hedgeberry Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Hello there, New around here. Not sure if I have Aspergers, or if I am just anti-social and good at remembering birthday dates and random trivia, only have specific interests including art and gutted if I am unable to spend time doing this, concentration all over the place, and not very good at relationships/friendships. It's as if I live within an clear glass box, I see everything, I don't always speak. Finally took the aspergers quiz...aspergers score 137 out of 200, NT score 63 out of 200. Not quite sure what these scores mean. Wonder if my personality traits fall into the aspergers like traits, or is this perhaps just how my personality is? Am I just a quiet person? Any advice would be welcomed. Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Hi Sandy - The only person who can really answer that question is yourself... everything you describe can apply to people on the autistic spectrum, but can equally apply to neurotypical people. If you think of your interest in art and frustration if you can't practice it - think of a golfer, or a footballer, or an angler or musician. Most people have something they really enjoy (even if it's only a hob-nob with their eleven o'clock coffee!) and will feel frustrated, let down, and possibly even angry if something gets in the way of that 'me' time... The amount of people I know who are good at relationships - autistic or neurotypical - is miniscule. A quick look at divorce rates will confirm that, but then you need to consider too how many couples stay together happily. For some it's just habit, or fear of the alternatives. Of the rest, only a tiny percentage get it 'right first time', so in reality you have to look at the relationships thing and turn it on its head: happy ever after is, sadly, the exception, not the rule. If you're talking about friendships, that's slightly different, but no less subjective. Some people have LOADS of friends while others just have one or two. Some share every intimate detail of their lives with anyone who will listen while others keep their cards so firmly to their chest that nobody ever really knows them. Neither of those 'types' is specifically AS or neurotypical, though stereotyping would lead you to believe otherwise... Concentration all over the place... erm... what was i saying again... Autistic 'traits' are perfectly normal human behaviours - you could assign every one of them to some aspect of every human beings life. The difference is one of degree and focus, and the way each aspect of those traits overlap and interact with/on one another. Finally, autism is a disability: for a diagnosis it should be evident that the autistic traits - in tandem (i.e. not one specific area) have a significant disabling effect on daily living and interaction. My own opinion is that in recent years the boundaries around 'significant' have been eroded to the point that problematic 'traits' are now seen as evidence of the condition, and this has a huge impact on how the genuine needs of autistic people (esp at the HFA/AS end of the spectrum) are perceived and responded to. That should not in any way be taken as a suggestion that your curiosity is unfounded - i don't know you, and couldn't possibly say. What I would say, though, is that unless you are 'disabled' by your condition it's sort of irrelevent, and that diagnosis would change nothing anyway. It really comes down to accepting yourself as how you are, and making decisions about whether you can/will/want to make changes to the elements that you are unsure about. Hope that's helpful L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted March 19, 2009 My own opinion is that in recent years the boundaries around 'significant' have been eroded to the point that problematic 'traits' are now seen as evidence of the condition, and this has a huge impact on how the genuine needs of autistic people (esp at the HFA/AS end of the spectrum) are perceived and responded to. *nods* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hedgeberry Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Hi BD, That's certainly a great help to read your reply, thank you. I feel more human now! Perhaps I need to look at the online AS test with a pinch of salt. From taking this online test I feel that yes, perhaps I do have some AS traits although maybe these are just my human survival traits. Where is the line drawn between having a asperger trait in your personality to having a diagnosis of AS. It is certainly helpful and insightful to think about AS traits in perspective to autism, perhaps I had overlooked this. Thank you again, Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
