A Question About the Diagnosis

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When I was being diagnosed I distinctly remember a couple of activities that happened and I have been wondering what is the purpose of them.

First: There was a series of puzzle I had to do. I think I was being timed or something to see how long I would do them for.

Secondly: I was asked a few very odd questions. Can’t remember the actual questions but the only way I can describe it is as if they are asking you what do very random things have in common for example a ship and a box.

It was 14 years ago so the actual questions are out of my memory now.

But does someone know the reasoning of these things in the diagnosis process?

They did things like that when I was tested at 20. We never discussed the social issues thou. I have no idea why they did that.

That's executive function. How quick is your brain kind of thing.



That has to do with whether you can imagine similarities. The one you gave is a good example. Ship? Box? They both hold things. If the similarity isn't immediately obvious to you the questions seem pointless.

This one is also common. They'll show you a picture, often a stylized drawing of some people doing different things and ask you to tell them a story about what's happening. Most autistics will simply state the obvious. "That man is raking. The woman in the doorway is pregnant. That man looks angry. That's it. There's nothing else going on."

A lot of NT's will make stuff up that can't be seen. "The man is probably the father of the woman's baby. Maybe they aren't married and that's why the other man is mad because he's her father."

Supposedly autistics don't have the imagination to put all those unknowns into the story. Autistics supposedly only will talk about what's obvious because nothing else really matters and making up fiction is pointless. Of course none of that in entirely true, but some of us do have a tendency to have a harder time with that kind of thing. Seeing that during testing can help them arrive at a more accurate diagnosis.

That picture one if I was told what is in that picture I would just literally describe the picture rather than tell a story. If I was told to make a story I would make one up but one that is not very imaginative.

They were trying to determine if you were a replicant.

Did they ask you to look up and to the left?

No but I do get asked to do every 2 years when getting my eyes tested. I hate doing that. Although I don’t mind getting my eyes tested.

Oh no, not the flipped over turtle question, gets me every time

Replicant?
Flipped over turtle question?

Blade Runner references.

What do those references mean?