I am 17 (just) and I came across this website which I thought might be useful, as I think I have some form of Autism or Aspergers. I just wondered if I detailed a few of issues whether anyone would be able to say whether or not I am likely to have either. As I don't want to go to the doctors and then have them say I don't have it becuase I don't know what I would do as I am so sure there is something wrong with me.
I know i'm not normal, and even my parents are starting to notice my behviour is not normal now with my age. I think in the past they have just faciliated it thinking it was a phase.
Anyway, I have great difficulty socializing, I don't any 'real' friends, but I can get along with people kind of, just the conversations are really short and awkard I feel they are putting in a lot more effort than I am, I don't to try and carry on the conversation but I just don't know how. For example, they will say a statement or a long sentance, and I will just agree or go yeah and laugh a bit for some reason, and then there is a long pause so I walk away becuase I think I am bothering them.
Also, my speech is quite bad I have to try really hard with it which really affects my confidence. I know that sometimes aspergers can affect speech and I have had speech issues ever since I was a little kid. However I also have disparaxia which can also causes speech issues.
I have a hate for people touching me especially people I don't know that well, to be fair I don't really like my parents touching me but I feel they kind of have a right to so I put up with it. When I reluctantly hug people I hold my arms out so I am not touching them I dislike phsical contact a lot!
I have been assessed at College and they said I have sequencing issue so I get things in the wrong order a lot, which I know is caused by dispraxia but im not sure if it is anything to do with ASD. I am quite good at College and School, I get good grades I just find it hard to remember certain things, but I love maths and numbers, I want to be an accountant. Mainly because it is repetative and I know what I would be doing.
I hate change moving house I found quite an invenience as there was nothing wrong with the old house, my parents just wanted more space. I didn't like that but now I am settled here so I am happy. Moving from school to school up until I think secondary or juniors school I cried and had a huge tantrum about having to move to a different class and different teacher and people and having to leave my parents. I still don't like it but I guess now I know it has to happen and after several weeks I am settled and back into my new routine.
I feel like I have to plan most if not all things I do, I think whenever I go out or do something I have a plan in my head of what is going to happen and when, I am a bit flexible with the times so things can take a bit longer or bit shorter time, but I have do everything I have planned otherwise, I lose it and get really stressed and upset.
A recent example being, I went out with to be fair my brothers friends and I was alright i didn't particularly enjoy it and the conversations were still awkward, but when I came to getting home we had planned to get the bus so my plan had getting the bus home. We went to a bus stop and a driver said the bus would be another 25 minutes as it was sunday service, I was okay so far I wasn't impressed with the delay but I could handle it, all we had to do was walk a bit further down to the high street bus stop and catch the bus there. Then my brothers friend who was catching the bus with us rang her dad to pick us up for some reason I had the plan in my head I knew what we had to do everything was fine. Now, I hate getting lifts especially of other people I don't really know, so this set me off I panicked and got really up set in a blind panic on the phone to my mum telling her I couldn't do it, to which she responded by shouting and screaming down the phone at me to stop being stupid which didn't help at all. In the end I got the life albeit reluctanly and it wasn't too bad i guess.
When I was at school it was unreal with time, I still am, if I wasn't up at 6AM of before, it wasn't right and I was in a blind panic to get ready otherwise I would be late, they never understood why I got up at six especially when I spend an hour of that time watching TV, they didn't get that the watching an hour of TV was my routine. If I didn't leave the house at 7:45 AM years 7, 8, 9 I would be late even though it only took 10-15 minutes to bike to School I was there half and hour early which I spent most of that time walking around on my own. When I got I lift it was very stressful becuase we wouldn't leave until like 8:10 or 8:15 which killed me I hated it and being it stuck in traffic I would just sit there think I am going to be late. I remember very well the latest time I got there in winter when it had snowed, 8:28 I will never for get that. My mum was said to stop panicking becuase everyone would be late becuase of the whether but i'm not everyone else, than can be late but I can't I have to be there on time.
There is quite a bit more I could put but I think I have writen too much already, sorry.
If you have any advice or suggestions that would be great, thanks.
, there is a lot of points in your post which mirrors the Aspergers spectrum. I was actually laughing at some of the points, it was straight out my past and present. The lift, the unfamilar, the semi-flexible only when in control, the social connection issues, routine, touching issues. There is no advice to give, just speak to your GP about an assessment and tell him how much you suffer. The only problem is NT's do not see the things you talk about as problems,, this is something that is missing, the missing link in PRE-Autism assessment structure. So, unless you are rocking in a corner, the general medical system can not see you. SO,. I would suggest try and find a GP who knows about the symptoms of Aspergers and can sign post you to an adult autism centre or Psychologist who can assess your condition further.