Do I have Asperger's syndrome?

[tails1989]

Hi everybody,

 

I am a 20 year old male and am beginning to think that I may have Asperger's. This is due to the following things:

 

1) I have to have a routine and always do things the same way (e.g. I have to leave my bike in the same place each day, and walk a certain route)

2) I find social interactions rather challenging - for example, I'm not sure where/how to stand, or when to leave. My only strategem as regards 'small talk' is to ask a series of questions, and I find myself uninterested in the general chit-chat of my peers. I also have a habit of making comments at inappropriate times. However, on the other hand, I don't think that I have a problem with reading faces...

3) I am sensitive to loud noises in particular (I hate fireworks and loud pubs etc)

4) Especially when I am nervous, I take people somewhat literally (e.g. I had to get a lift with someone I didn't know very well and I shut the door rather too hard - he said 'Shut it a bit harder, why don't you?', so I did.

5) I'm not good at expressing myself verbally, though I find I can express myself fine in writing.

6) I don't like being touched, and can't really express my emotions - people think I am cold and aloof, but in fact the emotion is there, I just can't express it. I do find it easier to show affection to my dog, however, and have a (probably weird) habit of speaking as if I were him...my dog's name is Jip, so I'll often say: 'Jip says X'

7) I have some things that I really love doing - playing the piano and reading German books and doing German translations.

 

Apologies for going on at length, but any advice would be much appreciated. I may be panicking because I've read too much about Asperger's - I've always thought that I was just a bit awkward. However, I got a score of 42 on the online test, so I thought I'd write this note, because obviously people in this forum are the most likely to know about this condition in detail.

 

Thanks for reading if you made it thus far!

 

All comments welcome!

 

[zenemu]

Hi Tails1989,

 

It does sound like you have some ASD traits, but to be honest it isn't something that can be diagnosed that easily. You need to approach your Doctor about your concerns with a view to getting a refferal to a Psychiatrist for an assessment.

 

Good Luck

 

Zen

[Tally]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

 

Asperger's does sound like a possibility, but it's obviously impossible for anyone to tell over the internet

 

The best approach for now might be to learn a bit more about Asperger's and see if it still makes sense. If it does, then you could think about trying to get a diagnosis.

[tails1989]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

 

Asperger's does sound like a possibility, but it's obviously impossible for anyone to tell over the internet

 

The best approach for now might be to learn a bit more about Asperger's and see if it still makes sense. If it does, then you could think about trying to get a diagnosis.

 

Thanks very much for the responses. Although I am still confused and far from certain as to whether I fit all the Asperger's criteria, I think that there are definitely things I have read about that I strongly identify with. Might I inquire, therefore, about the process for getting a diagnosis and what exactly the tests and screenings involve?

 

Many thanks for your help,

 

Tails

 

 

[Tally]

No one is going to have every symptom. I certainly do not. What you need to look at is the diagnostic criteria, and whether you think you meet that.