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What am i ?

NAS79808

I am a 55 year old married man and have been seeing a therapist for anxiety for about 6 months. After about 10 hours of CBT was suggested that I may have ADHD. So after lots of form filling i went off for "the test" with my sister so they could establish any developmental link. After an hour the doctor informally diagnosed me with ASD Level 1 or Aspergers. Im fine with that, but i feel it doesnt completely fit.

I have a few friends with Aspergers. None of them understand my nuanced jokes. My sarcasm (default mode for me) never gets picked up either by them. Unfortunately im usually the one explaining/ruining the nuanced/sarcastic joke to my ASD friends. I dont typically miss subtle social cues either and can read facial expressions at a glimpse. Idioms like through the baby out with the bathwater never annoy or confuse me either. I did the online Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) test and got 17. However I have always had a stutter and get overwhelmed very easily.

Masking as a life long stutterer is second nature to me. I have stims and usually hide them. I have spent my whole life trying to appear fluent, but feel that im always put in the 'weird' category.

Does the stutter tick the communication box of a ASD diagnosis. Can someone mask so much that they can teach themselves nuance and facial expressions OR

Is it possible for someone to have ASD, but not display any of these subtle comprehension problems ?

Please dont hold back. I dont offend easily. The earliest appointment with my therapist is 4 weeks away and i dont know who else to ask.

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  • I get idioms. Often I get a literal picture in my head but switch and know what the idiom means. I have always been interested in language. 

    I think I notice small facial details that other people don't do. On the other hand, facial expressions can go completely over my head and I can't interpret or misinterpret them. Or theres a delay. Social interaction nuance is something which I struggle with however. Everyone else seems to get it except me.

    Sometimes my sarcasm has been missed by others and interpreted literally.  I think it was my tone of voice and facial expression not matching the sentiments. I can have quite a dry sense of humour.

    Maybe think about not just social interaction. There are many facets to autism such as executive function difficulty, inertia, rumination, sensory aspects.

    Maybe your score is indicative it's not autism. You said the doctor said it was an informal diagnosis. A specialist like a clinical psychologist would be able to fully assess you.

  • in reply to Deleted User

    I definitly get rumination (constantly) and dont like noisy rooms. I do wear a tinted photo chromatic glasses. Its really interesting to hear your perspective on this. Thankyou

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