Where Do You Draw the Line?

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Black_tea
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13 Jan 2011, 1:15 pm

A lot of Asperger's traits just look like normal variations in personality. A person can keep to themselves, process information more slowly than others, dislike small talk, hate noisy environments, and act reserved during personal conversations, but these are also the signs of introversion.

Also, when does a strong interest become "abnormal"? I read somewhere that girls with AS tend to have more typical interests than boys with AS...so then how do you know if a girl's fascination with zoology, for example, is just a normal hobby or a sign of AS?

Another thing is the tendency to dislike changes. If a person is shy or has social anxiety, they may dread transferring to a new school because of the fear of negative experiences that may come up there. Yet, this also seems to be a symptom of AS?

I'm just curious because I've come across a great deal of pessimists on here, who self-diagnose themselves, just because of some of the above traits. If that many people have Asperger's, then the rate is waaay higher than 1 in 150.

Mindslave
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13 Jan 2011, 1:19 pm

You draw the line the same place as with any mental diagnosis. The line goes directly from the as*hole. We are all different, and diagnosis or no diagnosis, that will remain the same. I'm not a guy with Aspergers, I'm just a guy that is weird and different, and maybe, just maybe, doesn't give a s**t.

jmjelde
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13 Jan 2011, 2:07 pm

I think the official line is when it becomes pathalogical; when it interferes to a point of harm, making the basic requirements of the individual unobtainable. Being shy is one thing. Not speaking to anyone for three days is a problem.

League_Girl
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13 Jan 2011, 2:14 pm

I also wonder the same thing as well. But my guess is the line is drawn where it becomes an impairment.

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esh
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13 Jan 2011, 2:47 pm

I think it's not just a question of liking/disliking small talk. I get very exhausted hearing people using wrong definitions in conversations, I get tired when people talk very emotionally or when I can sense a change in frequency of their voice. It is actually draining for me and I need to put a lot of effort to talk with people about topics unrelated to my special interests (physics, philosophy,neuroscience). I misinterpret body language and have very literal thinking (if someone asks me about tumors, for example, like it happened today, having tears in their eyes, I'd never think that they wanted me to wonder if everything's ok, after giving all the medical information they asked me for- when I later discussed it with another person, just mentioning that this person asked me about tumors, she told me that I should've asked her "if everything's ok", which would've never occured to me. I guess it's also a matter of empathy.. Another example of literal thinking - when I was little, my mum would often say "my sweet one" and I'd lick my arm and respond "You haven't tasted me. I'm salty" which I find quite amusing nowadays.

There's definitely more to consider when giving a diagnosis.. I think an important factor in special interests is strong dedication and being so concentrated that you cannot even hear other people calling your name, or when you can be occupied with your interest for very long periods of time non-stop

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Mdyar
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13 Jan 2011, 4:24 pm

Black_tea wrote:

Quote:

Diagnostic Criteria For 299.80 Asperger's Disorder

A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
1. marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity

B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)

4. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)

E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood
F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia

And to add to the subjectivity of this:
There are different criteria for different countries. Some say "Gilbergs criteria" is closer to Hans Aspergers account. So someone could meet one and not the other.

CockneyRebel
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13 Jan 2011, 4:36 pm

Where do I draw the line? I was a punk with a bad attitude two years ago, this time so the line wasn't there. I draw the line when I feel the slightest bit of spite towards someone who drives me crazy and I remind myself how far I've come since January 2009.

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Todesking
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13 Jan 2011, 4:38 pm

Black_tea wrote:

I'm just curious because I've come across a great deal of pessimists on here, who self-diagnose themselves, just because of some of the above traits. If that many people have Asperger's, then the rate is waaay higher than 1 in 150.

The reason I got diagnosed was because of posts like this. I would have been running around self diagnosed but back in my mind I was asking myself if I was just actually weird or actually autistic. I did not think I was autistic until I watched a tv show that talked about autism spectrum disorders and I showed many of the traits they mentioned. I never even heard about Aspergers until then. Then while on here there were some people who did not like what I posted on one tread so they used the fact I was just self diagnosed to discredit what I had written. So I decided to get evaluated and they found out I had Aspergers and my previous diagnosis of ADHD was completely wrong I am not even learning disabled.

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DavidK
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