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Questions about Asperger's

mattdens

Hi all,


I would like some opinions on something I am struggling to get clarification on.

I have suspected for a number of years that I might have Asperger Syndrome or some similar condition. I score very highly on self test questionaires (although I am sceptical about their potential accuracy) and seem to have most of the symptoms associated with the condition, each to a varying degree of severity.

There are however, some traits I don't have.

I tend to read the emotions of others pretty well, whether through facial expressions, tones of voice etc. I don't usually know what to do with that knowledge but the ability to detect emotions in others is fairly natural and intuitive.

I don't take things too literally or have trouble understanding metaphores or figures of speech and will use such things casualy and in the correct manner.

Is having difficulties in these areas a necessity in a diagnosis of AS? Or am I being overly pedantic with the list of symptoms/traits?

Is there anybody here who has a confimed diagnosis who also doesn't struggle with these things?

Any insight on this subject would be very appreciated.

Many thanks.

-Matt-

Parents

  • That's it in a nutshell, there's no way for us to know because we only know what it's like to be us. Even though we usually know from an early age that we are different, we can't judge what the difference is.

    I've had to learn to do eye contact, and often an accompanying handshake. I've learned that looking slightly away from the eyes is equally as uncomfortable for me, because then I wonder if the other person can tell what I'm doing. Nevertheless, if there's an interesting looking spot, feature or blemish, I'm drawn to it and usually riveted by it, even to the point of forgetting to hear what the person is saying.

    Sometimes, like you, I focus on an unrelated item - an object or picture, a view out of a window, someone doing something within eyeshot. The worst one is when I'm talking to someone and I quickly get the gist of what's coming, so having got the point way before it's made, I go off into a trance and have an entertaining daydream instead.

    The effort of dealing with other people takes huge amounts of my resources and leaves me feeling exhausted, and that's on an average day. Sometimes just the thought of having to deal with other people leaves me feeling weak. What I really find hard are those instances where I have to deal with someone 'suddenly' - an unexpected 'phone call, a knock at the door, a person in public who suddenly tries to converse with me, that sort of thing.

    Do you identify with any of this?

Reply

  • That's it in a nutshell, there's no way for us to know because we only know what it's like to be us. Even though we usually know from an early age that we are different, we can't judge what the difference is.

    I've had to learn to do eye contact, and often an accompanying handshake. I've learned that looking slightly away from the eyes is equally as uncomfortable for me, because then I wonder if the other person can tell what I'm doing. Nevertheless, if there's an interesting looking spot, feature or blemish, I'm drawn to it and usually riveted by it, even to the point of forgetting to hear what the person is saying.

    Sometimes, like you, I focus on an unrelated item - an object or picture, a view out of a window, someone doing something within eyeshot. The worst one is when I'm talking to someone and I quickly get the gist of what's coming, so having got the point way before it's made, I go off into a trance and have an entertaining daydream instead.

    The effort of dealing with other people takes huge amounts of my resources and leaves me feeling exhausted, and that's on an average day. Sometimes just the thought of having to deal with other people leaves me feeling weak. What I really find hard are those instances where I have to deal with someone 'suddenly' - an unexpected 'phone call, a knock at the door, a person in public who suddenly tries to converse with me, that sort of thing.

    Do you identify with any of this?

Children
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