Were you diagnosed using the AAA?

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I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome by Dr. Joel Jeffries of CAMH Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems, a clinical specialist on autism. I was clinically assessed using the definitive diagnostic tool, the Adult Asperger Assessment (abbreviated AAA) of Simon Baron-Cohen, a written test followed by an extensive interview. In the AAA I scored 32 out of 50 on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient or AQ (80% of people with AS score 32 or more) and scored 16 on the Empathy Quotient or EQ (80% of people with AS score 30 or less). On average, most NT women score about 47 and most NT men about 42 on the EQ. Most people with Asperger's Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism score about 20 on the EQ, so my score of 16 was low, even for someone with AS/HFA. Dr. Jeffries' conclusion is that I am "definitely an Aspie." I am also diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)―25 % of Aspies have OCD―and depression as co-morbidities―Tony Attwood once said that he never met an Aspie who wasn't depressed.

I would be interested in knowing if others were also clinically assessed with the AAA and what your results were (that is, only if you feel comfortable with and want to share them).

No, though I was also diagnosed by an autism specialized psychiatrist. I have had my IQ tested officially twice, and taken a number of questionairres myself. One called the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test, I scored 26/30 (very surprised!). ASD Severity assessment scale: 130-142 suggests Moderate ASD.

No. I was diagnosed using the ADOS, along with some other tests, and was interviewed. The evaluation was done by an autism specialist.

I took the AQ online. I scored 39. On the EQ, my score was higher than the average for autistic people, but lower than the average score for male NTs. I believe it was around 30.

The AAA was used at the start of my assessment, followed by several lengthy interviews where the evaluator looked for confirmation of what I had initially self-reported. Coincidentally, I have my report right next to the computer right now, so here are my results...

AQ Score = 45.
EQ Score = 11.

My report also has a section-by-section breakdown - this is how many traits were observed (as opposed to self-reported) during the evaluation against the minimum required for a diagnosis (in parentheses).

A - Social: 5 observed (min. 3))
B - Obsessions : 3 observed (min. 3)
C - Communication: 4 observed (min. 3)
D - Imagination: 3 observed (min. 1)
E - Prerequisites: All met (5 out of 5 requirements)

i was diagnosed in 2001.

i don't know what was around then other than disagreement.

Thank you everybody for your input. And for those who have not yet responded, keep it coming! Clinicians use different autism assessments for children than they do adults. Tony Attwood details most if not all of them. I think that all the assessments still need some work, although for adults in general, and me an older adult in particular, the AAA is extremely thorough. The interview is designed not only for the person seeking assessment, it includes the all-important interviews with family members and the all-important search for others with autism in the family, including between generations, even if the autistic traits are sub-clinical in the parents.

I was diagnosed by Dr. Jeffries as well. I believe it was the same as yours, OP. There was definitely an extensive and lengthy interview. I have a copy of the report he sent to my GP and psychiatrist. It's very long and details all of the symptoms he observed. On the last page it says:

"This is a classical description of Asperger's disorder although to a fairly severe degree, close to what has been called high-functioning autism."

He goes on to state there is no treatment but that there are groups - but that I would likely not fit into them because of social difficulties.

Personally, I do believe I can fit into groups, and I have successfully completed groups for other mental health issues. I can also "pass" well enough that some doctors unfamiliar with autism don't even believe the diagnosis.

I have participated in studies in the past that have screened me using the ADOS, and I assume I still met the diagnosis since I was allowed to continue in the studies.

Oh yes, one thing I didn't mention in my previous post.

Although the AAA seems Asperger's specific, my final diagnosis was still expressed in terms of the new DSM-V definition of ASD. So the new diagnostic categories do not invalidate the AAA as a test, so long as the evaluator is aware of how the old AS diagnosis fits into the new system.