If you think you are an Aspie, do you think like this?

[2squared]

Do you love order?

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces?

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time?

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc?

 

More to come later...

[astrid]

Um, well, I never thought about myself being Aspie, but yes, I do like those sorts of things.......

 

gulp.

 

astrid

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I'm a borderline Aspie. I do tend to minimise trips around the house, and look for efficiency. However, I do not see disorder. As a child, my mom had to point out everything that needed cleaning in my room. It was fine by my standards. My kids are the same. As long as I know where everything is, I'm happy. No need for uncluttering.

[Parrothead]

The only thing I don't do is the even numbers thing. I'm not aspie, just very organized.

[Perry]

nm

[katilac]

No personal experience, but I've tutored a few Aspie kids, and they have all been very much on the messy side. Their Yu-gi-oh cards might be organized to the never never, but there's definitely no concern for a clean, uncluttered environment beyond that :D

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, my son is an Aspie, and he has some of those tendencies, but his therapist tells me that he also has OCD, which is where she seems to categorize the things you are talking about.

[angela in ohio]

Yep.

 

I feak out if things start to get cluttered (you wouldn't want to be at a restaurant table with me, I will micromanage where you put your dishes, because I can't eat unless the table is tidy. :D)

 

Not only do I like things to be even, but I have to do things an even number of times. So onion must be chopped into an even number of dices, I put four quarters in a parking meter that only needs three, etc.

 

The only thing that drives dh crazy is that the TV volume must be at a "good" number: 12, 18, 20, 24, 25. If he puts it on 22 or something like that, I have to change it.

 

My cabinets are organized by "zone," with everything labeled. Woe to the person who puts something back in the wrong spot. :D There is only one way to load the dishwasher, and it has to be done that way. If someone else comes over and they help with dishes, I can back off with effort, but it is emotionally draining.

 

Dh doesn't get it, but he puts up with me. :001_smile: Two dc are like me, but one isn't as much, so she just goes along to get along. Dh tells me I'm borderline autistic for this and other reasons (he works in special ed,) and a whole lot of ADHD, but I just call it a different personality type.

Edited August 22, 2011 by angela in ohio

[Chris in VA]

Not really, except for feeling more restful when there's a clean counter or table.

 

I think a lot of Aspies also have touches of OCD--like a PP said, those characteristics are more on that side.

[2squared]

Hmmmm....thanks for the responses so far.

 

So maybe I'm more OCD, but I'm not sure how much of what I do is driven by trying to stay sane while managing a family of 7.

 

I see patterns everywhere. I drive my dh crazy, but at least he just laughs at me now.

 

I see efficient processes so clearly, that I am truly amazed others can't see them. I know I was born to be a process engineer. :D

 

I struggle with natural small talk, and I am much more comfortable in my private space having conversations in my head.

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

My little Aspie is very organized, but perhaps that's a function of trying to keep his treasures safe and guarded while sharing a room with two younger sibs.

 

Feel free to jump in with your personality quirks. The more the merrier!

 

:lurk5:

[Mynyel]

Do you love order? Yes, who doesn't?

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces? Yes

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Yes, and I tell my kids the same. Isn't that just logical? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? No, I let my kids organize the drawers, however I am kinda like that with my own, but not fully. Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Definitely not, my kids put the dishes away. Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time? I don't think so.

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc? Yes, I also like it balanced. I will take out the eggs from the carton evenly on both sides. I always have. Weird I know but there it is!

 

More to come later...

 

Well there you have it. :)

[angela in ohio]

I see patterns everywhere. I drive my dh crazy, but at least he just laughs at me now.

 

I see efficient processes so clearly, that I am truly amazed others can't see them. I know I was born to be a process engineer. :D

 

I struggle with natural small talk, and I am much more comfortable in my private space having conversations in my head.

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

This is me.

[DarlaS]

I'm a borderline Aspie. I do tend to minimise trips around the house, and look for efficiency. However, I do not see disorder. As a child, my mom had to point out everything that needed cleaning in my room. It was fine by my standards. My kids are the same. As long as I know where everything is, I'm happy. No need for uncluttering.

 

:iagree: This sounds like me. I would love to be more organized, but it's not pressing for me. If I put something somewhere, I know where it is (because I put it somewhere that made sense to me). Even months later.

 

If I'm looking for something someone else put away, I get very frustrated.

[saraha]

Yep.

 

I feak out if things start to get cluttered (you wouldn't want to be at a restaurant table with me, I will micromanage where you put your dishes, because I can't eat unless the table is tidy. :D)

 

I thought I was the only one who did that! I even turn over printed placements so that the white side is showing. My husband just lets me do it :) Eating out with others is stressful for me, because I wouldn't dare reach over and "fix" their placesetting and placemat!

 

I too battle with the efficiency thing, which sounds good in theory, but in practice makes cleaning look haphazard to others. I will step over something that needs put away because it is not on my way. Then leave it there until I am going that way, even if it means stepping over it 4 times. Because for some reason it bothers me more to move around my house inefficiently than to just pick it up. Now I just stop a kid and ask them to pick it up, they don't have the hang ups that I do!

[Perry]

The only thing that drives dh crazy is that the TV volume must be at a "good" number: 12, 18, 20, 24, 25. If he puts it on 22 or something like that, I have to change it.

:lol:

I have the same problem with the temperature control in the car. The knob is set so that 75 degrees is at 12 o'clock on the dial. If I need to adjust it, it has to be at either 3 o'clock (85 degrees) or 9 o'clock (65 degrees). But then it either gets too cold or too hot quickly. I can make myself set it for 70 for a few minutes, but only if it's followed by setting it at 80 for balance later.

 

It's not about the temperature so much. It's about that stupid dial.

[Cera]

I do almost all of the things you have described but I don't think of myself as being aspie. I blame it on OCD (because there are lots of other little quirks, like my overwhelming desire to arrange everything based on right angles).

[BamaTanya]

I have two sons with Asperger's and neither is neat. One does get obsessive when his toys are out of line, however. Do NOT touch anything on his shelves!!! :glare:

 

For myself, I have a touch of OCD (checking stove, locks, etc) and I'm a little nutty about the number four. I do like things to be even, and Four makes that happen. Both ways. :D

 

I could set up organization systems all day every day. Seriously. But I cannot maintain them. I get bored/distracted.

 

OCD and ADHD? Maybe.

 

It's frustrating, isn't it?

[BamaTanya]

:lol:

I have the same problem with the temperature control in the car. The knob is set so that 75 degrees is at 12 o'clock on the dial. If I need to adjust it, it has to be at either 3 o'clock (85 degrees) or 9 o'clock (65 degrees). But then it either gets too cold or too hot quickly. I can make myself set it for 70 for a few minutes, but only if it's followed by setting it at 80 for balance later.

 

It's not about the temperature so much. It's about that stupid dial.

 

Oh, my. That dial would drive me nuts, too! :grouphug:

[BamaTanya]

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

 

 

:lurk5:

 

I can relate to that! I remember when I taught first and second grades -- I could not concentrate when they were wiggling. The noise and activity didn't bother me most of the time, but when I was instructing, I needed them to be STILL!

 

I remember one class that loved books so much. I mean that whole class would sit on the rug around me and beg for "just one more chapter" until the book was finished. :D

 

And other classes that I could hardly read one page to because they could not be still!

 

And then I went and had 2 dss with autism . . . Lol. Isn't life funny!

[AuntPol]

I'm like that only my house doesn't show it. I spend more time thinking about how to streamline it than doing it. I also have to clean in a certain order and if something is making a barrier to my next step, I can't skip. I am like a robot that keeps walking into the wall.

[Parrothead]

:lol:

I have the same problem with the temperature control in the car. The knob is set so that 75 degrees is at 12 o'clock on the dial. If I need to adjust it, it has to be at either 3 o'clock (85 degrees) or 9 o'clock (65 degrees). But then it either gets too cold or too hot quickly. I can make myself set it for 70 for a few minutes, but only if it's followed by setting it at 80 for balance later.

 

It's not about the temperature so much. It's about that stupid dial.

Go buy a digital thermostat. Replace that stupid dial. :D

[Parrothead]

Does anyone else make sure towels are folded right side out?

[Sara in AZ]

We think my MIL is an undiagnosed aspie and all of your descriptions fit her exactly. I always stress out about how picked up the house is when they are coming over because she will immediately start picking things up off the floor. Even when I have worked really hard to clean up and the floor looks spotless she will still find the one tiny thing I missed in the corner.

 

And about things being even....holy cow. I never put that together as an aspie trait. But I remember my first Thanksgiving with that family, just dh and I and his parents, and she took out the pumpkin pie, cut it in fourths, and served us each a fourth. So it would be even.

[Zebra]

AS has a lot to do with not understanding other people, social cues, empathy, etc. The thing I always think of it close talkers. Not that every close talker has AS, but it's not recognizing the social spaces of others. Also, someone with AS might just end a conversation and walk away....not with the usual, "Oh, okay see you" but just abruptly leave. You are left thinking they are rude, but they are just done with the conversation, in a very clinical way. And, if they have something they really want to talk about(and most people with AS have a "topic"), they might keep changing the topic back to what they are interested in. Not even like, "Oh, that reminds me of MY interest." More like, you say, "I had tuna for dinner last night." And someone with AS might reply, "There are 413 kinds of worms."

 

I think what you're describing is a little more on the OCD side. Which, some people with AS have too. I don't have AS, but I can lean a little OCD at times myself!

[Sputterduck]

Hmmmm....thanks for the responses so far.

 

So maybe I'm more OCD, but I'm not sure how much of what I do is driven by trying to stay sane while managing a family of 7.

 

I see patterns everywhere. I drive my dh crazy, but at least he just laughs at me now.

 

I see efficient processes so clearly, that I am truly amazed others can't see them. I know I was born to be a process engineer. :D

 

I struggle with natural small talk, and I am much more comfortable in my private space having conversations in my head.

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

My little Aspie is very organized, but perhaps that's a function of trying to keep his treasures safe and guarded while sharing a room with two younger sibs.

 

Feel free to jump in with your personality quirks. The more the merrier!

 

:lurk5:

 

That describes me to a T, but I'm not an Aspie. I am the child of someone with OCD, though.

 

I do weird things though like sit in a waiting room and I'll know very quickly how many different types of leaves there are on the fake tree in the corner. Most people see a fake tree and leave it at that. I know that fake trees have several sets of many identical leaves. I can tell you how many patterns they used just after I've sat down near it.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Sputterduck

[KungFuPanda]

Do you love order?

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces?

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time?

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc?

 

More to come later...

 

I love that stuff, except for cutting in even numbers, but I don't rearrange my life to keep things in order all the time. I'd rather have things neat and efficient, but don't fixate on it because I have too many other things on my mind.

 

That said, I think if I had a large family I'd be forced to focus more on this stuff just to make sure everyone gets taken care of and the house is livable. There just aren't enough hours in the day. What you're describing sounds more like 'busy mom stuff' to me than a disability.

[butterfly113]

I struggle with natural small talk, and I am much more comfortable in my private space having conversations in my head. :lol: Are you a fly on the wall over here?!? :lol:

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion,

yet more so when I am feeling really overwhelmed.

Great thread!

[QueenCat]

Sounds more like OCD than Aspergers. The following includes the diagnostic description of Asperger Syndrome.

 

What is Asperger Syndrome?

 

by Dr. Tony Attwood

 

Dr Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician, originally described Asperger’s Syndrome in 1944. The syndrome has more recently been classified as an autistic spectrum disorder. Children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome have an intellectual capacity within the normal range, but have a distinct profile of abilities that has been apparent since early childhood. The profile of abilities includes the following characteristics:

 

 

 

• A qualitative impairment in social interaction:
  
  • Failure to develop friendships that are appropriate to the child’s developmental level.
    
  • Impaired use of non-verbal behaviour such as eye gaze, facial expression and body language to regulate a social interaction.
    
  • Lack of social and emotional reciprocity and empathy.
    
  • Impaired ability to identify social cues and conventions.
    

   

  [*]A qualitative impairment in subtle communication skills:

  • Fluent speech but difficulties with conversation skills and a tendency to be pedantic, have an unusual prosody and to make a literal interpretation.
    

   

  [*]Restrictive Interests:

  • The development of special interests that is unusual in their intensity and focus.
    
  • Preference for routine and consistency.
    

   

 

The disorder can also include motor clumsiness and problems with handwriting and being hypersensitive to specific auditory and tactile experiences. There can also be problems with organisational and time management skills and explaining thoughts and ideas using speech. The exact prevalence rates have yet to be determined, but research suggests that it may be as common as one in 250. The aetiology is probably due to factors that affect brain development and not due to emotional deprivation or other psychogenic factors.

The characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome described above are based on the diagnostic criteria and current research and have also been modified as a result of my extensive clinical experience. I would like to provide a personalised description of Asperger’s Syndrome that also incorporates the person’s qualities as well as their difficulties.

 

From my clinical experience I consider that children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome have a different, not defective, way of thinking. The person usually has a strong desire to seek knowledge, truth and perfection with a different set of priorities than would be expected with other people. There is also a different perception of situations and sensory experiences. The overriding priority may be to solve a problem rather than satisfy the social or emotional needs of others. The person values being creative rather than co-operative. The person with Asperger’s syndrome may perceive errors that are not apparent to others, giving considerable attention to detail, rather than noticing the ‘big picture’. The person is usually renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and having a strong sense of social justice. The person may actively seek and enjoy solitude, be a loyal friend and have a distinct sense of humour. However, the person with Asperger’s Syndrome can have difficulty with the management and expression of emotions. Children and adults with Asperger’s syndrome may have levels of anxiety, sadness or anger that indicate a secondary mood disorder. There may also be problems expressing the degree of love and affection expected by others. Fortunately, we now have successful psychological treatment programs to help manage and express emotions.

 

Copyright © 2005 Tony Attwood

[deacongirl]

I wouldn't neccessarrily say those are behaviours caused by ASD--I agree with others that it is more of an OCD thing--or just a within the bounds of normal variant if OCD was a spectrum disorder (maybe it is?). I do know there can be a relationship between OCD-type behaviour and ADHD. From my experience it is a coping mechanism. I know how easily distracted I am, and how difficult it is for me to stay organized, therefore I make more of an effort to keep things uncluttered and organized. I probably also have a more than usual desire for things to be even and symmetrical. My family gives me a hard time about the tuppperware cabinet and the fridge, for example. But I don't believe it has anything to do with ASD. (And having worked with kids on the spectrum what I observed in my experience supports this.)

 

re: link b/t ADHD and OCD--worth listening to. Worth listening to for the OP, I think...

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201101/is-it-adhd-or-ocd-or-both

[butterfly113]

Does anyone else make sure towels are folded right side out?

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! :lol: You just had to go there, huh?! :lol:

[piraterose]

Considering aspies tend to be collectors, I really cannot see persons with Aspergers liking being minimalists.

 

I don't think of this as a trait of Aspergers, I agree with the OCD. That being said organization might be a result of Repetitive routines or rituals - an Aspie trait.

 

Here are traits of Aspergers (BTW - I have self diagnosed myself as an aspie). I think because Aspergers was not a diagnosis available when I was a child, I was just considered quirky and self taught a lot of coping skills.

 

http://www.help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_4a3112c8/wp_4a3112c8.html

 

Personal / Physical

Repetitive routines or rituals

Can engage in tasks (sometimes mudane ones) for hours and hours

Flat, or blank expression much of the time

Doesn't always recognize faces right away (even close loved ones)

Strong sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell (e.g. fabrics—won’t wear certain things, fluorescent lights)

Sensitivity to the texture of foods

Eccentric personality

Idiosyncratic attachment to inanimate objects

Being "in their own world" / Preoccupied with their own agenda

Highly gifted in one or more areas, e.g. math, music, etc

Single-mindedness

Likes and dislikes can be very rigid

Can spend hours in the library researching, loves learning and information

May have difficulty staying in college despite a high level of intelligence

Limited interests / Intense focus on one or two subjects

Unusual preoccupations

Collects things

Early in life they often have a speech impediment

Clumsiness / Uncoordinated motor movements

Speech and language peculiarities / hyperlexia

Non-verbal communication problems: difficulty reading body language, facial expression and tone

Word repetition (they may frequently repeat what you've just said)

Excellent rote memory

 

Social Interactions

Desire for friendships and social contact but difficulty acquiring and maintaining them

Shuts down in social situations

Social withdrawal / may avoid social gatherings

Lack of interest in other people

Lack of empathy at times

Difficulty understanding others’ feelings

Can obsess about having friends to prove they’re “normal”

Rigid social behavior due to an inability to spontaneously adapt to variations in social situations

Has an urge to inform that can result in being blunt / insulting

Preoccupied with their own agenda

Great difficulty with small-talk and chatter

 

Something that wasn't really brought up on that site, but can be an important sign is the use of stims: Stims (self-stimulatory behavior serving to reduce anxiety, stress, or to express pleasure). This was something that stood out for me as a child, though I've learn to keep it in control most of the time.

Edited August 22, 2011 by piraterose

[gardenmom5]

Do you love order?

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces?

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time?

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc?

 

More to come later...

 

sounds good to me. I've somehow gotten past the ridigity of "these are the rules and it must be done that way" etc. or the world would end if something was changed. (that is actually quite different from 'my way or the highway' attitudes)

[Night Elf]

I don't know about me, but ds15 has Aspergers. I'll answer from his point of view.

 

Do you love order? Only in some things. His video game collection and gaming magazines are in order, but the rest of his room is generally messy.

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces? No, he doesn't care about clutter.

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time? No, nothing is looked at for efficiency. In fact, some things he does seems highly inefficient, but he does things the way they feel "right".

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc? No, this is more an OCD thing, which OCD can be comorbid with Aspergers. Both of my dds have some OCD things and even numbers are important to them. Symmetry is important to them as well, but ds doesn't care about that at all.

 

More to come later...

 

Like I said, OCD and Aspergers can be comorbid. Ds and I share the same type of OCD, it's all thought related. We don't have the compulsion part that requires us to do something a certain number of times. Instead, our thoughts can become obsessive, affecting us emotionally. One of the issues that ds has is in worrying that something wasn't done 'right'. For example, if he's playing a game and he guided his character to the right and explored rooms, opened doors, or fights enemies, he begins to obsess over whether or not he should have turned left first. The thoughts become so pervasive thta he has to erase the entire game file and start again.

[laundrycrisis]

I see efficient processes so clearly, that I am truly amazed others can't see them. I know I was born to be a process engineer. :D

 

I struggle with natural small talk, and I am much more comfortable in my private space having conversations in my head.

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

 

Me too with all of these. I have sensory issues to noise and motion. I despise small talk and have no patience for it. I also have to make an effort to ignore how others do certain things when the efficiency or cleanliness could so easily be improved. I cannot tolerate things being done differently in our home if it involves garbage, dishes or laundry so I will not accept any help with these because I have a system that it is important to me to follow. It is hard for me to stay at the IL's house or have any houseguests that try to "help out".

 

I don't think I have Asperger's. I think I am just introverted, antisocial, a bit compulsive and rigid, process-oriented, and have some sensory issues. LOL !

Edited August 22, 2011 by laundrycrisis

[Night Elf]

Feel free to jump in with your personality quirks. The more the merrier!

 

:lurk5:

 

Dd19 does the even number on the dial thing. It can be any even number or a number that ends in 5.

 

I have ADD so my style is usually all over the place. Someone else mentioned stepping over something because it isn't on her way. For me, I would pick it up despite whatever else I'm doing. I rarely clean an entire room at one time. If I'm dusting and I see a pair of shoes, I put down the duster and take the shoes where they belong, usually the shoe box in the dining room. Once in the dining room I might notice papers on the table so I start to put them in order so they can be put away. But I notice something that needs to be shredded so I stop what I'm doing to take it to my bedroom where the shredder is. But after I shred it, I notice some clothes from the last laundry done and I stop to fold them. And so on and so on. This is why cleaning is usually difficult for me. It's exhausting! :tongue_smilie:

 

Dd19 will only cook in a totally clean kitchen. She will put all dishes into the dishwasher and scrub the counters and stovetop before starting to prepare any food. But she leaves all her dirty dishes from cooking piled in the sink. :tongue_smilie:

 

Ds15 has to turn around in a full circle going clockwise each time he turns a corner.

 

Dd13 insists on carring an umbrella everywhere we go, in any type of weather. She says it makes her feel better. (Do you know how embarrassing that is to go to Wamart on a very hot Georgia summer day and have her clicking that umbrella on the floor like it's a cane?) Oh, it's one of those full-sized long umbrellas with a curved wooden handle. Travel size and the kind that fold up are useless.

[Parrothead]

Ding! Ding! Ding! :lol: You just had to go there, huh?! :lol:

Oh, thank goodness! I'm not alone! :hurray:

[Nestof3]

Um, well, I never thought about myself being Aspie, but yes, I do like those sorts of things.......

 

gulp.

 

astrid

 

:iagree: though, I have been wondering about this lately. I've actually noticed these things getting stronger, but perhaps that's more my OCD.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Ds is the Aspie but you are describing me more than him. I just think I'm efficient and neat.:confused:

[2squared]

Here are traits of Aspergers

http://www.help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_4a3112c8/wp_4a3112c8.html

 

Personal / Physical

Repetitive routines or rituals

Can engage in tasks (sometimes mudane ones) for hours and hours

Flat, or blank expression much of the time

Doesn't always recognize faces right away (even close loved ones)

Strong sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell (e.g. fabrics—won’t wear certain things, fluorescent lights)

Sensitivity to the texture of foods

Eccentric personality

Idiosyncratic attachment to inanimate objects

Being "in their own world" / Preoccupied with their own agenda

Highly gifted in one or more areas, e.g. math, music, etc

Single-mindedness

Likes and dislikes can be very rigid

Can spend hours in the library researching, loves learning and information

May have difficulty staying in college despite a high level of intelligence

Limited interests / Intense focus on one or two subjects

Unusual preoccupations

Collects things

Early in life they often have a speech impediment

Clumsiness / Uncoordinated motor movements

Speech and language peculiarities / hyperlexia

Non-verbal communication problems: difficulty reading body language, facial expression and tone

Word repetition (they may frequently repeat what you've just said)

Excellent rote memory

 

Social Interactions

Desire for friendships and social contact but difficulty acquiring and maintaining them

Shuts down in social situations

Social withdrawal / may avoid social gatherings

Lack of interest in other people

Lack of empathy at times

Difficulty understanding others’ feelings

Can obsess about having friends to prove they’re “normalâ€

Rigid social behavior due to an inability to spontaneously adapt to variations in social situations

Has an urge to inform that can result in being blunt / insulting

Preoccupied with their own agenda

Great difficulty with small-talk and chatter

 

Something that wasn't really brought up on that site, but can be an important sign is the use of stims: Stims (self-stimulatory behavior serving to reduce anxiety, stress, or to express pleasure). This was something that stood out for me as a child, though I've learn to keep it in control most of the time.

 

Sigh. Well, a lot of this list certainly describes me (I think). It's hard to know how others see you rather than how you see yourself. So looks like I may be a combo of high functioning Aspie and OCD, but mostly just doing what I can to survive this stage with many littles.

 

I am enjoying hearing about everyone else. I like knowing other quirky people are out there. :001_smile:

[Misty]

Many Aspies are very messy because they lack executive functioning and have working memory deficits. But not all do. I have two Aspie daughters with working memory issues and they are totally messy and disorganized to the MAX. But my middle daughter (also Aspie) keeps her bedroom clean and orderly and she freaks out if anyone messes it up. She does not have working memory issues or executive dysfunction like the other two girls. As for me, I thrive when my house is clean.. But I will get so absorbed in something that my house will go to crap very fast. Then I freak out all at once and we all have to clean it.. Then I get absorbed in something again and the house goes to crap again. Then I freak out again. I HATE this about me.

 

As for even numbers, I think two of my Aspies are obsessed with even numbers.. The middle daughter and the 3rd daughter. For a while there the middle dd was counting every step she took because she could not end her steps on an odd number. Math is such a headache with them because all they want to do is get rid of the odd numbers or make them even somehow. Another thing they do is if they bump one leg against the furniture they have to turn around and bump the other leg in exactly the same way to make it feel even. This is more of their OCD though. My 8yr old was diagnosed with severe OCD.. If she accidentally grazed a wall or something with her hand, she would have to stop and tap both hands to the wall in exactly the same way, then turn around and touch the bottoms of both feet to the wall in exactly the same way, then she would do both elbows. And if it didn't feel "just right" she would have to start over again. She had a lot of other OCD issues, but she is better now after treatment.. Man, that was a tough time in our lives!

[Carrie12345]

Do you love order?

 

Do you love clean, uncluttered, open spaces?

 

Do you strive to have cut inefficiency from your life? As in, when you put away laundry, do you gather piles purposefully to minimize trips through your house? Do you organize clothes in the kids' drawers until they have the most efficient putting away and pulling out process? Are your kitchen cabinets organized to save time and steps? Do processes/efficiency take up a lot of our thinking time?

 

Do you like things to be even - cut things into twos, fours, etc?

 

More to come later...

 

My son is a well-documented Aspie. This is NOT him. Then again, he's also a 13yo boy, lol.

 

I have aspie traits. These are not any of mine. :lol:

[Misty]

Like I said, OCD and Aspergers can be comorbid. Ds and I share the same type of OCD, it's all thought related. We don't have the compulsion part that requires us to do something a certain number of times. Instead, our thoughts can become obsessive, affecting us emotionally.

 

This is the type of OCD I have (along with a probable Asperger's profile).. It's called "pure obsessional OCD" and it has plagued me for years.

[Misty]

I could set up organization systems all day every day. Seriously. But I cannot maintain them. I get bored/distracted.

 

OCD and ADHD? Maybe.

 

Same here! Very frustrating for me.

[Blueridge]

I've never thought of it before. I do love neatness and uncluttered spaces. I alphabetize my spice bottles. I divide my food on the plate evenly so it 'comes out right' I guess. ;) Books on shelves according to height and color. Pencils all facing the same way in their basket. Can labels all facing forward. I shampoo and shower exactly the same way each day. Gee, I do sound strange. :D The reason I am wondering about this is...on Saturday my dh took me athletic shoe shopping. He wanted to take me to the mall. I avoid it at all costs. He insisted. The parking clog made me nuts. Entering the front door and feeling the air pressure of all the crowds of people, the tremendous noise of a talent show blasting on loud speakers...I wanted to cry. Honestly, I curled up inside and ran to the closest shoe store, didn't see anything I wanted, and begged to leave. I really think he understood because of the noise, but I was nearly sick about the whole thing. I wish I could have mall fun like everybody else. :tongue_smilie: The day was 'topped off' with a nice Italian meal, that was ruined by us being seated next to a room of loud, obnoxious birthday party goers. Really, the crowds do me in.

[Ester Maria]

Repetitive routines or rituals Much of LIFE is a routine, yes.

Can engage in tasks (sometimes mudane ones) for hours and hours Yes, that is called CONCENTRATION and it is something that "normal" people have had for generations. Toddler-like attention spans in adults, en masse, seems to be a fairly new phenomenon.

Strong sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell (e.g. fabrics—won’t wear certain things, fluorescent lights) I do not know a single person who is NOT bothered by particular sounds (e.g. nails on the blackboard), taste (e.g. cucumbers), sight (I get a sensory overload by watching at fractals) or smell. I will also not wear certain fabrics. Nor will most people I know.

Eccentric personality The definition of the eccentric personality is up for a debate.

Idiosyncratic attachment to inanimate objects I do not find it to be something terribly unusual either?

Being "in their own world" / Preoccupied with their own agenda Who isn't?

Highly gifted in one or more areas, e.g. math, music, etc Check.

Likes and dislikes can be very rigid Sure.

Can spend hours in the library researching, loves learning and information Yes. An average mind should be able to do that as well.

May have difficulty staying in college despite a high level of intelligence Finishing college is largely about discipline, not intelligence per se. Yeah, I had some discipline issues, as most people - but I overcame them.

Unusual preoccupations Who defines unusual?

Collects things Yes, I have a thing about some objects.

Speech and language peculiarities I sometimes take things too literally. Other times other people take me too literally when I am in fact not being serious.

Excellent rote memory Only for the stuff that interests me. :D

 

Social Interactions

Lack of empathy at times Happens to all, or at least it gets perceived that way sometimes.

Difficulty understanding others’ feelings People can be so weird. I am still puzzled by some of the "normal psychology".

Preoccupied with their own agenda Who isn't?

 

Stims (self-stimulatory behavior serving to reduce anxiety, stress, or to express pleasure). I sway because I am Jewish, it is in our genes. :D It helps the concentration, too. There is also this mechanic type of rolling-over I used to do in the sea as a kid, LOL. And I LOVE those chairs where you can spin. I sometimes sit on one when we have an intense discussion on WTM, so I can get mad at somebody - then wheeeeeeeee for a while - and then I am good again. :lol:

Overall, I am nowhere near to autistic, yet I could check off many of these symptoms.

 

I have HUGE issues with dignoses, especially self-diagnoses, via checklists. Either something is physically, perceptibly, treatably different in the physical structure of the brain, observable in the controlled environment, etc. - or it is not (yet). I have never had issues that warranted a neurologist, therefore, I am totally normal in my view. And yet I can check off half the list. These lists are extremely imprecise and undefined, too much dependent on the interpretation and too little on observable, measurable facts. Hopefully the brain research will get to the point where it will be more concrete than what it is now. :001_smile:

[saraha]

I'm like that only my house doesn't show it. I spend more time thinking about how to streamline it than doing it. I also have to clean in a certain order and if something is making a barrier to my next step, I can't skip. I am like a robot that keeps walking into the wall.

 

:iagree: That is me too!

[Misty]

Overall, I am nowhere near to autistic, yet I could check off many of these symptoms.

 

......

I have HUGE issues with dignoses, especially self-diagnoses, via checklists. :001_smile:

 

Most of the people on this thread also have children who are diagnosed Aspies.. So they are very familiar with what Asperger's looks like.. And let's not forget that the child's Asperger's had to come from somewhere (genetics)!

Edited August 24, 2011 by Misty
TMI

[lisamarie]

I don't have AS but I do have some OCD. Most of what you said applies to me except the even numbers.

 

Yep.

I feak out if things start to get cluttered (you wouldn't want to be at a restaurant table with me, I will micromanage where you put your dishes, because I can't eat unless the table is tidy. :D)

 

I can live with clutter for a while, and then I hit my breaking point and can. not. handle. it. DH calls those times my "fill the trash to overflowing" times. You can always tell when I'm on a cleaning streak because of the amount of trash I generate. I'm in one of those times now.

 

There is only one way to load the dishwasher, and it has to be done that way. If someone else comes over and they help with dishes, I can back off with effort, but it is emotionally draining.

 

Of course there is only one way to load a dishwasher--the most efficient way which is MY way. My kids are trained, but DH is not so I don't let him near my dishwasher.

 

 

 

I see efficient processes so clearly, that I am truly amazed others can't see them. I know I was born to be a process engineer. :D

 

I do all the assembly work (I love to put things together), I do all the packing and loading of the car (DH just throws it in but I have a system), etc

 

I struggle with too much noise and motion, but I think that's exasperated by once again, my family of active noisemakers.

 

:lurk5:

 

I can relate to that! I remember when I taught first and second grades -- I could not concentrate when they were wiggling. The noise and activity didn't bother me most of the time, but when I was instructing, I needed them to be STILL!

 

 

I never really thought about why I can't handle working in my kids' church preschool class. I always have a splitting headache when it's over. The happiest day ever will be the day that my DD4 graduates from preschool at the end of this school year and I will never have to go back to that place again. The noise, the chaos, the whining, fighting, etc, etc.

 

I also have to make an effort to ignore how others do certain things when the efficiency or cleanliness could so easily be improved. I cannot tolerate things being done differently in our home if it involves garbage, dishes or laundry so I will not accept any help with these because I have a system that it is important to me to follow. It is hard for me to stay at the IL's house or have any houseguests that try to "help out".

 

Going to the cottage with my inlaws is always a lesson in forbearance. I end up doing most of the work because MIL is so strange in how she does things. The last time I was at the cottage, the inlaws weren't there, so I took that opportunity to rearrange some things in the kitchen so it made sense and uncluttered the counter. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever had there because things were "right" in the house.

 

And it's stupid things:

-She does tiny loads of laundry--I cannot stand that.

-She doesn't minimalize her trash--I have to break every box down, squish everything as much as possible.

-She clutters her counters--I need things put away.

-She fills the dishwasher poorly--I need it efficient.

-Knives and kitchen utensils are on the opposite end of the kitchen from the cooking area.

Etc, etc, etc.

-She puts her kitchen towel on the counter when she's not using it--towels go on the oven handle.

[Ester Maria]

It's not just an "annoyance" like the general population feels. It causes people on the spectrum to stim or hide.

When I look at fractals, even by accident, I feel like I am going to go mad. I *cannot* look at them. If I had to look at them for extended periods of time I would probably jump through the window at some point if I were not physically constrained. Trying to combat it by looking at them for extended periods of time provoked a sentiment in me which I would describe the closest as madness. I have no words to describe it. It is awful. Then the fractal gets inside of your mind and you see it even when you do not see it and it sucks you in and you find yourself flying through it and around it and looking at it from different angles in all of those little parts... Simply writing about it makes my skin crawl. I hate the darned thigns with passion. When I accidently see them, say, as a background on youtube, for a split of a second, I need to immediately close the window and chill for a while. I am far from sure that is the mainstream response.

 

Yet interestingly, I know more than one person - a completely normal person - who has SOME sort of sensory overload or SOME input they simply cannot process normally. I suspect that a certain *quantity* of those things can interefere drastically with one's life, but I am not sure I totally misunderstand the *quality* of the experience. I would like to check - if we had real scientific measures to compare those experiences.

Most of the people on this thread also have children who are diagnosed Aspies.. So they are very familiar with what Asperger's looks like.. And let's not forget that the child's Asperger's had to come from somewhere (genetics)!

I know Aspies. The ones that I know seem to be different from me in two fundamental ways: one, they just do not "get" some of the complex thought processes (e.g. irony in the language, certain forms of financial manipulation, etc. - things of the kind) or even some things which they are terrific at *memorizing*, but not at *manipulating* (you know, playing with that idea, looking at it from different angles, etc. - a kind of mental inflexibility) and two, they have social issues and I do not. But I really doubt that some of our experiences do not intersect greatly. Yet I deeply question the scientificity of the whole NT / non-NT thing. The more I learn about it, the more suspicion I have about it, especially when they present me checklists, since the actual brain research is still at the beginnings of studying different types of brains.

 

For example, I have issues with literal thinking, but in a different way. It took me a while to figure out that responsibility was something people talked about as though it was an *property*, not an *attribute*. Was I responsible that I was late somewhere? Sure, in that situation, one can attribute responsibility to me because I WAS late at school - fact. So I would say that I was. Yet, I was late because the train was late. "Normal" people would consider being late here as the property of an outside factor and not my responsibility - yet I would attribute it to myself. Nonsense of the kind. Also those question on questionnaires drive me nuts, because they are so imprecise linguistically so I can pretty much answer anything and it will do - I suspect this is also a form of literal thinking.

Yet I absolutely never had issues with language manipulation, complex thought in language, irony, metaphores, you name it - language is my career, pretty much. I can do with it all I like. So *how exactly* does one define literal thinking? Are there levels to it? How exactly does one test it beyond reasonable doubt? Is it improvable? If so, is it the property of the brain - or "only" the programming of the mind? Hardware or software? I like to think software, yet people swear autism spectrum disorders are about software which is generated by a different hardware, so how exactly DO we position it and define it?

 

See, stuff like that drive. me. insane. It is just not tangible enough for me, categories seem so void. I can separate to little precise pieces my questions and issues and the only people which were close to answering my questions were fully fledged doctors with neurology specializations - and even their answers ultimately came down to "we do not know those mechanisms, we are not even sure our framework is correct, yes, there is much grey areas, no, we cannot really test those stuff, yes, so much of it is impressions-based rather than physical-test-based, etc.". 'nuff for me to run away from it, LOL.

 

ETA: I am not trying to argue that there are no different brains who process the world differently, that there is no something we can mark mainstream experience, etc. Just venting my frustrations about how little we actually know about these things.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Ester Maria

[Misty]

When I look at fractals, even by accident, I feel like I am going to go mad. I *cannot* look at them. If I had to look at them for extended periods of time I would probably jump through the window at some point if I were not physically constrained. Trying to combat it by looking at them for extended periods of time provoked a sentiment in me which I would describe the closest as madness. I have no words to describe it. It is awful. Then the fractal gets inside of your mind and you see it even when you do not see it and it sucks you in and you find yourself flying through it and around it and looking at it from different angles in all of those little parts... Simply writing about it makes my skin crawl. I hate the darned thigns with passion. When I accidently see them, say, as a background on youtube, for a split of a second, I need to immediately close the window and chill for a while. I am far from sure that is the mainstream response.

 

Maybe you have a touch of Asperger's/OCD/anxiety of which you are not yet aware? And let's remember there is a spectrum within the Asperger's diagnosis. You can be MILD Aspie. I have the entire spectrum here in my house.. Everything from severe Aspie to NVLD (a condition similar to Asperger's, but higher functioning).

 

I know Aspies.

 

Yeah, but you don't REALLY know an Aspie until you have LIVED with one.. It's quite an experience!:lol: Aspies, especially adult ones, develop coping skills and learn to appear normal for the most part by the time they are in their mid-20's. They cope by avoidance mostly. I avoid any and ALL situations where I am not confident that I can get through it without making a social mistake.

 

Yet I deeply question the scientificity of the whole NT / non-NT thing. The more I learn about it, the more suspicion I have about it.

I tend to venture here too.. Where do we draw the line between Autism and normal variations of human behavior? It's an intriguing question. But again, we must go back to the issue of how debilitating the symptoms are and can the child function without supports in place? Without my husband, I would not be able to function in everyday life.. job, paying bills, making financial decisions, etc.. I could not serve on jury duty because of my auditory processing issues and attention issues. I can't even go to church because it is too overstimulating for me. People wanting to shake my hand, talk to me, loud music.. me answering questions, trying to make eye contact.. Ugh.. makes me feel sick thinking about it. I also have a hard time making phone calls.. I HATE talking on the phone even to people I like.. but I can do it in small doses.. But when it comes to making necessary phone calls to utility companies or schools or new doctors or whatever.. I FREEZE and can't do it. I just know I will not understand the person and end up sounding stupid. Both because of my auditory processing issues AND my tendency to misinterpret language. I can psych myself up for such a phone call if I go over all possible conversation scenarios in my head ahead of time and prepare my first two lines (and rehearse in my head those first two lines.. "Hi, I'm calling about xxx").. Then - and only then - can I make a phone call. Otherwise, my husband has to do it. I also do not answer the phone at home EVER unless it is my mother or my husband or my sister-in-law (good friend). Anyone else has to leave a message so that I can process the information and prepare my response before I call them back or before they call back again. This is just one coping technique that I have developed over the years so that I am able to speak more fluently during a phone conversation.

 

For example, I have issues with literal thinking, but in a different way. <snip> So *how exactly* does one define literal thinking? Are there levels to it? How exactly does one test it beyond reasonable doubt? Is it improvable? If so, is it the property of the brain - or "only" the programming of the mind? Hardware or software? I like to think software, yet people swear autism spectrum disorders are about software which is generated by a different hardware, so how exactly DO we position it and define it?.

 

Well, that's just it.. We don't have to. Because it's not a requirement for the diagnosis. It's just something that professionals have noticed is common in Aspies.. But it certainly isn't necessary for the diagnosis. It's just something to look for when a suspicion of Asperger's is there.. I think you're overthinking all of this! :chillpill: :)

Edited August 22, 2011 by Misty