Unsure AS - what do others think?

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Hello,
The purpose of this is partly for a judgement from the person who reads this as he/she is likely to be a better judge as they may have AS themselves,
And partly to see whether anyone who was not diagnosed in childhood has ever had this train of thought too.

Can I ask a question?
My teacher has recently notified me of the fact that I share many traits with AS. Having never heard of this I researched it and came to the conclusion that she may be correct.

Let me put up an argument of why I am unsure.
Firstly, I will state my characteristics that make it likely:

I rock, hum and fiddle. I stare and forget I am doing so – but I never look at strangers. I watch things that move in patterns or catch the light. I hate sound. I get ‘overloaded’ in busy public places – I can only bear shopping for about 2 hours max and going to the cinema or theatre is a NO. I hate the feel of strangers touching me. I can only wear elastic trousers and cotton because it itches so much. I make lots of lists with times and dates. I really hate it if something changes in the lists and sometimes if something changes in the morning the whole day is wasted because I can’t think of what to do now it has changed. I don’t remember any faces of people from when I was younger than 10 and up to high school had one single friend with which I always played the same game. I became aware that as I was watching other people, other people could also watch me back at age 14. I was (and am) teased a lot in school but it took a while for me to notice.

But how I be sure?
As I had never heard of it before, am I just picking out every bit of my character that correlates with the specification and discarding that that doesn’t correlate? For example – I do exhibit ‘stimming’ in the form of rocking and fiddling with objects compulsively or subconsciously, however a definitely non-AS acquaintance does this too. Also I do not demonstrate an ‘obsession with parts of objects.’ I have more than one hobby and can write stories (but only sci-fi or fantasy), which proves I am capable of imagining how someone might react. (I think I know everything in writing, just can’t relate it to other people practically)

Also, as I am now a teenager, my parents have obviously never thought anything was different in childhood or they would have taken me to a doctor. This means it can’t be that severe as by the previous reasoning, if they didn’t notice, then it was too slight to notice or non-existent in childhood. (Yet they told me I used to hand flap and hum when I was 2 but they thought it was normal)

The criteria describe ‘failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level’ which is impossible to judge oneself as if you were really impaired in this respect you would be unaware of the correct level of peer relationships.

To summarise, though I may demonstrate most traits I can’t be sure of myself as by logic I would be unaware of what ‘normal’ is and feels like when comparing myself to the criteria.
What do others think?

There is a chance you could have Aspergers but not severe enough well your parents think nothing is wrong but can still get a diagnosis of it.

Here are some more links you might want to check out...
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/A ... e-Symptoms
http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html
http://www.aspergers.com/faq.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers

Hopefully maybe those will help you better!

I was in almost the exact same situation as yourself. It sounds a lot like AS. And I never had the "obsession with parts of objects" either. I have many interests, and when I choose to do so I can write fairly well, though this took some training. By the way, the inventor of PokeMon is an Aspie, so AS does not preclude the possibility of creativity in writing. You do not have to show EVERY SINGLE symptom of AS to be an Aspie. Autism is a specrum; you can be on one end or the other, or anywhere in between.
How can you be sure? You could go to a doctor, but that may well be an exercise in futlity. My own doctor, upon diagnosing me, acknowledged that most doctors know absolutely nothing about AS. In any case, a formal diagnosis mainly consists of the doctor going through the DSM-IV checklist and asking you if you do this or that... you can do that just as easily yourself with Wikipedia on your computer screen, as you know yourself better than does any doctor. As I do not personally know you, I can't really say whether or not you exhibit Aspie traits, but if I was given your description of yourself in an unrelated context, the first thing that would pop into my head would be "this guy's an Aspie." But then, you know yourself a lot better than I do, so you have to reflect, maybe read some more, and come to your own conclusions.

On a pseudo-related topic (I just saw another poster gave a link to Wikipedia), does it bother anyone else that the Wikipedia article for Asperger's has been competely changed? It was fine before, now it's a mess. Or at least it seems a mess to me. Maybe I just don't like change.

No, it's a mess. And I'd been reading it only a month or so ago, and it was OK. I noticed that it was getting "biased," tags, my gut feeling was that some of the strongly "AS is not a disorder, it's just a difference," people got to it (although I could be wrong - wouldn't be the first time), but it's kind of been wrecked through the changes, and just kind of rendered rubbish.

Asha- I just read that one of your interests is "types of quartz." That rather strengthens the case for AS, because, well, most people aren't aware that there are different types of quartz... and to be interested in something that appears so mundane to most people (myself included), to the point where it's mentioned in your top three interests, is not exactly common among NTs. Also, some of your doubts may be slightly exaggerated by the fact that you've probably read by now that there are very few female Aspies- especially seeing how in my post I assumed that you were male! Sorry about that one.

Why does Wikipedia have to keep changing like that? They had an excellent AS article, then it was so jumbled up. It seems to be returning to some semblance of decency and order now. The new section on contrast between DSM-IV and ICD-10 is a good idea, but it needs to have a bit more depth. And AS is just a difference, and I thought that that issue was covered well enough in the article as it was before, so there shouldn't have been need for Aspies for Freedom-type people to go changing it.

Asha,

Are you SURE your acquantance isn't on the spectrum? They MAY be. It sounds like YOU areL

As for your doubts? You say....

I do exhibit ‘stimming’ in the form of rocking and fiddling with objects compulsively or subconsciously, however a definitely non-AS acquaintance does this too.

Like I said, HOW do you KNOW?

Also I do not demonstrate an ‘obsession with parts of objects.’

I don't EITHER unless I am pretty bored sometimes. It is almost like the staring.

I have more than one hobby

A lot of people here do, including myself. But to what degree? With AS people there is a strong desire, and they are often involved.

and can write stories (but only sci-fi or fantasy), which proves I am capable of imagining how someone might react. (I think I know everything in writing, just can’t relate it to other people practically)

Well, "sci-fi" is a kind of fantasy. In fact, some sci-fi(like far scape, dr who, etc...) would more appropriately be called science fantasy. Yet AS people seem drawn to it. And HEY, we ALL imagine how people might react. EVEN if we were idiots(though we aren't), the strong episodic memry would give us a good ability to predict. I have ACTUALLY predicted reactions others said they would never have, and it was based on things that happened over a decade earlier that they at least claimed not to remember!

In short, psychiatrists have a nasty habit of not asking aspies anything meaningful, so they get some things wrong. There are THREADS on this system about it!! !

look into NVLDs too.... those aren't based as much on obsessions... but are very similar to AS.

i think i may have AS/NVLD comorbid.... i lean more towards AS cause I do stim and have interests and such

but the two are very hard to tease apart... and may or may not be the same thing.... we'll have to wait for the reorganization that's coming up


whatever you conclude, i just hope you find as much comfort here at WP as i have... i may never know what's up with me but at least there are others here i identify with

GL to you!