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Asperger's Syndrome?

37K views 172 replies 99 participants last post by  JezZar 
#1 ·
Is it possible that many of us might have this?

It is a form of autism and deals directly with social behavior or something to that extent. I think I might have it.

Impaired social reactions are a key component of Asperger's syndrome. People who suffer from this condition find it difficult to develop meaningful relationships with their peers. They struggle to understand the subtleties of communicating through eye contact, body language, or facial expressions and seldom show affection towards others. They are often accused of being disrespectful and rude, since they find they can’t comprehend expectations of appropriate social behavior and are often unable to determine the feelings of those around them. People suffering from Asperger's syndrome can be said to lack both social and emotional reciprocity.

Although Asperger's syndrome is related to autism, people who suffer from this condition do not have other developmental delays. They have normal to above average intelligence and fail to meet the diagnostic criteria for any other pervasive developmental disorder. In fact, people with Asperger's syndrome often show intense focus, highly logical thinking, and exceptional abilities in math or science.

There is no cure for Asperger's syndrome, but cognitive behavioral therapy, specialized speech therapy and counseling can help alleviate many of the condition’s more troubling symptoms. If they learn to develop the appropriate coping mechanisms, people with Asperger's syndrome are quite capable of getting married, having children, becoming gainfully employed, and leading independent lives.
 
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#4 ·
I scored 61 of 200 which is about usual for me on these tests.
 
#6 ·
Is it possible that many of us might have this?
To be frank yes. There will be some members here who have undiagnosed ASD. But the majority won't.

There is another questionnaire (the AQ) here developed by researchers in Cambridge.

Scoring at or above 26 means a person has a significant number of autistic traits. This isn't diagnostic but used to provide an indication as to whether a referral might be required. 80% of those diagnosed Asperger's/HFA scored 32 or above while only 2% of the control group did. People diagnosed with SAD or OCD scored higher than controls overall but lower than Asperger's/HFA overall.
 
#72 ·
To be frank, yes. There will definitely be a number of members here who have undiagnosed AS/autism. The majority, however, will not.

There is another questionnaire (the AQ) here, developed by researchers in Cambridge.

Scoring at or above 26 means a person has a significant number of autistic traits. This is not diagnostic, however, but used to provide an indication as to whether a referral might be required. 80% of those diagnosed AS/HFA scored 32 or above, while only 2% of the control group did. People diagnosed with SA or OCD scored higher than controls overall, but lower than AS/HFA overall.
I scored 31
 
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#12 ·
^ There will be a very large area of overlap on that so like most of the traits it must be considered in its wider situation. But I was told during my assessment with the ADOS (a diagnostic instrument for autism) that not being upset about my solitude as a young child in the playground can be associated with autism.



The social domain produces inevitable overlap with SAD. Social discomfort and difficulty are part of the core social domain of autism so there's not much getting around that. But the Asperger's/HFA group still scored significantly higher than the SAD group on the social interaction factor. The AQ also includes questions in other domains of autism, reducing the overlap with SAD. The study that included those with SAD and OCD found none in these groups scored above a certain point but 50% of the ASC group did and there was a significant group difference.

On an individual level there's no guarantee a high AQ score means being diagnosable with autism. It was designed largely to provide an indication for general practitioners as to whether a referral might be warranted.
 
#11 ·
There is generally a key difference between people with SA and people with Asperger's. People with SA tend to desire social contact but, obviously, feel really anxious about it. Social phobics want to treat their problem because they don't really like the isolation they're enduring.

Aspies, on the other hand, tend to prefer the isolation. Half the time they aren't even really socially anxious... they can be very outgoing and talk your ear off about something that happens to interest them. They just have a hard time realizing when nobody cares.

So I guess the major question is... are you on a board dealing with social anxiety because social interaction is something you genuinely want, or does it only matter to you insofar as it gives you a sense of normalcy?
 
#21 ·
people with autism do want friends



I had to address this quote as I am a special education teacher and work with students who are diagnosed with autism. These students DO WANT TO HAVE FRIENDS. They just can't understand why people are upset with them. I think dealing with bullying and rejection probably has turned adults with autism and asperger's off to attempting social interactions because they can go so wrong. People need to try to develop more awareness. I have noticed when I work with these kids I need to spell everything out literally. I tell them that what they are saying is hurting someone's feelings. I then explain why. I notice that they didn't mean to do this and they don't want the person to be mad at them. They just don't have social awareness. They need people to be literal and direct with them.
 
#13 ·
Your Aspie score: 57 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 137 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical



That's a neat quiz. I was actually diagnosed with AS when I was younger, but I personally don't feel that I fit into the criteria at all. On that AQ test I scored "less autistic than average" (can't remember my exact score though), and on other Asperger's Syndrome tests I always score non-autistic. I was never really "treated" or "conditioned" to "grow out of it", so I personally think it was just a misdiagnosis. When I look back on how I used to behave as a child, I don't think I really fit the criteria then either. It's not like I just "grew out of it", I don't think I really had it in the first place.
 
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#14 ·
I have taken both of these tests (the one that Banzai referenced, and the one that odd_one_out referenced); I scored 171/200 on the first, and 39 on the second. These scores seem fairly high.

It is quite probable, though, that the fact that I'm so acutely, insistently introverted led to these high scores. I have only had limited experience with mental health professionals (and they refused to give me any official diagnoses, when I asked, which really confused and hurt me), and it seems their assessment was that I was anxious (socially in particular, but also generally), avoidant and depressed (based on the medications prescribed). No mention was ever made of Asperger's.
 
#17 ·
The experience you've had with the mental health system is pretty typical. Even if autistic traits are apparent it's common for them to not recognise them for what they are and not make a referral. Many are poor at communicating with the patient about diagnoses and treatments.

Most mental health workers are inadequately informed about autism and this includes psychiatrists. People will accumulate many diagnoses or treatments, often inaccurate or wrong, before they're able to get assessed for autism for which they usually have to fight.

I went through various levels of mental health services and no one ever mentioned autism. When I discovered it I ended the inappropriate (and harmful) therapy I'd been receiving and consulted my doctor who then fought hard to get me assessed (because provision for adults is terrible).

For adults it's tough to obtain a proper assessment and can cost hundreds. Many were already adults when Asperger's was first included in the DSM (I was about 16). For those seeking an assessment it's advisable they consult a specialist in who's experienced in diagnosing adults. General mental health professionals are usually not qualified to make such a diagnosis.
 
#15 ·
I'm considered on the spectrum. A big difference is that i sometimes don't recognize emotions (like I don't know if someone's joking or not). It's difficult to live with. Also, physical awkwardness is typical.
 
#20 ·
I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome about three weeks ago, this has forced me to reconsider my objectives when it comes to social anxiety. As there is no treatment to make someone 'not autistic' or 'neurotypical' my therapists have agreed with me that a more realistic goal is for me to accept who I am as an autistic person.

Some people here may suffer from autism and be undiagnosed, however it is likely that the majority suffer from social anxiety and are not autistic. Impaired social ability is a major component of Aspergers, but there are other symptoms and characteristics with which some people here will not identify.

If you feel you have Aspergers then you could mention it to your doctor, however it is not something to be wanting, because basically what it means for me is that I will always have this alienating feeling regardless of drugs or therapy. The most I can do is come to accept that and to accept myself for who I am.
 
#22 ·
Don't feel bad about it



You sound pretty down about it but it doesn't have to be a terrible thing.
There are some pretty talented people with asperger's: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_on_the_autism_spectrum

You can still do many things. Asperger's also can give you some gifts like a super focus. Also many computer programmers have it.

You are right about learning to accept yourself though.
 
#29 ·
Your Aspie score: 100 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 98 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits




I guess I'm in the middle? It doesn't surprise me...
 
#31 ·
126 out of 100 - Very likely, apparently.

Hmm, I am was going to book an appointment with my GP regarding my anxiety and if there are any drugs/treatments he can perscribe. I may take the oppertunity to ask him about this as well.

Personally I don't feel obliged to seriously consider these kind of things based off such a questionaire. The questions themselves lead you into making a positive diagnosis because they make you dredge up any particular instance in which you seemed to behave as they describe.

It so happens that my mother suggested I might suffer from this condition, but I have never been convinced. For one thing, my problem seems to be that I read too much into social situations rather than me not being able to read them. Hardly the sort of behaviour you would expect of someone who is supposed to be autistic.
 
#32 ·
^ There are many abstracts to access. Here are a couple showing SAD has some association with subtle difficulties reading facial expressions and intentions.

Recognition of Facial Affect by Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Social Phobia (2001)
Susan J. Simonian , Deborah C. Beidel, Samuel M. Turner, Jennifer L. Berkes and Jonathan H. Long

Abstract This study compared the ability of children with social phobia and children with no psychiatric disorder to accurately judge facial affect. Fifteen children and adolescents with social phobia and 14 control children were asked to identify emotions depicted in slides from the Pictures of Facial Affect. In addition, they rated their level of anxiety on a pictorial Likert scale prior to and upon completion of the facial recognition task. The results indicated that children with social phobia had significantly poorer facial affect recognition skills than normal controls and reported greater anxiety upon completion of the recognition task. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between groups in the number of errors based on the type of facial affect. Post-hoc analysis indicated that deficits were most pronounced for facial representations of happiness, sadness, and disgust. The results are discussed in relation to an integrated model of social skills training that includes facial affect recognition training as a integral component in treatment programs for children and adolescents with social phobia. Directions for future research with larger samples of more ethnically diverse children and adolescents are presented.

Social-Cognitive Factors in Childhood Social Anxiety: A Preliminary Investigation (2001)

Robin Banerjee &
Lynne Henderson

The present study addresses the social cognition of socially anxious children, with particular emphasis on their ability to understand others' mental states in interpersonal situations. The heterogeneous sample used in this preliminary investigation consisted of 63 primary school children in England and the USA. The English children were from a mainstream classroom of 8- to 9-year-olds, while the children from the USA ranged in age from 6 to 11 years and had been selected by school district officials for a variety of social interaction difficulties. All children completed measures of social anxiety, shy negative affect, and various social-cognitive abilities, and teacher ratings of social skills were additionally available for the USA subgroup. Results showed that feelings of social anxiety are not associated with any basic deficit in the understanding of recursive mental states which concern facts about the physical world. However, there was evidence that socially anxious children-particularly those with high levels of shy negative affect-do experience specific social-cognitive difficulties in understanding the links between emotions, intentions, and beliefs in social situations. Providing further support for this link, socially anxious children were rated by their teachers as poorer than non-anxious children only on social skills that require insight into others' mental states. Directions for further examination of this complex interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in the development of social anxiety are discussed.
 
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#45 ·
I think maybe there are two types of SAers, some who are very very mildy on the autistic spectrum (or not so mildly) and another group who are hypersensitive to expressions etc. I know personally I look at eyes rather a lot...
SAD's a diverse condition and finding valid subgroups such as the ones you suggest would help determine more appropriate and better tailored treatments.
 
#34 ·
Just thought I'd add this, if it helps at all.

My psychiatrist referred me to a pediatric psychiatrist for a consult. We felt that Asperger's was very unlikely but he gave me an assessment scale to give to my parents to fill out based on when I was a young child. Although I get in Aspie territory in a lot of these online tests, my score on this scale was EXTREMELY low - clearly not an Aspie. It seems to be a more appropriate test, even if it's not one that can be fully answered by oneself.

I found the scale online if anybody is interested, here: http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aspergerscaleAttwood.html
 
#35 ·
Your Aspie score: 149 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 72 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

Doesn't surprise me; both my girls are Aspies. I very much enjoy the company of aspies or aspie-ish people too.
 
#38 ·
Here's mine.

Not sure what this means, besides being somewhat in the middle, but tilting towards Aspie. And far towards Aspie when it comes to social, compulsive and especially communication.

Your Aspie score: 128 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 84 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
Your MBTI type: ISTJ

 
#39 ·
.

Your Aspie score: 119 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 79 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie...I doubt it.
Your MBTI type: ISFJ... I usually get INFP or INFJ
 
#40 ·
In fact, people with Asperger's syndrome often show intense focus, highly logical thinking, and exceptional abilities in math or science.
Aye there are many abilities. I'm in science. I've a highly systemised thinking style. I've also been found to have (by a researcher) exceptionally high levels of focus and hypersensitive hearing. I also have artistic and other abilities and extreme attention to detail.

If they learn to develop the appropriate coping mechanisms, people with Asperger's syndrome are quite capable of getting married, having children, becoming gainfully employed, and leading independent lives.
I stretched my coping mechanisms to the maximum for all my adult life and was/am (it's also been noted by my doctors) resourceful and strong. But I'm very disabled by it and its lack of recognition in the society in which I (chuckle) live.

Using your categories ...

Marriage - I've never desired this but wouldn't marry if I wanted to due to the difficulties I have with relationships, processing emotions, and becoming easily dependent on partners for basic functioning in a childlike way.

Children - I can hardly cope with my own life let alone be responsible for another's even if I wished. I wouldn't be able to fulfill their emotional needs.

The above 2 don't really matter to me but the following 2 do.

Gainful employment - I'm usually employed well below my skill and qualification level. Interviewers don't like my demeanour. Colleagues and supervisors misunderstand me. I have to battle sensory and anxiety issues each day. Despite this I've had some adequate employment experiences which, combined with a lack of spending, were enough to financially support me comfortably. But I can't support the required functioning levels for extended periods and am currently more disabled after battling with some systems to get justice.

Independent life - I had this for a brief time but went into a decline, losing weight due to my anxiety, sensory issues, and executive dysfunction. My friend found me underweight and unable to take care of basic tasks adequately such as housework, taking meds, shopping and a host of others. My friend's taking on the role of carer. We've become intimate but my relative lack of independence leads me to feel trapped around her, affecting our relationship. My doctor's referred me to Social Services. I'm going to employ a personal assistant through them but this'll only be for a few hours a week, which isn't enough for an independent adult life.

Apparently I am pretty average for someone with Asperger's (including the effort it took to get diagnosed and in being continually refused help).
 
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