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CoachV

Hi from Canada Slight smile I'm, 57/m.

After several years of family, friends, and parents of kids who live with autism telling me I may be on the spectrum, I took some tests (all online, to be clear; I don't have the money or the care to go through a formal diagnosis as an adult).

Anyway, it seems I'm a 33 on the ASQ, 137 on the RAADS-R, and 143 on the CAT-Q. I told my wife, and she took the same tests to get a barometer - she's pretty normal, so I guess we aren't completely screwed Slight smile A few quick questions for you nice folks:

1. Is this form of self-diagnosis/identification valid?

2. I coach kids: If you're a parent of one of them, and you find out I'm on the spectrum, would you be cool with that?

3. I have a high IQ, but I score at the top of the scale for masking and compensation -- does that resonate with anyone else out there?

Thank you!

- CoachV

  • in reply to CoachV

    Yes, rehearsing conversations is something I do.

    Don't apologise for the photo, you didn't know and we do live in the "Facebook" age, so it's habit for a lot of people to post photos on the internet. This community forum is a bit different though, the moderators try to protect people as much as they can and most people are supportive to each other. It's the only "social" media I can tolerate .

  • in reply to Lotus

    Hi  Slight smile Thank you for your reply and I apologize re: the photo -- I wasn't thinking. I very much get what you say about 'copying' normal. I also do a lot of 'rehearsing,' how I will be in social situations, if that makes sense. Always been this way.

  • in reply to Bunny

    Thank you  Slight smile Your point re: RAADS-R struck me, as I found that particular test a bit peculiar, given the need to assess a 'me' from 40 or more years ago.

    To be honest, when I Googled 'adult autistic chat groups,' this was one of the top hits. That's how I landed on a UK site from Canada. Thx for letting me stick around and I will follow your advice to check out Canadian groups.

  • Hi CoachV and welcome to the community!

    Many of us here are "late realised" and/or "late diagnosed", so you're in good company! :)

    Whilst the survey results that you've shared could well be consistent with autism, the professionals involved in assessments also consider a lot of additional information. It's also worth noting that recent research has also thrown doubt on the clinical validity of the RAADS-R as a screening tool.

    If you haven't yet seen them, you might like to read through the various resources in the NAS's recently revamped diagnosis hub:

    NAS - diagnosis hub

    They cover all stages of the process, with each section containing several articles relating to that stage:

    • Before diagnosis
    • Assessment and diagnosis 
    • After diagnosis 

    For example, including:

    NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

    NAS - Deciding whether to seek an autism assessment

    NAS - Criteria and tools used in an autism assessment

    Of course, with the NAS being a UK-based charity, the resources and further links are also UK-focused.

    Whilst we have many international members here (all of whom are very welcome!), you might also find it helpful to join a peer-to-peer forum for autistic adults in Canada, where members might be better placed to advise you about any practical benefits of seeking a formal diagnosis (vs self-diagnosis) in the context of your national laws, etc. 

  • Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm female, live in England, and I'm in my sixties.

    I had to check what ASQ was, and it seems it's the one we usually call AQ50 in the UK and It's used for screening here. I score 42 on that one, but I haven't gone through the formal diagnosis process as there is a long waiting list, and I wouldn't get any support of I did get a diagnosis.

    If I was a parent of a child you coached it wouldn't bother me at all. There are equality laws in the UK protecting people from discrimination based on disability - do you not have that in Canada?

    I don't know what my IQ is, but I'm sure from comparing myself with others and having been told I'm clever, that it's above normal. I don't know how masking & compensation is scored, but I spent over 5 decades copying 'normal " before I discovered I was on the spectrum and realised what I'd been doing.

    By the way, if that is a photo of you on your profile I'm afraid you'll need to change it as it's against the forum rules to have anything that could identify us, for the sake of online safety.

    I hope you enjoy chatting with us.