the common denominator

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Reading another thread made me wonder; what is one thing that all people on the spectrum share?
I'm talking about something measurable-a different wiring is assumed. Is there one?

Clinically significant social difficulties?

You mean even extroverted ones? Could be. Those I think would be the least aware of the difficulties. Maybe the "aut" in autism doesn't really apply anymore. Just a thought.

I lifted this from Wikipedia but I've seen this same information in many sources. Wiki was just the easiest place to grab the reference.

"It is characterized by qualitative impairment in social interaction, by stereotyped and restricted patterns of behavior, activities and interests, and by no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or general delay in language.[19] Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject, one-sided verbosity, restricted prosody, and physical clumsiness are typical of the condition, but are not required for diagnosis." It credits this source for that quote: Klin A (2006). "Autism and Asperger syndrome: an overview". Rev Bras Psiquiatr 28 (suppl 1): S3–S11.

The reason for my question was from being on WP I have learned that many people who share the same diagnosis are actually very different from one another. I know the diagnostic criteria and that lists a number of different manifestations. But is there one thing where everyone is the same?

I wonder if a CAT scan would show something different?

Vanilla_Slice

Sorry.

I don't think there is one thing that all Aspies share other than the diagnostic criteria. I also wonder if further genetic research or brain structure research will show something that is common. Probably they'll find there are more than one varieties and they don't work the way we now think they do.

I think the only thing we all share is being outside the norm.

Social anxiety.

Not everybody has that. (I do) Let me ask the question another way. What one thing disqualifies you from a spectrum diagnosis? I am not limiting this to Asperger's only.

For me I am extroverted, but yes I am aware of my social difficulties, but I also know I can never understand the extent of it as I just plain cant understand.

Yes the aut part applys to me, because even when I am in a social situation, I am always sort of imposing my own topics on the conversation, I find it hard to converse in the way normal people do, they seem to do a lot of non-topic specific conversation and i need topics! Also I spend a lot of time daydreaming and fidgeting wth objects when I am with people. Sometimes I walk off from them, take a break.

So maybe the "aut" still applies. The sense of separateness we all experience?