly or too quiet, stimming, socially awkward, hard to make friends, clumsy, anxiety, interrupting, bad with sarcasm

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why? I was diagnosed as a child by a few different doctors.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both? anxiety and some depression at times, not too bad.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life? socializing

7. What are your interests? music, animals, cartoons, video games, oral hygiene

8. what were you like as a child? I don't know.

9. do you have memory issues? yes. I have a problem forgetting things or remembering certain things that people say.

10. how do you take criticism? badly. I get angry very easily.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism? No. I don't really know anyone else in person that has it.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I love all types of music. My favorite band is Falling in Reverse. Yes. I do sometimes listen to the same song a bunch of times in a row.

13. what is your social life like? I mainly talk to people online. I mostly just talk to my family and my fiance's family in person.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do? I haven't really thought about it.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?

I am not sure. I would probably freak out.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?

Yes. I have always had trouble making friends. I remember being alone on the playground a lot. I also remember getting beat up by a bunch of kids because something I said. I also remember when I started middle school at a new school. I went in the lunch room and I walked out I was very afraid and I think I told a teacher or something that I didn't know where to sit. I don't remember if I was crying or not but then she introduced me to a group of girls. They were pretty nice. I guess. I have always had difficulty making friends or keeping them. I had one best friend all through high school, but we are no longer friends.

17. anything else you can think of!! !

I don't know.

I was professionally diagnosed in 2005.



Hmmmm...
Many times it's like all my senses are turned up to 11, some days on 12.
I feel like I'm not really from this world, that some day the mothership is going to come back and get me.
Understanding numbers & geometry is easier than breathing for me.
I live in a solitary world, entertaining myself. Most of the time I'm happy with that.
I have very set routines and ways of doing things. I don't take to change easily.
When around people, I'm usually very quiet. I sometimes say random facts and get looks from people like I am an alien.
I can't handle crowds at all and I go out of my way to avoid them.
I don't understand flirting at all. Resulting in almost no love life.



hypersensitivity.
social phobia/anxiety



They just didn't know about AS when I was a kid.
I also moved so much, a different school every year in grade school, the social problems didn't get noticed.


both. I have had near suicidal depression, but no attempts.
My depression has gotten better lately.
I get major anxiety over any bureaucratic process.


Career issues. The inability to network socially has resulted in very few job opportunities.
Hypersensitivity & social issues have made retail & food service jobs intolerable to me.
An inability to filter out background noise has been a major distraction, making concentration difficult.
This effects my personal projects as well.


Computers, particularly computer graphics.
Photography.
cartography, I REALLY love maps, all kinds of them.
Rocks & crystals. I'm not really into "new age" stuff around them, I just like the way they look & feel.


I mostly played alone, building road networks for my matchbox cars in the dirt/sandbox.
I also loved my LEGOs.
I liked climbing things too as a kid.
And drawing.
I enjoyed sorting and arranging my crayons & legos in a very orderly fashion.


I have had a history of heavy marijuana use since I was 11(clean & sober now), so it's tough to sort out exactly where my memory issues come from.


I take it very personally.


no.


heavy metal, electronic (industrial)
I usually have a set of 3-4 songs I cycle through over and over.
I'll change that set every few months.
I spent most of 1989 with the Metallica "Master of Puppets" cassette playing in my car stereo.


I go to AA meetings regularly, but I don't do much with people beyond the actual meetings.
Besides that I have no social life.


Whenever I wake up..
1. get dressed.
2. relieve myself of built up liquids (that's a given, everyone does that)
3. if it is cold, I turn on my heat.
4.turn on computer.
(while computer is booting)
5.turn on desk lamps.
6.put on & tie shoes.
7. light cigarette.
8.wait for boot activity on computer to cease (the cpu activity monitor gadget on my desktop gives me thins info)
9. open web browser.
10. check e-mail.
11. read news on the site my e-mail drops me on when I log out.
12. check weather web site.
13. read tech news on two tech blogs I go to.
14. check Minecraft forums
15. check WP forums
(eating is done in parallel with this stuff, usually one of 2 or 3 specific meals cooked in microwave)

I also have a specific order in which I do my bathing routine.(I won't bore you with that)

Pretty much everything I do is very algorithmic.


I'd jump in surprise, enough so to prompt an apology from that person.


I have always had difficulty making friends. Usually from my end. Most people I just don't want to be friends with.
I don't need a large number of friends. But there is an instinctual need for a minimum level of social interaction.


My awareness of background noise really is a major frustration in my life.

I'm not sure, since I was diagnosed as a child, and not told about it until much later. If I were to guess, it was probably when I was in therapy after attempting suicide at age 10 (I regret making this decision, and am grateful that I didn't succeed).



Like I'm in a film in a language I don't understand, with the volume and brightness turned up far too high.



Social difficulties, hypersensitivity (especially to sound), occasional stimming, a tendency towards becoming obsessed with my interests, and a general tendency to get overwhelmed. I have a really bad problem with noise especially, and tend to get really distracted around relatively quiet noise, and completely overwhelmed around loud noises.



NA



Both



Forming meaningful relationships with people.



Physics, sci-fi, music, movies



Awkward, curious, unruly, happy until about halfway through grade school, then chronically depressed afterwards



I'm easily distracted if I'm not very interested in something, or if there are a lot of external stimuli present, so I often have a hard time remembering what people say to me.



I take it personally, but I've gotten better about not lashing out.



No.



It changes a lot, but right now I'm listening to a lot of folk (Woody Guthrie, older Bob Dylan, Ani Difranco), and alt rock/indie type stuff, especially music with a lot of electronic influences (later Radiohead, Massive Attack), of folk influences (Elliott Smith, Kaki King). Also, I love Tom Waits, though I'm not really sure what to classify him as. There's not really any genre of music that I can't at least pick out a few artists I like.

As far as listening to the same song over and over, yes, I do that sometimes. I think I listened to Radiohead's "Idioteque" about 10 times yesterday to be honest.



Sadly, right now most of my actual face to face human interaction takes place only at work right now. I'm away from home for work, and most of my friends back home moved away anyways. I still keep in touch with friends back home via facebook, and I try to make myself call my mom once a week. Sometimes an acquaintance from work will invite me to go out with them, and sometimes I'll accept. Usually I'll get drunk and try to hook up, and I'm successful most of the time. This is the only time I ever have sex honestly, since when I'm sober, I usually can't even approach someone I'm attracted to.



Yes. If I'm sitting at a desk, I have to arrange any objects with a straight edge to be parallel with the edge of the desk. Also, I tend to eat the same thing for dinner on a given night of the week. On weekdays, I have a chicken sandwich on flatbread from subway. On Fridays, I eat a burrito from a taco truck in town. On the weekends I just eat whatever I have in my room when (and if) I notice I'm hungry. And on weekdays I always eat dinner at around 3PM.



I'd freeze up, regardless of who it was. If it was someone I didn't know well or disliked, I'd ignore it and walk away.If it were someone I liked, I'd say hello and try to carry on a conversation with them.



I've always wanted to make friends, I've just always been completely clueless at it. The few people I truly consider "friends" tended to become so purely by accident, and more often than not tended to either be in the "weird NT" category, thus less likely to fault me for my eccentricities, or tend to be the type of people who are really outgoing and try to be friendly with everybody.



I realized saying this what a massive cliche it tends to be among autistic people, but I seem to feel closer to animals than people. Even as a child, it was easier for me to play with a dog or a cat than with another human being. I think the lack of language makes animals easier to understand than people for me.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
Self-diagnosed several years ago, now awaiting assessment in the next few weeks

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Can't say for sure until assessed, but if confirmed, a mixture of feeling different, feeling lonely, not wanting company (the opposite, I know), needing lots of personal space, having a few mannerisms and habits that other people don't understand. I am who I am though

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Social difficulties, sensory sensitivities, routines, literality ... most of the warning signs.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
I think I'm AS, as I can function fairly well. AS did not exist as a diagnostic category when I was a child/adolescent - only learnt about it more recently. It was a real moment of revelation.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Both, mostly anxiety. Depression as a result of unaddressed anxiety (I think).

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Other people, social anxiety, physical contact, need for routine.

7. What are your interests?
My studies. I have had a fair few all-encompassing interests in the past. I move on after a while, but always on to another one.

8. what were you like as a child?
Screwed up, anxious, a misfit.

9. do you have memory issues?
Short-term memory can be shocking ... depends how interested I am. Long-term definitely better.

10. how do you take criticism?
To heart.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
No, but I have my suspicions that one or two colleagues may be undiagnosed (the ones I get on with best).

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
I can listen to any sort of music if I like it, and yes, yes, yes, I can listen to my current favourite track over and over again!

13. what is your social life like?
Almost non-existent, but I have some nice colleagues who always try to make me come along.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
Lots. Difficult to know where to start ... I have constructed a very ordered world around me and it works.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Angrily.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
Most definitely.

17. anything else you can think of!! !
No - as others have said, this is a bit too broad. I have a hopeless imagination!

1. Diagnosed at age 23.

2. It's like being a green apple in a red apple world. I paint myself red every morning.

3. Language peculiarities, emotional flatness, interpreting facial expressions, sensory issues (esp. sunlight, loud voices, clothes).

4. Why later on? No one knew about AS. Why did I get diagnosed? I needed validation and help with executive function.

5. Diagnosed with Depressive Mood Disorder NOS.

6. Living independently, understanding time and dates, finances, sleeping, relating to loved ones.

7. Science, clocks, Buster Keaton, ballet, cutting paper, epic poetry, particular numbers, periodic table of elements.

8. Alternating between solemn and whimsical. Terse, extremely focused, aloof. "Old soul" type.

9. I am a memory bank for numbers, words, facts, images. I do not bother to record information I do not find interesting or useful.

10. Analyze it for its usefulness, i.e. based on its source. Analyze practicality of modifications in my behaviour. All information is a tool, provided it is true, yet criticism nevertheless hurts worse than any physical pain.

11. Yes (2-5 individuals).

12. Classical and Baroque. Weeks of focus on a single song divided into 3 hour sections of intense listening interspersed with those unfortunate hours during which I may not listen to my MP3 player.

13. Narrow. I actively contact only my mother and mating companion. Other contact is incidental.

14. Yes.

15. Accidental emission of noise followed by inquiry as to why the contact occurred and then, likely, a request that it not be repeated without first obtaining clear verbal assent.

16. Yes.

17. No.

1. When did you get diagnosed: 23

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti? From what I can tell, more intense than not being it, but how can you compare existences.

3. what are the main symptoms you have? Inability to instictively know the "right" thing to do in social situations. Or if I know it I don't want to do it cause I can't do it sincerely. Sensory sensitivity, inability to communicate two ways at once (eye contact and talking at the same time, etc.); inability to focus on more than one thing at once that then becomes or gets integrated into my grand Reason for Being.

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why? Was quiet, good at school, borderline (can read faces etc.), easily pegged as simply shy.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both? Both severely.

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life? OCD. Alexithymia. Isolation. Not being understood. Depression and anxiety. Making Money. Organization.

7. What are your interests?
Reading, writing, music, movies, drawing, crafts more on the art end, planning of all kinds, small houses, languages, animals human + non-, psychology, evolutionary theory, possibility of time travel + other interesting scientific possibilities, genetics, issues regarding race and ethnicity, sociology, other stuff.
8. what were you like as a child? Quiet (at school), shy, hyperfocused on schoolwork, competitive, determined, jealous, happy, curious, idealistic.

9. do you have memory issues? As of age 18 yeah and getting worse. Probably due to depression/lack of proper structure, who knows.

10. how do you take criticism? Extremely personally

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism? Not now

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours? Stirring music. Been known to.

13. what is your social life like? Uhh... couple friends I see in real life, greater number I talk to online.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do? No.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react? Before general anxiety started, not unlike anyone who has these things done to them. Last couple years I don't like it but I think it's temporary.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life? Always difficulty. Always interested in making them although overwhelmed me.

17. anything else you can think of!! ! Can't tell if this survey is still going on but a bunch of people answered it recently so I answered it too.

1. When did you get diagnosed: or self-diagnose?
Mid 2011. 19 years old.

2. What is it like being a aspie/auti?
Lonely sometimes. But once I get my fill of social interaction I'm usually pretty happy for rest of the week.

3. what are the main symptoms you have?
Social anxiety, narrow but intense interests, walking on my toes, adherence to routines

4. If you got diagnosed later on, why?
My symptoms didn't cause me problems as a child and my parents thought I would grow out of most of them as I got older, but when I didn't, that's when we went to get me checked.

5. Do you have depression, or anxiety? or neither? both?
Social anxiety, no depression

6. what are the biggest issues you face in life?
Making phone calls, talking to people I don't know (eg. asking for help in a store)

7. What are your interests?
Video games (Assassin's Creed especially), Michael Jackson, anime, karate

8. what were you like as a child?
Shy, obsessed with different interests at different ages (went from pokemon to beanie kids, to neopets to the sims). Been walking on my toes ever since I could stand. Always needed help from teachers to make friends.

9. do you have memory issues?
No I have a near photographic memory. Information is also moved to long term memory very easily.

10. how do you take criticism?
Not well. Probably the closest I ever get to being depressed is after someone has told me I've done something wrong or haven't done something I should have.

11. are you friends (offline) with anybody who also has aspergers/autism?
No.

12. What type of music do you listen to? and do you listen to the same song over and over for hours?
Michael Jackson. I don't listen to the same song over and over though. I have my iPod go through all of his songs in alphabetical order (never on shuffle) and when it gets to the end I start it again.

13. what is your social life like?
When I go to school I will say hello to some people. When I go to karate I will say hello to some people. When I go to work I only say hello to people who say hello to me. Most of my socialising is done at home with my brothers. (if that counts?) I don't get out much.

14. do you have routines that you HAVE to do?
I start getting ready for karate exactly half an hour before I start, not a minute before, and if it's a minute after I start rushing thinking I'll be late. I leave for work 35 minutes before I start, giving me 10 minutes to get my head together before I have to go out and be with customers. *shudder* And when I get to my register I have to check the bags, the till, the hangers and the stock box before I will call someone to be served. If someone comes to me before I've done that, then they just have to wait.

15. if someone walked up from behind and smacked you in the butt, or slapped you on the back, patted you in the back of the head, gave you a hug when you weren't expecting it/etc, how would you react?
Someone gave me a hug, I would freeze and wait for them to let go. Someone hit me I would feel a flash of fear/annoyance and probably want to hit them back. Harder.

16. Did you always have difficulty making friends, or had a lack of interest in making friends, etc throughout your entire life?
When I was young a teacher would always pair me up with someone and I would be friends with them. Now that I'm at uni teachers don't do that anymore and so I have no friends. It's not that I don't want friends I just don't know how to be friends with someone.