Today I took an Aspergers Test & it was 34. Help?

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Hi there everyone,

Okay, so this is really all new for me. I have been reading about Aspergers lately after watching a TV segment about an adult that went years without diagnosis. After watching what he went through and what he dealt with I was like, "OMG that is ME." So I took an online test today and its 34. A brief history- I grew up an only child. I never really had many friends in school- the ones I did have were people that I had known since Kindergarten, so it really took time for me to form a bond. Flash foward to adulthood and current. I'm married (for 11 yrs) and I have 2 small kids. Besides my husband, I have ZERO friends. Simply, I dont want any. Im perfectly happy and prefer to spend long periods of time by myself. Here are a few quirks about me that have always been strange for me over the years, even prompting my husband to refer to me as "anti-social".

•No friends and happy about it. Especially other women- NO THANK YOU..
•When we are in a social setting (which make me cringe) I am annoyed by loud noise and music
•I can remember everyones birthday once they tell me. Even if I havent seen them in 20 years.
•When I think of the days of the week or the months in a year (im not even sure how to explain this one) they show as patterns and grids in my mind. I tried explaining this to my mom as a kid and got the strangest look. I never brought it up again. I have never even told my husband because he will think I'm weird.
•Out in public, if I hear people laughing I imagine they are laughing at me and frequently their laughter will seem to drown out anything else going on.
•When I meet someone I dont know, or even dealing with a cashier at the supermarket I can not make eye contact with them.
•I avoid the phone like its the plague. I wont answer it and I certainly wont call someone I dont know. For example, the only person that orders food at home via telephone is my husband.
•I am very quiet and reserved (or antisocial as my husband says) in a group setting) but at home my husband has said that as much as he loves me I am quite the talker and have even been asked if I have swallowed a parrot.
•If I have a daily routine or something planned and anything has to get changed around I freak out. It completely ruins my day.
•I am a story teller... What I mean is, I will lie and make up detailed stories about anything just to keep my conversations with loved ones interesting. I cant even believe Im telling anyone this right now. But if Im going to tell you all what I feel is wrong or different, I suppose that means I have to spill it all! But im not lying about any of this stuff...

I was an average student in school with two exceptions. I learned to read on my own when I was 3 years old. I can read a book in less than a couple of hours depending on its size and have excellent comprehension. On the flip side, I cant get past long division and never finished learning the multiplication table. Math was just too hard, no matter how much tutoring or studying. This is just what comes to the top of my head. There are plenty of other quirky things about me, but the things above are what I have found the strangest. And my husband thinks its really odd that I havent had any friends in the last 11 years that we have been married and have zero desire. Years ago I brought all of this up to my mother who said, "you probably just have only child syndrome". But I didnt think that is what is was. Anyway, I wanted to see what anyone thinks about all of this? Im 36 yrs old and if this is what the answer has been this whole time why didnt I know sooner? And Im living out of the country so I dont know how to deal with it.

Thanks!

How the H are we supposed to know what "34" means???????????

Thirty four out of 50? a 100?

There is more than one online aspergers test.

Even if it were only one in the world- and even if we all here on WP had taken that same one test at some point- you would still have to refresh our memories as to what the scores on the test mean.

+++++++

Ok, after venting that:

Ofcourse you need a professional head shrinker to do the battery of tests face to face to really diagnose anyone. But Yes, I would say you sound like you have aspergers. A lot like it actually.

You dont seem unhappy with your life. So why do anything about it?

But yes- lack of friends, lack interest in and dislike of socializing, and so forth.

you're hyperlexian. But not the stereotyped aspie math geek. But thats just a stereotype.


One thing-that seems very UNaspegian to me, is that you're a "fabualist" ( as the author Isabella Allende put it when describing her childhood self) - or as Humphrey Bogart said of another character in a movie "she relies more on her imagination than on her memory."

Not sure what to make of that trait- that you make up stories just to fill up time with relatives.

People with Asperger's usually don't lie...

Study WP, this side makes more sense than most other internet sources.

I am 41 and found out this year, it is not uncommon, especially among women.

About 5-6 years ago I described the troubles I often had in the work world... someone suggested I look into Aspergers... it fits be very well. Not officially diagnosed and there's no point of doing so because there are ZERO resources for AS adults. Kids, yes, but adults are on their own.

It's just nice to know I'm not "weird" - I'm just wired differently. (I love that expression!)

43 here and I consistently score 145 on the "aspie quiz." Don't worry about it, there's plenty of resources here. The search function helps especially.

Kjas put together a list of resources for women who suspect they have AS

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt211004.html

Maerlyn138- That's hilarious.. Deltafunction- Thank you, the list is helpful. JBlitzen- I think you're right. Although I have always knew I was different I'm okay with it. My lack of social behavior doesnt bother me, so why fix it. Oren- I have read that people with Asp do lie. I even found a post on this board about lying. Naturalplastic- after first reading your post I started to feel like an ostrich. I wanted to stick my head in a hole until you were done with your vent. But I get what you're saying. The test Im referring to is this:

Your score in the Aspergers AQ Test was 34 . This indicates a high degree of autistic tendencies.

The scores of the AQ test are based on statistical analysis of people with Autism who have taken the test compared with the results of the general population. The following guidelines can be used for interpretation of the score.

11 - 22 is average for the general population.
22 - 31 indicates that one has slightly higher than average autistic traits.
32 + indicates a high degree of autistic tendencies
Please bear in mind that the results of the AQ test are not definitive but can be helpful in the process of self diagnosis. Professional medical advice should be requested following higher test results of 32 or more.

More information about the Aspergers AQ Test can be found here

As you have been identified as potential having a high degree of autistic tendencies, you have been subscribed to a free mini course about Aspergers Syndrome.

Don't get mad for my bluntness. The lying comes from a severe lack of self esteem. It is a defense mechanism. You have a need to be noticed, to be appreciated, so you lie to get the attention you crave. This is especially common in children. It is like sharing your internal world and what you would like to do. If you seek to do some of the things you are lying about it might relieve this tension. If your husband cannot accept your quirks as beautiful then you got problems bigger than AS> your score was pretty low, but I would suggest you go into for proper testing. It seems to me you are too emotionally dependent on your husband, and that is not healthy, especially for an aspie.

@rodsgirl76 - A lot of what you said sounds like me at a younger age. I was not diagnosed until just a couple months ago, but I can relate to what you said about not having friends, not feeling the need for friends, etc. I too avoid the phone like the plague. That being said, however, the best thing I ever did for myself was to take a job as a customer service rep where I was answering the phones every day. Really taught me a lot about relating to others. I too was a "story-teller" when I was younger. I lost a couple of jobs over it so I learned not to do it. If anything, I'm too honest any more.

@naturalplastic - I found your response to be rude and condescending. Are you in any way working in the medical field? I'm guessing not by the use of the term "head shrinkers." Did you have a bad relationship with a psychiatrist in the past?

@ariellab - I would agree that the need to show oneself in a better light may come from a lack of self-esteem. I suffered terribly from a lack of self-esteem when I was younger. I've since learned to value myself for myself and not worry as much about the opinion of others.

Bits of autistic traits in what you describe, but also a lot that fits much more with avoidant. personality traits and compulsive lying. The lying / fantasist aspect fits far more with schizoid and schizotypal traits than autism.

Also lots of conflicting info - if you avoid everyone and have no friends, what are these social gatherings you end up going to, whose birthdays are you remembering etc?

I remember classmates birthdays from elementary school. There would always be a birthday party in my class. So I remember their birthdays. By the way, my birthday was in the Summer so I was so relived to never have to celebrate my birthday at school. The social events I get stuck going to are mostly (actually all) my husbands family although this Thanksgiving I went to my sisters house. For example, we just went out of town to see his family for the holidays. he has a HUGE family (lucky me huh?) 13 aunts and uncles and scores of cousins. It was a rough week. I could settle down and deal once I was around the same small group here and there. But there was one day in particular that I just wanted to run into a bathroom and hide. We went to an aunts house I had never been to and there was like 10 people there, all in the kitchen talking laughing, loud.. Ugh I just sat there feeling my skin crawl. Clutching my husbands hand. He put his hand on my chest and could feel it pounding. He excused us and we went out to the balcony. He just tried to comfort me and tell me to relax. By the time we left, I was running to the car...