An identi-kit online autistic person?

Yes, me too.

I really do think that if someone says 'I'll be doing whatever in half an hour' then 30 minutes later they should be doing it ...

I do understand metaphorical language, but since childhood I've had friction with my family from taking vague generalisations and comments like "I'll be with you in a minute" too literally. I think I can cope with metaphor a lot easier in something that's clearly signposted, like a poem, than when it sneaks into general conversation.

Interesting.

When he said to me about not taking things literally, I thought 'how odd, why would you NOT take things literally'!

In my book, what are words for if not to say what you mean?

I take it literally too.

In the Jewish tradition, 120 is seen as the ideal lifespan. People say, "May you live to 120" and use "When I get to 120" as a euphemism for "When I die."

1) Borderline (nearly forty).

2) I do mask. I'm not sure I'm "highly adept." I think some people think of me as weird, or just slightly off/hard to "get."

3) Yes to both.

4) Absolutely not. I experience it as a disability and feel uncomfortable (OK, angry) with people who try to tell me I should feel otherwise. If other people experience it as a gift, I'm pleased for them, but it's not my experience.

5) I'm not an expert, but I probably have followed some of that progression, but not quickly at all.

It is easy to think everyone is like this, especially if you're not. I think like this sometimes. But there probably is some bias in the more functional people being able to join in a forum like this, or to want to share about their lives, let alone to promote autism awareness generally (e.g. Chris Packham).

Martin said:

I would say the cut off between middle age and old is 60.

Conversation this morning with my NT husband:

Me: apparently I'm old, even though I don't feel or (in my opinion) look old.

Someone on the forum told me.

I suppose I can't be middle aged though as that would mean I'd live to 120.

Mind you, middle age is incorrect anyway, as it's not really the 'middle' of the average lifespan.

H: nobody takes the phrase 'middle age' literally.

Me: I do.  I take it literally.

H: no, I said 'most people don't take the phrase 'middle age' literally.

Me: no, you didn't.  You said 'nobody' not 'most people'.

H: (Deep sigh).  I'm going back to reading my paper ...

Btw I thought I said it earlier but I guess I didn't so I'll add it now, actually despite having a "good" score on my IQ results I don't put too much stock in them overall because they do have biases and and they also don't measure types of inteligence just the ability of the person to take this one specifically. I also find it weird to apply IQ to something like an ASC diagnosis, for instance if the assessor suspectes a learning disability along with ASC they will maybe test for IQ just to see if that helps confirm of deny their suspicions but for "people with HFA" it doesn't mean much. Because my issues are less a problem with capability and more a problem with cope-ability a IQ of 126 and the ability to opperate multiple vehicle types or achieve academically doesn't mean squat if I get overloaded, overwhelmed, meltdown, shut down or go non-verbal in thos emoments my autistic experience is like anyobody elses regardless of something like IQ.

I became pension age in January, so can't really say that I'm middle aged. I don't believe I've ever consciously masked. I did an IQ test at Felsted, when I was 15, but was never told the result . I was hospitalised for the 1st time at the start of my 'A level' term. Due to 'bullying related trauma ' I've been very avoidant re pursuing further education. The exception being a short lived attempt at a history A level correspondence course in 1975-76. Hence I only have 6 O levels I don't have dyscalculia , but I have always been poor at geometry.

I am part of the FB 'high IQ' community. I like quizzes and tests from playbuzz 'fluff' to high range tests. Yes there can be a 'practice effect' especially with 3x3 matrix. 

Being an autistic and schizophrenic person hasn't been a 'gift' for me, as it resulted in 'social drift' , and never having a paid job. I fell between 2 stools employment  wise. Poor manual skills that me unsuitable for a blue collar' type job on one hand. On the other hand not up to coping with the pressure and stress of a high powered professional job.

My father,who's 92, was a diplomat, with a fairly successful career. Successful enough for a 'Who' who' entry. Hence  my upbringing was solidly middle class including being educated at prep and public school. Neither of which I was suited for.

I'm definitely not the 5th one.

I wonder if there are IQ tests that don't contain maths ...

I'm the same as you on this.

Good on logic though and following patterns.

exactly... my problem too.... i hate maths, its the one subject i cant do, it requires a good memory as you have to hold numbers in your head, calculate them, then hold that number you calculated then calculate it against a few more numbers and hold more in your head. cant do maths, i think my short term memory and concentration isnt good enough for it. 

given iq tests have really complex maths questions it acts as a total roadblock to finishing any questions. sure you can multiple choice guess it but i dont do that as i think its cheating and gets a wrong result.

I would say the cut off between middle age and old is 60. I don't feel especially old, but I cannot really defend myself as being still in middle age. Perhaps 'advanced middle age' might work, as might 'superannuated adolescent' in my case.

Martin said:

except that I am old

What age do you consider 'middle age' ?

A friend was telling me the other day that 60 is the 'new middle age'.

I'm 61 and I don't see myself as old (but I also don't expect to live to 120).

Re IQ tests, it's the maths contained therein that gets me.

I think I may have dyscalculia.

You are describing me, except that I am old and have never had my IQ tested - largely because I can see problems in the design of IQ tests; also, repeating IQ tests improves people's scores, so they cannot be measuring anything very accurately about innate intelligence.

No.

Somewhat.

126 and bachelors.

Gift in some ways curse in others. Not less or more than a neurotypical, just different.

No (at least in the way I think I read what you are saying on that 5th one) I was diagnosed as a child.

close to middle aged i guess.

i dont know if im adept at masking but i think my face is always the same expression, not aware if it changes expression, maybe the expressionlessness is a mask.

my iq is probably none existant because i give up as soon as i see a maths question and toss the test violently out of a window.

not sure whether im autistic because the nhs is useless and doesnt do anything ever, not even when you have serious emergency issues they just blow you off and dont do their job so i never get any help from the useless nhs and i think they should be scrapped off and replaced with anything that can help or function or do the job. but whatever i am im not sure whether its a gift or a deficit and id just consider it to be me either way... and me is... me.. cant change who you are. its everyone else who exclude you or react to who you are that is at fault for making life bad, thats not a me problem thats a them problem, a society problem. and society probably is the one that needs the help to change.

cant progress because of previous point of the nhs and even the schools and the entire public system always being useless and none functioning.. in that regard again it is society that doesnt function and perhaps society is at fault and needs to change.

Interesting points.

I don't know my IQ.

With regard to the 'gift' part, I've read that occasionally on this forum, but I think most users of the forum are struggling...

I definitely don't see it as a gift, and I doubt my only autistic (in 'real' life) friend would.

It's something that has the potential to change the course of a person's life.

In retrospect, I can see that it has with mine (detrimentally).

Generally, not just this forum. It's the impression I get   Individually  they'll be people like you and I. I only partly  fit the 3rd one. None of the others.

Do you mean specifically from this forum? ie a synopsis of users?

I only fit  the 2nd....and in fact, I don't know if I'm 'highly adept' at it ...I think it's probably just been a survival instinct.