Differentiation of autism and schizotypal turns on fantasy

Post Reply New Topic

This is an interesting study that suggests that autism spectrum disorder and childhood-onset schizotypal personality disorder can be differentiated by looking at the child's preoccupation with fantasy. If there is an abnormally strong and chronic preoccupation with fantasy, then that leans toward schizotypal:

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/635732/

I sometimes wonder if one of my ex's had schizotypal personality disorder because he had all these bizarre beliefs and thought they were real. My mom thought he was a schizophrenic. While he wasn't delusional, his thinking was way out of line you would think he wasn't very smart and that he was borderline ret*d or something. So I think he could have had a form of schizophrenia and that is what schizotypal is, borderline schizophrenia but it's not quite there so it has its own name. Plus he was also paranoid but I also think he might have had OCD because he always worried (called the bank every twenty minutes for one because he was worried about identity theft and he had to be sure his money was still there and then when he had a bank account again, he had to keep a certain amount, and the number had to have a zero in it or a five like 50 for example or 55 because he was worried about going overdrawn and having to pay a fine for it). My mother was right he had more going on than ADHD. I didn't realize it then but now I am older and have read more on medical conditions, I became aware and can see my mom's perspective.

Thanks for posting, if you know of any other good articles on SPD please post them on here for us, thanks. I know someone who exhibits symptoms of SPD and autism and I'm always trying to figure out whether it's a case of both at one time or one or the other.

I believe my ex also displayed symptoms of Asperger's. My dad thought he had it.

I think when I was a kid my parents probably thought I was that because when the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time came out I got really obsessed with it and even had "love fantasies" about Link. I knew he wasn't real and all but my shear preoccupation with him instead of "showing interest in real guys" almost lead my parents to push me into counseling sessions. I don't see what the big deal was really, I was about 9 when OoT came out and I ran Link into the ground for about 2 years before(being late enough) getting into the backstreet boys. I think they were relieved that it was real guys but then stressed themselves out further because they then realized I liked older guys and felt like I would be taken advantage of at such a young age(I was 12). Some people are never happy I guess xD But then now that I'm older I'm able to better "keep my fantasies to myself".