I think I have AS, do my symptoms comply?

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Just today, I found out about AS.

I'm wondering if I have it, because a lot of instances in my childhood seem to be pretty on target.

-Sleepwalking.
-I used to speak in tongues as a small kid.
-Speech slips, like when I reverse the first letters of every two word phrase I say.
-I'm a really good artist. A great writer. I sing, too.
-I passed all my classes in high school, but I could never force myself to pay attention.
-They tried to diagnose me with ADD when I was a kid. I refused to take my ritalin.
-Everyone percieves me as very off and aloof. The words I still hear most are wierd, random, and different.
-I used to have trouble writing until I took up making comic books. Now my writing is military extra neat.

I know these are all symptoms, but I also thought that maybe I'm just overreacting.

Is it possible

Nope, yer perfectly normal.

NEXT ...

WOW, a somnambulist! Is that an AS symptom?


I never figured you for a pentacostal! I don't think that is an AS symptom either. Now if you speak several languages, or are significantly better in English, that's a plus!


You tave hrouble waying shat thour yinking? Maybe you're drunk?


Possible plus. Too many try to rationalize this stuff away.


Well, it sounds like you don't have ADD. You are just DIFFERENTLY attentive!


GOOD MOVE!


Yep, sounds more AS to me!


As I said, DIFFERENTLY attentive!



Yeah, It's possible. You really SHOULD get more evidence if you want anyone here to say yes or no. You DID say you were already diagnosed, right? BTW I apologize for the jokes, but you left it wide open! I'm just poking fun because I'm sure it will be received ok.

Steve

AS doesn't exactly jump out from those symptoms but if you think there's a possibility I'd advise you to read more about it,in books and on these forums etc.
Other things to consider are whether you have any issues with social interaction,like
having appropriate eye contact and conversational skills,forming close friendships,
whether you actually prefer to be on your own sometimes. It's a complex subject and nobody here can really tell you for certain. I only came to the conclusion I've got it after reading hundreds of pages,not only about AS but about similar conditions. If you've
always had a feeling that you've been living on the wrong planet,that might be an
indication

Yeah, sometimes I feel like I'm not supposed to be here, but everybody feels like that, right?

As for the eye thing, sometimes I stare without blinking, at other people's eyes. I quickly realize it though and look at something else. Nobody has ever brought it up so I guess it isn't really a problem.

Don't worry about the jokes, Steve. Just keep 'em coming.

I'll do what you said and read some more.

Staring without blinking isn't necessarily an autistic trait. Looking into anothers eyes is certainly counter to autism.

Steve

I don't see how either of these things are related to AS?

I think you might be over-reacting. I actually don't see anything in your list at all that's "highly" AS/ASD-related. A few things are things that are "weak" symptoms that you'd commonly see in someone with AS, but they'd generally have many more bothersome symptoms. For example, being a gifted artist/writer/anything else is something that tons of normal people have.

I don't know if those two things are or not. I was asking people in the know if I should even be worried about it.

I came to the wrong place for help, just forget about it.

It is easy to overdiagnose ourselves. When diagnosing ourselves there is always a 'confirmation bias'. This is due to the natural way the mind works in trying to make things work. Given that in our lives we do huge numbers of things our mind is sometimes quite capable of dredging up enough of these things that match given criteria that we have a sneaking suspicion. This is especially the case for those of us who may be struggling with identity issues or perhaps have a feeling of being 'odd' or 'different'. In this case we naturally want to find out who we are and something like Aspergers is a natural thing to investigate. I am not saying that you don't have Aspergers and not saying you do because I don't think we have enough information just yet. I encourage you to continue to investigate the field if you think it may help you understand yourself and why you are the way you are but do remind you to be careful before making big leaps. You pointed it out yourself of course but you can never be too careful in limiting stigmatising and labelling in my opinion.

Another important thing to remember is that Asperger's is just a label. It can be a useful thing to categorise things with and I've found that the resources here and in some other Asperger's resources tremendously helpful in helping me adapt to the world. Reading the things that I've learned in life that perhaps others manage to get by without learning or see instinctively summarised makes the world so much clearer. But I never let myself be defined by Aspergers. I am many things and fit many labels but who I am is so much more than any one of them.


Discussing the symptoms you list I would most associate the last three with mild Aspergers. The high creativity and ability to excell when it is something you like is also an ADD trait so from the few things you list here that seems almost as likely.



Possible, yes. More information would be necessary.

Also, what made you seek out information on Aspergers? Answering that question could tell you a lot.

Wow, good answer. Thank you for that, a lot.

I found it while reading about Einstein on Wikipedia. I clicked on the link to Asperger's and reading, I felt like I fit the bill (but then, I also think I may fit HFA), but after hearing what you said, I think you're right and I'm being far too hasty. I jump a lot of guns.

Thanks for the breakdown. I appreciate it.

Just by the fact that you used a proper and complex word like "comply" in the title of your post is proof enough for me that you have AS! Nah, i'm just kidding. By what you said it does sound like you may have AS but you should definately ask a psych or counsilor for an opinion.

Although this link will by no means provide you with a definative answer, you may want to take the tests on this page:

http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/MaleFemale.asp

Well, Fogman, is that test for real? I scored a 42.

I just found this website this evening. Like Spacecadet, I was curious because of something that I heard. My curiousity was aroused enough that I came online to do a little reading.

I have had Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) all of my life. For a long time I have thought that maybe my (I don't want to offend anyone. I'm talking about myself, here!) weirdness was due to my epielpsy. I know that not everyone with epilepsy is weird, but I have always had a terrible time socially.

I also have never really had any interest in sex. I know that can also be a symptom of my TLE. I was married, but now that I'm divorced I have no desire at all to find another companion. My family thinks I'm so weird. I just feel that my home is my sanctuary from the world and I don't want to invite somebody in.

Anyway, I saw people on TV saying that people with AS have that symptom. That's what got my interest.

Reading those questions got me thinking. I do count things compulsively. I also do odd little things like memorize license plates as I walk down the street. I count my steps.

I definitely have problems reading people.

I could go on and on, but I won't. This is interesting. I'll keep reading.

That test certainly isn't definitive. I scored 38, but that may be because I answered some in a vaguer fasion than simply yes/no.

Apparantly, some epileptic type problems are common with ASD! TLE is one of them! That MIGHT be why some people say people with ASD don't get enough glutathione. In theory, glutathione MIGHT help to mitigate it.

Anyway, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers

BTW We know we're wierd!

Steve

I scored a 33 on the spectrum test. I'll do some more reading before I jump to any conclusions, though. I've been talking about it with my roommate who has been my best friend since early high school and he says that I show some of the characteristics, but then at the same time, some of my goings on seem to contradict others.

I'm thinking that even if I do have it, maybe I shouldn't even worry about it, because either it's not strong enough in my head, or I've already learned to cope with it.

Holy shnikies! I just got a 47.

I got a 156 on that other one WP that links up to.

By the way, I also ran it by Jesus, and he said I am, in fact, autistic.