Could I have Asperger's or is it just ADHD?

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Hi, I was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type), or ADD as it was known back then, when I was 9. However, I've been noticing a few traits that I have and I'm not sure if they're typical of people with ADHD or if I may have Asperger's. I don't have the financial means to get screened, and my family is not accepting of the fact that I already have one diagnosed disorder, so I can't turn to them for financial support. However, I would like to get your opinions about whether or not I may have Asperger's, as it is something that has been nagging at the back of my mind for a very long time and I do not know anyone who has Asperger's.

Among some of the traits that I have are

- An inability to look people in the eye when talking to them. I can make myself look someone in the eye, but I will feel extremely uncomfortable and upset.

- I don't like people to touch me, unless they tell me in advance that they are going to, but even then, I might not feel comfortable.

- I have always read a lot, and I know a lot of things that most people don't from reading. When I was eight, I would explain Newton's laws to people and when I was nine I had a fascination with eyeballs and how they work.

- I get very interested in a topic and will read up on it extensively, and then talk to people about it all the time till they get annoyed. Recently I've learned to not talk to people about things that interest me as they usually don't like it.

- I can get caught up doing something for hours and not notice that time has passed.

- Loud sounds hurt and I tend to get overstimulated. When people shout at me, I feel like someone is pinching the back of my neck, and whistling can be unbearable.

- I have had a good vocabulary ever since I was young and have always gotten on better with people older than I am as I find it easier to communicate with them, and I don't know the right things to say to teenagers my age without boring them.

- Many people tell me that I have very few facial expressions, or flat affect, but I don't notice it. Sometimes I think I'm being expressive till someone asks me why I look bored.

- I have a schedule that I follow everyday, and it it gets interrupted, I feel distressed.

- I also don't like people to move my things as it makes me very uncomfortable and I have to move everything back to more or less their original place if anyone shifts them.

- Sometimes I don't understand people's emotions, and may react wrongly. There have been quite a few times where I couldn't tell that someone was angry until they started shouting at me.

- I don't have a lot of friends whom I am close to. I don't generally feel the need to get close to people and enjoy being alone. However, I do care for my family.

- Social situations cause me quite a lot of anxiety, and if I am not told in advance what I am going to do when I go out, I get very stressed out. However, if it is part of a routine (like going to church) then I don't mind it.

I'm not sure if the last one has anything to do with autism or asperger's, but

- I have a very high tolerance for pain and I can 'block' pain out. I also have trouble telling if the weather is hot or cold.


Your opinions would be much appreciated!

Welcome!

I relate to nearly every one of the traits you mentioned, and I have an Asperger's diagnosis. It does indeed seem like a lot more is going on than ADHD.

Thanks for the reply! I had a feeling it wasn't just my ADHD. I can pretty much behave like any one of my classmates or friends now, but it takes a bit of effort, and I have to remind myself to act like they do and not start yakking away about infrasound or anything they wouldn't appreciate. I do still get left out of conversations sometimes, but it's much better than when I was younger and put all my peers off with my endless did-you-knows. :]

I'm not officially diagnosed yet either, I started to realise I had it when both sons were being diagnosed. The interesting thing is that at first they thought my eldest had ADHD, because he was inattentive in school. What we realised was really going on was that he was concentrating so hard on his special interests that it was hard to get his attention - which is a different thing altogether. So perhaps that's where your wrong diagnosis came from. You certainly sound like a person with Aspergers to me (not that I'm an expert!).

I believe Sensory Processing Disorder is often found in people with Aspergers. I got some interesting information about it on the net.

Hi Jeanna,

Noone can tell you whether or not you have Asperger's just based on a list of symptoms. The diagnostic process is much more complex than that. However, some of what you've described definitely goes beyond ADHD. I would say it warrants seeking a professional opinion, when you have the means to do so.

Still, there is only so much a diagnosis can do for you. There is no medication for Asperger's Syndrome. The key to dealing with it is learning strategies. Any strategies you can pick up by reading books on the topic, or from people on this site, may be helpful to you regardless of whether or not you have Asperger's.

Good luck, and welcome to WP.

Hi everyone, I'll try to get a professional opinion as soon as I'm able to, but in the mean time, thanks for your responses. They've definitely helped to clarify some things I was unsure about.

Hi Jeanna! Welcome to Wrong Planet! Check out the many interesting forums here. From what you described, it does sound like you may be on the Autism/Asperger's spectrum. Go into the Autism/Asperger's section of forums here. There is at least one post article with links to online tests you can take to see how you rate. If you need or want an official diagnosis, you can take a copy of your online tests with you to a psych doc. But be sure to pick a psych doc who has experience with spectrum disorders.

I did a little checking on Sensory Processing Disorder after seeing it mentioned by one of the other posters. In my opinion, based on what I read, it is part of the Autism/Asperger's spectrum. I found the info very interesting, and some of it is definitely applicable to me. The site I checked out was the main one listed for this disorder:

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/

If the link above won't "click", just copy and paste it into your address bar, and then click or hit enter to go there. This seems to be a pretty good site.--But I still like WP best!

Remember, you are among friends here at WP!

The vast majority of your description applies to me as well. While I am by no means qualified to make this judgment I'd say you almost certainly have Asperger's.

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