Hello.  I've been officially diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.  I'm not sure I actually have it, but I have.  I've also been diagnosed with AD-HD (which I definitely have) and Anxiety Disorder NOS (if never worrying about anything is an anxiety disorder, this is spot on.)

When I was diagnosed I naturally consumed every book on Asperger's that my parents bought, which was quite a few.  It was weird--I have some classic aspie traits, but there are others I don't have a trace of.  For example, I do tend to get obsessive about things, particularly when I was younger.  If you asked ten-twelve year old me what a Parasurolophus was you'd get an earful (it's a dinosaur, incidentally.  I've forgotten the rest.)  Now if you were to ask me about poetic metre... well, don't unless you have an interest in anapaests.

On the other hand I have near-perfect balance, an impeccable sense of direction (I spend much of my time wandering unfamiliar suburbs alone on roller skates), good motor skills both gross and fine (although my handwriting is appalling,) a good sense of rhythm and timing, good colour judgment, and at least a rudimentary ability to know when to talk and when to shut up in conversation.  Also I understand eye contact bothers some people but it has less affect on me than on most NTs.  I do stare sometimes but I'll recognise I must be bothering the other person.

My parents tell me I was very aspieish growing up--I started talking pretty much in complete sentences, acquired grammar very quickly and talked to adults exactly the same way I talked to kids.  I'm also informed that as a kid I was once given the assignment 'colour in all the things that start with D,' which I didn't want to do so I scribbled all over it and told the teacher 'D is for DARK and I'm DONE.'  This stroke of genius failed to get me out of the assignment so I sulked.  I still don't like it when people fail to appreciate my cleverness.

I have a feeling I'm rambling and hurting the chances of this actually being read, so I'll summarize the rest.  I love novels, I want to be a writer when I grow up.  I have no problem with the big picture, and any time I notice something that doesn't fit it it's because it stands out from the things around it.  I don't have any sensation-avoiding behaviors whatso--strike that, I don't like slimy food.  On the other hand I think a lot, rock back and forward, play with my hair a lot (bits of it end up everywhere) and focus so intently on one thing I ignore the world.  Then, I ignore the world by entering a completely non-distractible state, which is a very non-aspie trait.  I'm good with numbers but I don't like them, and I suck at remembering meaningless strings, but song lyrics lodge in my head like, um, something that lodges in your head.

Finally, I took some of you're aspie tests and they all say 'no you're not an aspie.'  So, assuming you care to read my tiny autobiography, do you think I am or not?  I'm really smart, maybe I'm just aping normal behavior well.

Welcome to the Forums Alias Pseudonym.

Why would a 'completely non-distractible state' be a non-aspie trait?

I've scored 160-185 on the aspie quiz. My sense of directions are also impeccable as is my balance.

I'm 42. How old are you?


Tomas

18.  On the aspie quiz I scored 65/200 aspie, 130/200 NT (you are probably NT) and in the diagnostic prediction thing I got 43 (your diagnosis is very likely wrong.)  Also I got 86 for AD-HD.

What I meant by non-distractible was that I can be pulled away from it and go right back--that's non-aspie, isn't it?

Maybe, I don't know. Autism is a spectrum of traits, some you may fit, some your wont. Maybe aspergers isn't quite right, maybe traits of autism may be be more on mark. It's a bit of an art, more than a science.

I love your writing, you're brilliant. Your writing is very relaxed, informal and off the cuff.

You definitely don't get any points for humility.

I think it is non-Aspie.  Personally, if you pull me away from my hyperfocused state, it is very hard for me to get back into it.

I think you may be "gifted ADHD" instead, and the Asperger could be wrong.

I can relate to the roller skating. In my case it was long solo bike rides where I would entirely map the valley out in my mind. There were very few places that I couldn't find, or didn't know about. This has helped me at work on service routes in my 20's.

I think that many kids go through the dinosaur stage. If you stay in that stage it might indicate more. For example, I collect things such as in my sig. First, coins, and now patterns and designs.

You sound somewhat autistic to me. Actually, you sound similar to myself in some ways - my "strongest" autistic trait is strong interests, I have only minor sensorimotor problems, and I don't have an especially hard time figuring out when to talk or interpreting facial expressions (although I suspect that I do it in a somewhat different way than a non-autistic would). There is no line between "autistic" and "non-autistic", only a large gray area. You could be "weakly autistic" (which is how I sometimes describe myself), or somewhere in that gray area. Those online quizzes aren't necessarily right.

It seems that either your ADHD messes up the online test results or you've been the 'victim' of a sort of 'fashion' among professionals to dx Asperger's if they don't know what to write down.

Even if - you're still welcome to write here.

What online test results?  IS there an online test?  I think you may know that my John hsa been officailly diagnoses (and properly) with ASD, (we disagree with the ADHD, OCD, anxiety ).  We had to have him diagnosed - even though we always knew he was in the spectrum- so the school could (be allowed/be forced) to treat him as an individual.  Problem was, we had to "tell" john because "they" thought that would help him, and we did think there was nothing to hide.  Knowing our son as we do, we knew he would not like to be labeled.  HE knows nothing about Aspergers, the same way he knows nothing about other topics of which he has no interest.  The problem is (I am sure you won't be surprised) he is resistant. We are working on (stealthily) bringing him around, so that HE can identify with being an aspie, not us identifying him as one.  DO you know what I mean.  This is tricky, he says "I think someone got their paperwork mixed up".
Maybe, if he took an online test, and he got the results on a computer screen, he would identify more.
By the way- John loves the abducted thread with the aliens, on this forum.  I let him look over my shoulder - he doesn't know what this forum is about (yet) and he now says "Those aspies are really interesting".  advice?

Sounds as if that piece of information could be delivered to your son on a neat deed.

I mean like a membership card

That's a really good idea Yigal.

Good to see you are posting.

hah... D is for DARK and i'm DONE.
Should of got a commendment. Nice.

i don't think aspies in general have a typicly bad sense of direction, varies through everyone AS or not.  But on the balance thing no Aspie male i have met can dance.  I tried... girls can though. (I think it's the limping thing in the left leg. gonna poll this.)