Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi there, I am 16 and am not diagnosed with autism. Some friends of mine, in a nice way, suggested that I have some asperges traits in a mild form and so I went to my medical centre at my school and they gave me a document on asperges but said they didn't know much about it. I do not know if it is worth me going for a diagnosis, as I have many asperges traits (to a noticably smaller degree then people who I meet who are aspergers) but i dont have quite a few.
For example I do like things to have a very set ruitine, and I do everything in the same order in my day when I can, I resist change when possible. I am not rude but very blunt, I am apparently not that tactical in how I say things. I am not emotionally affected by others feelings much at all. I am not that good at reading people who aren't my family. I have a high IQ (137) and am very high acheiving in mathematics and when I do maths I focus in on it very strongly and everything else fades away (I also don't like many other subjects at all, if any). I hear things when I am focusing, and am extremely easily distracted by things when working, I find this annoying when doing exams.
However, I do not have issues socially. I am fine at making friends and I don't make many enemies either. I am not noticably clumsy.I woudlnt say I take criticism personally, usually I am impartial to it and I am not that affected, although I wasn't always that way. I hate small talk and I find my thoughts being bored and drifting away from it when I am caught up in it (The kind of drifting of thoughts that happens with tiredness or boredom), however on the contrary I can do small talk and sustain a conversation if I need to.
My parents did not think I was autistic or asperges, but a few friends have pointed out mild traits. I wanted to know if it is worth going for a diagnosis if I am really unsure as to if I am mildy asperges or if I am not and just have a collection of aperges-like personality traits. I would really apreciate your comments.
For the AQ50 I believe 32 is the indicative cut-off. At which point 80% of people with Autism scored this or above, as opposed to just over 2% of the general population. Table 5 on page 27 of this research document may appeal to you :) docs.autismresearchcentre.com/.../2001_BCetal_AQ.pdf
For the EQ Wikipedia says "The instrument is scored on a scale of 0 (being the least empathetic possible) to 80 (being the most empathetic possible). A useful cut-off of 30 was established when screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders."
You are within the cut off ranges for each, but it is worth remembering that these score don't necessarily mean you have autism. A full assessment would be required where they look at a range of things all the way back to when you were a small child.
If you wanted to seek a diagnosis, then this could help you with getting a referral from your GP. The question you will need to ask of yourself is do you want to do that? Would it improve your life? Maybe talk to your parents?
Although my personal experience of discussing with parents is instant denial and claiming that all the things I pointed out were "normal", "lots of people do that". Over the last year my mother has come to accept things and actually told the psychologists a whole raft of information about how I was as a child I did not even know. Things that when you look at them now, you wonder how it was missed. I guess people just didn't know back then, even though I'm not even that old!