Aspergers - Adult Diagnosis

[Timara]

I came out with 45 on that one.  Having been diagnosed at 18 (half my lifetime ago), it's been both a blessing and a curse.  I don't like "labels" at the best of times, but that's how it goes!

 

I'll be honest when I say that I have found quite a few situations difficult, where most others would breeze through without much ado.

[HeeleyBridge]

I scored 36, though I'm sure that a few years ago I may have answered some of the questions differently. Maybe I'm just getting world weary ...

[melmoth]

I scored 17, and so did my imaginary friend.

 

Best of luck with the diagnostic process/assessments Ian, hopefully this in itself will be helpful and useful for you wherever it might lead.

[Ian J.]

It's worth repeating that I haven't had an assessment yet, so it might not actually come up as a positive diagnosis. I don't present some of the more well known symptoms like having a particular aptitude for playing a musical instrument or doing art or drawing or the like. For me it would be a more subtle form if it would be recognized as such at all. We'll see.

[PaulRhB]

Well from personal experience I've never found you to have a problem relating to others what's more wherever you score on the scale sharing it so people know is a good thing. Too many things are hidden because they are perceived as embarrassing due to social presumption and only make things worse.

Another close friend is going through some really bad times on a similar line and finally talking about it has helped not only them but others around them discovered to be suffering in silence. It's been a traumatic time this last year but after 20 years suffering quietly there's the starting of hope of actually getting somewhere.

Aspergers is quite different to not suffering fools, that's as common in any person, so be careful of comparisons as what Ian is talking about is quite different

All these 'titled' conditions are just extremes of traits we all possess, it's just the extent we have them that varies with Aspergers, Autusim and many others. Unfortunately society often classes them with lazy stereotypes that further push people suffering from standing up to ask for help.

Edited April 21, 2016 by PaulRhB

[laurenceb]

40! The more I learn about Asbergers/Autism the more I think I fit symptoms, such as reluctance to make eye contact being obsessive about things and being anti social. Perhaps it is time to go further and try to get an assessment.

[phil-b259]

I scored 19 (Mrs the Dr Gerbil-Friiters, 'you would'... )

 

AQ test, developed by Ali G's father

 

of course, Ali G actually went to Haberdashers and then Cambridge, so I find his impressions of working class and ethnic folk offensive, racist and classist.

 

And now, back to the OP

 

Erm, the whole point of 'Ali G' (Sacha Baron Cohen) was to take the piss out of young middle class youngsters from relatively affluent places in the UK (like Stanes),  who for some reason decided it was 'cool' to dress, act as though they lived in the Bronx. As such its one white upper middle class broke taking the mickey out of his compatriots - not the working class as such.

 

However to return to the topic in hand, I scored 38  - which isn't a surprise to me.

Edited April 21, 2016 by phil-b259

[station cat]

I scored 30 which didn't surprise me - I do have some very strong Aspergers/Autism traits. Good luck to those awaiting diagnoses.

[Waveydavey]

43 for me. Not a big surprise to be honest.

[runs as required]

Ah!!

This is very close to home in our family

 

firstly:

Personally, I was certainly different from other ordinary kids and tended to make 'friends' with other loner kids who were not in the general run of ordinary lads in our neck of the woods.

My best friend was a couple of years older than me was totally persecuted in our mill village for what was clearly, looking back 'asbergers'; I was his 'protector' cos I was big and bulky. He went on to Oxford at 17, and as a Chemist became the youngest ever Fellow of Magdalen College. As retirees, we are still friends; still interested in railways.

 

secondly

My eldest grandson has been deemed to have 'asbergers' tendencies. Now at 15 he is a 'scholarship' boy at a posh school and is an outstanding Rugby player. I know I've been accused of handing on a genetic template.

 

thirdly

My wife had quite a bit of experience of Asbergers syndrom while training at the Tavistock clinic in London; 30 odd years later she still has a number of clients who feel they live with the stigmatising label 'having asbergers tendencies'. So often they are otherwise thought as 'creative'.

She also does a lot of supervision work of people working in the various agencies dealing with social, health and welfare issues here in the north east. These days there are procedural/administrative 'benefits' of getting one's child diagnosed as 'Autistic' in deprived places such as the former coalfield settlements and Teeside - which is one reason why there has been such a escalation of the the condition.

 

I suspect that your Jobcentre 'near miss' may have to do with this last point about benefit qualification borderlines.

 

dh

 

Edit

I seem to now be 'dislectic' - this post absolutely refuses to be formatted out of italic

Edited April 21, 2016 by runs as required

[Ian J.]

Re the Autism Spectrum, everybody's on it based on what I've read. It's where you are on the curve that matters. A 'score' of 16/17 seems to be the middle of the the 'hill' or 'bell', while 0 would be on the 'left' in the social area, and 50 or higher would be on the 'right' in what we think of as the Autistic end. Aspergers appears to be a somewhat fuzzy area between 30 or so and 50. The online tests are only a basic guide though, and might not be accurate to an ASD. They do suggest that anyone in the 30 to 50 area would be advised to ask for or get some kind of formal assessment.

[Ian J.]

Re the italics, it might be something to do with 'station cat's' signature having incorrect HTML formatting for some reason.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Ian J.

[Mallard60022]

What a fascinating 'discussion'. In recent years and also due to many different circumstances, some of which have been very unpleasant, I have become aware of various 'interesting' changes in my character and 'wellness' (apologies for that rather cliched term).

I have had some 'support' with dealing with some of these changes, more on the mental health side of things. However, something I have carried with me for a while now is something an excellent 'supporter' shared with me. It is basically the fact the everyone is 'on the spectrum', but most of us manage it almost totally most of the time. There are a few of us that can't manage  'things' quite so well, either some of the time or all of the time. So, the great news is Ian, that you are just normal mate. However, you may need a little advice on developing and using strategies to get you through certain situations.

All the very best and thank you for recognising that this is something worth talking about.

Phil

Edited April 21, 2016 by Mallard60022

[rab]

35, interesting!

['CHARD]

There are a few of us that can't manage  'things' quite so well, either some of the time or all of the time. 

 

 

How true this is.  

 

 

I've been told it's bi-polar disorder.  I just put it down to the vagaries of life.

[Andy Y]

Re the italics, it might be something to do with 'station cat's' signature having incorrect HTML formatting for some reason.

 

Fixed; you were right.

[Suzie]

40, so I don't win the loco :-(

 

I do know a few complete airheads who would score close to zero. I sometimes wonder what hell their lives must be with no interests other than what everyone else is thinking, and can never understand why they are acclaimed as superior members of society. Clearly higher on the score makes for much more interesting people that I could actually have a conversation with.

 

I just wonder why all those low scoring people think they are normal, when clearly they are not because normal people are just like me, and the vast majority of us interesting modellers.

 

A few years of experience means that I am able to plan short conversations with the zeros, most social interaction can be coped with by learning and applying coping strategies. I don't really see what the point of a diagnosis is really unless someone is being victimised - it really is not going to tell you anything you did not already know!

[28XX]

26. On the cusp.

[leopardml2341]

I'm not sure how many people on here, or in general, would freely admit to it, but from my own observations you have plenty of people for company, possibly the majority of whom have not sought or been given definitive diagnosis. I can immediately think of five individuals that I deal with on a pretty much daily basis.

 

 

EDIT to note that my AQ test result, following the link in post 4 below, is 14; I have just become more aware how to read the signs over the past few years. And does it matter? Not one JOT.

I've done this test before, and scored quite highly, just did it again and my result was within 2 points, guess I'm one of the 5 then, 'Chard

 

Edit, forgot to add mi score(s) 32 & 34 resp.

Edited April 21, 2016 by leopardml2341

[BG John]

Re the Autism Spectrum, everybody's on it based on what I've read. It's where you are on the curve that matters.

I'm not so sure about that. Certainly everyone in the world is different to everyone else, and we're all made up of a combination of different characteristics, each of which could be at a different point on a scale, but I think there are arguments that's a different spectrum to the autism spectrum. I think the "everybody's on the spectrum" argument can be used to rubbish the idea that some people are born different. Autism is genetic, and leads to parts of the brain being hard wired differently. In theory, I think a brain scan could pick out the differences, but no way of testing has been devised yet, so we're stuck with box ticking and scoring tests that get changed every so often, so someone may get a diagnosis under one system, but not under a later version of it.

[leopardml2341]

I'm not so sure about that. Certainly everyone in the world is different to everyone else, and we're all made up of a combination of different characteristics, each of which could be at a different point on a scale, but I think there are arguments that's a different spectrum to the autism spectrum. I think the "everybody's on the spectrum" argument can be used to rubbish the idea that some people are born different. Autism is genetic, and leads to parts of the brain being hard wired differently. In theory, I think a brain scan could pick out the differences, but no way of testing has been devised yet, so we're stuck with box ticking and scoring tests that get changed every so often, so someone may get a diagnosis under one system, but not under a later version of it.

My take on it is that if it isn't supported by proven biophysics then it has to be opinion; but I guess that undetlines, or is caused by, the same brain function that gives me my AQ test score a couple of posts ago. Hey ho!

Edited April 21, 2016 by leopardml2341

[BG John]

A few years of experience means that I am able to plan short conversations with the zeros, most social interaction can be coped with by learning and applying coping strategies. I don't really see what the point of a diagnosis is really unless someone is being victimised - it really is not going to tell you anything you did not already know!

The point at which someone is being victimised, or experiences other problems, is too late for a diagnosis. It can take several years to get one, depending on where you live, and the attitude of your GP, or other health professionals, who are able to refer you for an assessment.

 

It seems that many undiagnosed Aspies spend many years putting on an act of normality, and eventually get exhausted by it. If they'd been diagnosed years before, they could have adapted long before things start to fall apart, and probably had more successful and satisfying lives. And got more modelling done!

[Ian J.]

I'm not so sure about that. Certainly everyone in the world is different to everyone else, and we're all made up of a combination of different characteristics, each of which could be at a different point on a scale, but I think there are arguments that's a different spectrum to the autism spectrum. I think the "everybody's on the spectrum" argument can be used to rubbish the idea that some people are born different. Autism is genetic, and leads to parts of the brain being hard wired differently. In theory, I think a brain scan could pick out the differences, but no way of testing has been devised yet, so we're stuck with box ticking and scoring tests that get changed every so often, so someone may get a diagnosis under one system, but not under a later version of it.

 

ASD diagnoses seem to be something of a movable feast, I agree. I think that's because it's hard to know precisely what causes the autistic side of things. My comment re everyone being on the spectrum was intended to highlight that the spectrum itself seems to be getting a bit of redefining, such that the presence or absence of genes or whether certain genes are switched on or off might be contributory to which side of the majority 'centre' a person might be.

[108]

37 here and I can't say I'm surprised.

 

Carry on!

[griffgriff]

Well from personal experience I've never found you to have a problem relating to others what's more wherever you score on the scale sharing it so people know is a good thing. Too many things are hidden because they are perceived as embarrassing due to social presumption and only make things worse.

Another close friend is going through some really bad times on a similar line and finally talking about it has helped not only them but others around them discovered to be suffering in silence. It's been a traumatic time this last year but after 20 years suffering quietly there's the starting of hope of actually getting somewhere.

Aspergers is quite different to not suffering fools, that's as common in any person, so be careful of comparisons as what Ian is talking about is quite different

All these 'titled' conditions are just extremes of traits we all possess, it's just the extent we have them that varies with Aspergers, Autusim and many others. Unfortunately society often classes them with lazy stereotypes that further push people suffering from standing up to ask for help.

I agree. I was a little concerned by the recent film produced by the National Autistic Society as I felt it might have reinforced the stereotype and ignored the fact that those with ASD can be and are very capable and productive people.

 

Griff