Published on 12, July, 2020
Not sure how to ask this without sounding like a complete *** ... so I'll just ask it...I am waiting for my autism assessment (I already know I am) and am wondering if there is such a thing as someone who specializes in assessing hi IQ people. (I have done a few IQ tests but the one I generally quote is the ed-psych administered wechsler test i did when i was being assessed for dyslexia in school - 132 ... and yes, i am).
My concern is that, on a good day, i am great at masking (as far as I can tell i suppose). I can be articulate, polite, friendly and funny.
I have to think that the way I will present is vastly different to someone without the good fortune to have an IQ like mine.
I score VERY high on the autism tests and show many of the autism traits ... but I have masked so long, I don't know how to turn it off.
from my research, it is a concerned shared by many; "how will they see past the mask?".So there are two questions;
1. are there people who specialize in assessing people like me?
2. What is the advice on helping people see past the mask?
Any advice would be gratefully received. ... and please feel free to call me a ***! :-)
There are no parameters for intelligence in the relevant autism diagnosis manuals. Therefore, intelligence should not impact on an assessment.. If your assessor is competent, they will take far more note of your history of autistic traits and associated difficulties than of your presentation, or their observation. I have never taken a formal IQ test, but I have answered MENSA questions aimed at an IQ in the 150+ bracket and have a PhD in molecular biology. I had no trouble getting a diagnosis. I was, however, diagnosed by a psychiatrist, and personally believe their approach to assessment is more suited to people good at masking than that taken by psychologists, or teams of clinicians.