A Different Type of Autism? Help!

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I attempted to get diagnosed recently and basically I was told that I don't qualify. He also said that,
(admitting he is old school,) thinks there is no reason to get diagnosed when the disorder isn't actually causing me much distress or problems.

Here is the problem I have. This is why getting diagnosed is being difficult.

I do not have many social problems. Apart from a little social anxiety, (mostly towards adults,) I am capable of walking up to people, looking them in the eye, talking with them relaxed, etc. I listen to what others have to say and am very good at reading people. I can also act strange around people....but this is obviously not enough to be considered severe...

Here is what I do have though....major motor issues. I believe with all my heart that it is certainly related to autism, I just don't know what type of autism or how severe.

1.) My mom told me that when I was a kid I would wake up in the middle of the night and have to ride on my rocking horse...my eyes staring into oblivion....

2.) When I grew older I would jump up and down. Hit the ground. Clap my hands. Make strange faces. Was extremely hyper.

3.) When I was around 9 I found a tree outside with a sturdy branch. Every day I would go out there, grab the branch, and while hanging there talk to myself and think of extremely complex things (Machines, Wars, Games. Designs, etc.)

4.) For the next many years of my left, (for at least 6 years...ending around 7'th grade) I would go in the back of the woods. Grab a a stick...and hit the ground with the stick hard...I wasn't thinking about the stick or the ground though...doing this allowed me to channel into a different state of mind where I had adventures, (the stick hitting the ground was not like a child pretending it is a sword or something. It just allowed me to release energy which gave me a sensation and a thrill. It was very idiosyncratic and far more severe then a tick.) I would do this every day.....multiple times a day....all times of the year. I remember, I would put all my winter clothes on JUST so i could go in the back yard and hit the ground with sticks. That's how important it was to me. If I didn't do it one day...I would feel extremely uncomfortable...like I had all this energy inside me that I couldn't let out.....

5.) Often when I would play video games...I would get exited over various things, (no, not just violence.) and I would hit my hands really hard on my thigh... this created a bit of pain that made me feel good and was indeed a sensation. I think I recall hitting my head on the ground also with joy. I guess whenever I would get exited I had a bit of adrenaline that made me feel less pain.

5.) I developed a greater taste for music and now listen to music for a good 2 hours a day average. When I do this I rock aggressively in the rocking chair. If I don't do this every day I feel uncomfortable. (Although often I don't, and it isn't TOO bad.)

6.) I am 17 and several times a day, (never in public or school,) I find myself hitting the ground with excitement as I just replay a song in my head....think of a battle....or find something very organized stimulating....

7.) all and all...whenever I'm thinking of something complex or fascinating my limbs are just kicking, flinging, moving everywhere.

Throughout my life I have always just let these things happen because they always gave me a sensation, (not really because of an anxiety or anything negative.) This allowed me to be happy. In fact, I am very happy to be the way I am. Still...having a proper diagnoses would make me feel more comfortable with myself.

So...back to the original point....what do I have? Like I said...I don't have many social problems...of the few people I've told that I feel(Know) I have autism they say they never would have known. The motor sensations though are definitely there though. Does anyone know what this might be called? No social problems but major motor ones? Can anyone relate?

You may look at rhythmic movement disorder. That's about all I found
when looking at rocking, head banging, and others if I was not on the spectrum.

Eddie

I don't know what it is you have... but social difficulties are at the core of autism. "Autism without social problems" doesn't really make sense. Motor issues are just an extra thing that may or may not be present in an autistic individual.

How could you /possibly/ think you have autism without /any/ social difficulties whatsoever? That's pretty ridiculous actually. Yeah, check out rhythmic movement disorder but I thought you could only be diagnosed with that if the movements were causing much distress in your life, which does not sound like the case.

Besides that, everybody stims.

You can't have autism and not have social problems. That's the main core of the problem and the whole point of it.

Yes there are people out there who have lot of aspie traits but the only thing they lack are social problems and they can read people.

There are people out there who have conditions that are common in autism such as Sensory processing disorder and that can mimic the traits. I learned being inflexible is also part of that condition and preferring routines. People can have motor issues and not be on the spectrum. It's possible be a little socially awkward and not be on the spectrum.

Some of it sounded like you could have SPD. When you said motor issues, did you mean poor motor skills?

Hmmm...alright alright....

Well, let me make some things clear.

I did say have a bit of social anxiety but I know it isn't anything severe. Like I said...I can usually manage to get through every day...

Big events though...like performances or anything important and requires social interaction can be killing. I can barely order a hamburger without breaking a sweat and getting anxious...but isn't that just anxiety? I'm stoic in that I can get the job done if it needs to be.

I think the reason I may have been misleading is because I'm trying hard to get it across to people how big of a deal the motor stuff is. I'm sorry...but feeling the need to go in privacy every day so that you can hit the ground with sticks can have a pretty heavy emotional effect on someone.....

Some of it sounded like you could have SPD. When you said motor issues, did you mean poor motor skills?[/quote]

I wouldn't say so. Just very repetitive and idiosyncratic movements. I'm pretty coordinated otherwise. I play drum set very well for example.

Ok, so from just the little research I did on "rhythmic movement disorder" I don't think that is it at all because that seems to be related with before sleep or during. I feel the need to go through my rituals at multiple times throughout the day.

Also, if it helps. Whenever I act up it isn't JUST because it feels good or gives me a sensation. I am able to create when I do. It opened my mind. I would invents stories in my head, think of architecture patterns, people climbing ladders for god sakes...it was always random and strange stuff but it was significant to me and that was the main thing that was going on in my head when I did it.

SPD or related neuropsychiatric disorders could account for your "motor issues", MikeyPikey92. But as others have said, your apparent lack of social difficulties and limits puts you off the spectrum. Regardless of the source or nature of your motor issues and their similarity to stimming, it's not by itself sufficient for an ASD diagnosis.

Don't take that the wrong way. You're welcome here whether or not you have an ASD.

Have you been seen/evaluated by a physician or whoever? Any results?

Maybe you should look up autism because there is more to it than what you described. Read deep into it because most people read a short discription about it and go "Oh that's me, I don't like to talk to people when I don't feel like it" or "Oh that's me, I tap my foot" "Oh that's me, I have difficulty asking for help" "Oh that's me because I don't have many friends."

They don't even bother to read a lot about it to know if they do or not. In fact I heard lot of aspies on the internet are self diagnosed. Sometimes it's obvious some of them really do have it.

If you were autistic, you would have social difficulties that noticeably affect your day-to-day life. This doesn't mean social anxiety(although, social anxiety often does accompany it), it's a deficit in actually understanding how to socialize the way others do.. An example of some common autistic social issues would be: having an impaired ability to use and/or read body language, not knowing how to start conversations and keep conversations going(at least not in a normal way), not knowing how to interact with people outside of a structured situation, not realizing that you're expected to respond to something, not being able to keep up with the changing flow of a group conversation, giving people one-sided lectures about your interests, etc. Someone can be nervous about how they're interacting socially while still having perfectly good social abilities.

I think your rite about how a lot of people do that Spokane Girl...but I think I've given it more thought

My entire life I've had to think about the it...

Teachers talking to me
Teachers telling my parents
My parents telling me
lots of reading...

In any case I've clearly failed to create an accurate image myself. It reasonable though. How can a person?

I think that some people with ADHD can concentrate better if they do some kind of repetitive physical activity.. So maybe that's a possibility? A lot of ADHD people have similar symptoms to autistics..