can this be ASD?

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I've been wondering if I might have ASD. Does the following sound consistent with ASD?


Well, there are some things that don't fit. For example, I think I’m actually pretty good at interpreting tone of voice and I like listening to sounds and intonation patterns in different languages. I think I’m often pretty sensitive to emotions in people’s voices. I really dislike and avoid arguments. Also, I used to play with other kids and I did do “imaginative play“ I think. I was very imaginative anyway.

I also don’t have routines (I'm wondering if this is an INTP thing?). I think I can understand sarcasm and I also think I understand phrases like “wearing his heart on his sleeve“ - i have had some difficulties with some slang and social / emotional language but I think I’m OK with these fixed expressions. I’m just wondering if some people with aspergers could have these characteristics?


some characteristics I think could be related to ASD:

Lots of problems with anxiety and depression over the years, not much help from psychologists (for example, they don’t listen to the words I’m carefully putting together, but they try to read body language instead, and completely misinterpret what I’m trying to get across)

I am having problems in my university study. I am very disorganised and if I have a problem in one class, I find it hard to stop thinking about it, so I can’t do my work for other subjects either.

in face-to-face situations I often find it hard to focus on the person in front me. For example, in doctor’s reception, I feel drawn to look at the filing system behind them or in the doctor’s office, i feel drawn to look at everything that is in the room.

Find it hard to navigate social situations because I get overwhelmed with lots of stuff going on and I find it hard to “grab on” to social information. I get dizzy in crowds, etc.

Often told I talk really slowly with lots of pauses and have also been told I am always frowning (I think it’s a sensory thing). I can I also find it hard sometimes to walk along with friends and talk at the same time.

situations like psychologists, university counselors, etc., I find it hard to talk to them. I sometimes write it down and let them read it. Otherwise I seem to have 2 settings: one is being completely on top of what I want to say, the other is being completely unable to remember what I wanted to say to them. (I think what I mean is: to remember what I need to say I have to be right inside my head with the thoughts (very high level of focus) which usually makes two way communication very difficult)

often have lots of things in my hands, e.g. wallet, books, keys and bank cards, etc. and during the day it takes effort to figure out what to do with them (i.e. putting them in my bag).


Calming activities:

after stressful days at school, I used to like craft activities and sorting dolls into different formations.
Now I like reading from language learning books. I like pacing around while reading aloud, very quietly, and find this very calming – I sometimes do this in public, for example at the bus stop, or in the bus (without the pacing), and don’t really care what people think about it.
Talking to myself in foreign languages while grocery shopping or feeling compelled to sing backing vocals if they are playing music (I don’t like to sing the tune but pick patterns out from the chords, so I will sing along whether I know the song or not).

You could very well be, but no one here can be certain. I am diagnosed, and we are a lot alike. I had imaginative play (but I have lost much of my imagination now), am sensitive to people's tone of voice, understand most sarcasm, and lack any rigid routines. I am also really disorganized and struggle much more than my peers in many of my classes despite having above average intelligence. Languages, specifically Japanese, are an interest of mine.

Keep in mind that some of what you're describing could also be symptoms of ADHD, a diagnosis that has a lot of overlap with ASD. Especially the point about not being able to focus on the person in front of you sounds very ADHD. It's also possible to have both ASD and ADHD. It's actually pretty common.

It sounds like you're struggling with some things, so I hope you can get a diagnosis that will allow you to get the help you need.

Thanks for the reply mewbeez, (takk!) Are you diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome?

I was trying to stop myself from writing a really long "do I have Aspergers?" post. But I have exams I need to study for so procrastination kicked in.

Thankfully I have a psychiatrist who I think is really good. She specialises in ADHD but doesn't work with people with ASD that much I don't think (though if there's a high level of overlap she must sometimes, maybe she just meant she doesn't do diagnosis of it much). She thought I might have ADD and "something else". My family thinks the something else is ASD. I think it's fairly likely.

A few years ago I was wondering whether I had Aspergers but dropped the idea cause I'm an INTP and most INTPs are a bit unusual and have some difficulties with expressing emotions, etc. But I'm realising now I have more problems than most INTPs seem to, e.g. problems with word finding and talking in general.

Also, I've had a few problems over the last few years with work and study. The exhaustion has been building up so I can't deal with nearly as much as I used to be able to.

Yes, I have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. I was diagnosed very recently, actually. I had been struggling to pay attention in class and do my homework all the way since middle school. The tasks we were handed often confused me due to their vague nature. In high school, I got in a class without any people I knew. It was then I realised I had no idea how to actually make friends. It was probably pure luck that I met someone in elementary school who were willing to become my friends, because I couldn't make a single one in high school. I tried talking to people, but I somehow never got close to them. I never got invited to anything. People never came talking to me. I didn't have any interests in common with my classmates either, so I couldn't connect through those. After reflecting back on my childhood, I understood that I had never been quite "right" socially. I often said inappropriate things and info dumped people with my interests, something I still occasionally do. One day I came across Asperger's syndrome. It sounded a bit like me in some ways, but I couldn't help but think that I probably didn't have it because I don't really have strict routines. Now I know that that trait isn't even a requirement for diagnosis. You only need to exhibit at least one symptom of rigidness and some in social development. Every person with ASD is different and no has all the traits. That's why it's called a spectrum disorder. Females often present differently, which is why many go undiagnosed all the way to adulthood, if they even get diagnosed at all.

It's more common to have ADHD alone than as an ASD comorbid simply because it's much more frequently diagnosed in the population. If I'm not mistaken, roughly 5% have ADHD while less than 1% have some sort of ASD. Out of that 1%, many also have ADHD. In some areas, there isn't a clear distinction between the two in terms of visible symptoms. Both people with ADHD and ASD will often struggle with executive function, for example. Word-finding problems could be related to autism, but it's hard to tell since many aspies have a very large vocabulary. I often have trouble finding the right words when speaking, but have virtually no problems when writing. It's almost as if my spoken and written vocabulary is stored separately in my brain.

I have done the Myers-Briggs test before, and I ended up ISTP the first time. Last time I ended up as INTP. The result even changes depending on if I do it in English or Norwegian. I find the description to be a bit inaccurate because I'm not really introverted in the true sense of the word. Also, sometimes the questions are too vague. It makes it difficult to choose the right option because I feel I would respond differently depending on the situation.

I have an appointment next week with the ADHD specialist and one with the ASD specialist.


Thanks for reply again mewbeez

Like you, I also had more problems socially in high school. Things seemed to get a lot more complicated at around that age at a girls only school. In my final year of school I gave up socialising in school completely - spent lunchtimes with the books in the library, much more trustworthy they were


I think I have a few different problems with speaking:

- i can't think of words when speaking, like for you, writing comes more easily for me than speaking (it's like brain turns off when I have to speak)
- can't remember certain things when people ask me, especially about myself and what I've been doing or am going to do, etc.
- there are some set responses that come out automatically to questions on some topics e.g. time questions: "2.30" ; food questions: "musilli" (i have no idea why, i don't particularly like musilli)
- visualise the right thing but the wrong noun comes out.
- can't summarise all the threads of what I would like to say.
- "bottle neck mouth" - two or more thoughts want to be verbalised at the same time. I can't decide which one to say.
- It takes energy to "get into the zone" for talking (when it's an important meeting e.g. psychologist appointment). I have to go deeply into brain to access thoughts. And have to shut out other information to do that (e.g. the person sitting in front of me )



Re: MBTI. Have you looked into ENTP? It's meant to be one of the more introverted extrovert types.