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AQ and EQ and accurate diagnosis?

NAS24411

I scored very high on the AQ and very low on the EQ and after an assessment was given a diagnosis of ASD. I've been questioning if the diagnosis is correct. The thing is I can read people and understand social rules. Until my mid twenties I had terrible trouble with eye contact, didn't understand social rules, couldn't interact intuitively. But part of me is wondering if this was just shyness or a mental illness. My mother recalls that my development was normal but I was born in the early eighties and I wonder if her recall is wholly accurate. Social interaction is easy now so do I have ASD? Could I have skewed the AQ and EQ or are these tests fairly accurate?

  • I think there is always a margin of error plus, of course, these tests can be highly subjective anyway and also, I think, vary from one day to the next.  That said, combining the AQ, EQ, several assessment appointments with different professionals plus a final review with a multi-disciplinary team gives me more confidence in the process.  I think it would be quite hard to skew all of these unless you were deliberately trying to do so. 

    I have to admit, i always thought i was a highly sensitive person (HSP) with some degree of social anxiety (much worse in my teens).  But no, they were very confident with the autism diagnosis and the sensitivity and anxiety spin out from that.  

        

  • The tests are not at all accurate and are open to interpretation by the psychologist, but many organisations will require an expert to make the diagnosis

    What is important is to understand the type of person you are, groom your strengths and be aware of your weaknesses