Published on 12, July, 2020
I have just been emailed this questionnaire to fill in on in relation to a student that I teach. If you have a moment... read the questions. Would you score yourself 20/27 or more?
The thread subject relates to Question 14!!
Appendix II The High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
(A score over 20 would indicate that the patient should be referred for detailed assessment).
This child stands out from other children of his/her age in the following way;
1 is old-fashioned or precocious
No
Somewhat
Yes
2 is regarded as an ‘eccentric professor’ by the other children
3 lives somewhat in a world of his/her own with restricted idiosyncratic intellectual interests
4 accumulates facts on certain subjects (good rote memory) but does not really understand the meaning
5 has a literal understanding of ambiguous and metaphoric language
6 has a deviant style of communication with a formal, fussy, ‘old-fashioned’ or ‘robot- like’ language
7 invents idiosyncratic words and expressions
8 has a different voice or speech
9 expresses sounds involuntarily; clears throat, grunts, smacks, cries or screams
10 is surprisingly good at some things and surprisingly poor at others
11 uses language freely but fails to make adjustments to fit social contexts or the needs of different listeners
12 lacks empathy
13 makes naïve and embarrassing remarks
14 has a deviant style of gaze
15 wishes to be sociable but fails to make relationships with peers
16 can be with other children but only on his/her terms
17 lacks best friend
18 lacks common sense
19 is poor at games; no idea of cooperating in a team, scores ‘own goals’
20 has clumsy, ill coordinated, ungainly, awkward movements or gestures
21 has involuntary face or body movements
22 has difficulties in completing simple daily activities because of compulsory repetition of certain actions or thoughts
23 has special routines; insists on no change
24 shows idiosyncratic attachment to objects
25 is bullied by other children
26 has markedly unusual facial expression
27 has markedly unusual posture
The first time I saw myself on video recorded at a party I was really shocked as to how I looked. Up until that point I thought I looked normal but the tape revealed my eyes were all over the place and I looked very ill at ease to put it nicely. My girlfriend jokingly called me Mr Shifty, making me sound like a dodgy ice cream vendor, but she was right. On the questionnaire I got 22.
Likewise, I find video of me rather disturbing. Not just my gaze and facial expressions, but also my posture, gestures, and walking gait. I'd known for a long time that these things got noticed (e.g. people commenting on how easy I am to recognise from a distance by my walk), but actually seeing them made me realise the huge difference between what I think my body is doing and what it's actually doing. It does explain a lot of things about my poor co-ordination and difficulty copying other people's movements, and maybe would have been useful if video was so common when I was much younger, but the discomfort is very profound; it's hard to accept that it really is me that I'm watching.
It was watching a video of me taken during a wedding reception that confirmed to me I am autistic. I look really uncomfortable and all my movements are awkward. I had no idea. But then no one had ever told me :p