Identifying yourself as an Aspie?

[2squared]

As I watch my high-functioning Aspie grow and mature, I'm wondering if perhaps he is a chip off the ol' block - my block. How could I go about identifying whether I am an Aspie or not? My life seems very normal to me, but maybe other people operate in a different dimension of normal???

 

I'm not looking to spend any money or anything, I'm just pondering and wondering.

Edited August 19, 2011 by 2squared

[Orthodox6]

Borrow or buy one of the books by Dr. Tony Attwood. We bought/read some of his work in order to understand our Asperger's ds better. The more we learned, the more clearly it emerged that both I and my brother have this condition.

[Guest momk2000]

I have often questioned this in myself as I observe dd, and learn more about PDD.

[Perry]

As I watch my high-functioning Aspie grow and mature, I'm wondering if perhaps he is a chip off the ol' block - my block. How could I go about identifying whether I am an Aspie or not? My life seems very normal to me, but maybe other people opperate in a different dimension of normal???

I've often wondered the same thing.

[bzymom]

I've wondered myself. The more I read, the more convinced I've become that I have some distinctly Aspie traits.

 

It has actually helped me figure out a few things about my life to recognize this.

[2squared]

Well, at least I'm not the only one have self-discovery thoughts. Now I'm wondering how life looks for "regular" people. :)

[pdalley]

I think I would have been diagnosed as a child. Now I think I've learned enough ways to 'fake' my way through social conventions even though I don't understand the why. I just finished 'be different - Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian' by John Elder Robinson. He is an adult aspie and a lot of what he said about how he views the work makes sense to me.

 

There's no doubt in my mind our boys are Aspies because DH and I have a lot of traits.

[gardenmom5]

I finally got my son identified as having sensory processing disorder. the more I read, the more I saw myself. I'm in process of having him also checked for High functioning autism spectrum disorder. (I've been informed the term "asperger's" is being dropped in favor of ASD) there have definitely been ASD traits I've seen in myself and my family, some of my children, and members of my husbands family. His sister claims their brother was an aspie, and that her husband is one. (he certainly fits the stereotype.)

 

while an official diagnosis doesn't change life for an adult, having an unofficial serious suspicion allows for learning more about it and things we can do to make life easier. It certainly explains things.

[JennifersLost]

Just read everything on the subject you can find. It's so helpful to realize the "why's and wherefore's" of it all.

 

After doing a lot of research I realized that Aspergers is often the social equivalent of "math anxiety" or being a "slow reader". Everyone has areas they excel at and areas they struggle with. Aspies struggle with social cues. The good news is that you can learn social graces just like you can get help to learn to read.

 

Of course, some aspies, like some people with dyslexia, will struggle harder, and may never be on par with your average reader/social butterfly. Once they know why they struggle, however, they can take a logical approach to improving their abilities.

 

We watch Big Bang Theory together as a family and often refer to the characters' behavior to make point about what the kids could do better in their own lives. DH and I freely admit our similarities to those characters, as well.

[Ester Maria]

Being that this is largely an area of pseudo-science diagnosed by "checklists" rather than by searching for any material evidence of a differently wired brain (barring the most stringent professional evaluations), what you can do to "self-diagnose" is to simply search for those checklists online, there are at least several websites which claim to have more or less accurate tests.

 

For example, there is this test, which abreaks down your characteristics visually and tells you whether you are neurotypial, an Aspie, or somewhere in-between. Based on my results, however, I have serious doubts as to the reliability of that test, as it put me in the middle, and I am the most non-Aspie person I can think of - pretty much the negation of the concept (one of the most socially intelligent people that I know - in the society and subculture I come from, though; I not only do not have a monotonous voice, I have a singing intonation; I am very language savvy, including symbolism and cues, in my native language or even in my best foreign ones, and naturally so, not having "learned" it, etc.). I find that the questions are incredibly vague and superficial and that most people could respond either, depending on the circumstances. For example, "Do you dislike when people walk behind you?" The answer would be dependent on at least ten factors, such as weather, mood, type of street, in a known or unknown place, the time of the day, company or alone, irritability that day, etc. So how is one supposed to answer? And things like that.

 

For some people though these types of checklists might be helpful - I suppose that I obsess precision and scientificity too much to be happy with them.

[Alicia64]

I don't know a lot, but I think there's a real difference between male aspies and female aspies.

 

Dh is without a doubt an apie.

 

I think I have some of the female characteristics. I've read a ton on adult male aspies, but need to get some female books.

 

Alley

[Misty]

I definitely would have been diagnosed on the spectrum as a child. I was not only socially inept, but I also had repetitive movements, very narrow, obsessional interests, etc. I began reading very early and only began speaking when I began to read. I had no pragmatic language and wouldn't talk to anyone unless it was about horses. I have always had issues with nonverbal problem solving. And as I got older, could not hold a job or function properly in social situations.. Couldn't make eye contact till I was nearing 30 (and I still have trouble with most people). I have misinterpretted so many comments and conversations over the years.. I also have auditory processing issues.. I always thought I was just "slow" but then when my daughters were diagnosed with Asperger's, my life suddenly made sense. Now that I'm in my mid 30's, I have learned enough to be like most everyone else and I'm doing much better.. But I still prefer to not socialize much if I can help it. Socializing is HARD WORK! I'd rather scrub 50 toilets than go to a social event.. though I do enjoy some chit chat with other homeschool moms (especially those I know well) I can only handle it in small doses.