NationStates Jolt Archive

My friend, who has asperger, wanted me to take a test on the internet about if i had asperger, and I scored 138/156. It said 122 and above meant you had asperger.
Does this mean I have asperger?
I'm 14 years old and I've always felt different from others, having trouble communicating with others, and always distancing myself from others, not having any real "best friend" and so on. I was always the calm person, never getting mad and so on.

I think you should see a doctor if you think you've got it. Post a link to the test. I and all the other hypochondriacs on NS would like to take it and worry about the results.

An internet test (unfortunately) is not a qualified psychologist. If you really suspect you do have asperger's then go and talk to one(qualified psychologist) and ask him/her about it.

Yay! Free drugs!

Seriously, post a link. I'm sure others would love to take it. If you're concerned, talk to a doc.

I demand a link!

And never believe an internet test its probably trying to encourage people to get checked up for it

Fish cakes and as-burgers.

This should be the food thread.

Fish cakes and as-burgers.

I was just about to post about how much fish cakes rule:D

Seriously, post a link. I'm sure others would love to take it. If you're concerned, talk to a doc.

Absolutely, talk to a professional if you're really concerned. Please take this in the kindest way possible, which how it is meant, but every 14-year-old would probably score in the "you probably have Asperger's" range at one point or another. ;)

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

edit: I got:
Score: 8

HS thats low

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Well it looks like I'm not autistic. Yay me.

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html
too many bloody questions.Can't keep intrested.;)

Well it looks like I'm not autistic. Yay me.

:eek: I scored 8 you got 122+

does that mean I have ADD or something

I got 16, same as control group. So, I'm not autistic, that's one less thing to worry about I guess.

Well it looks like I'm not autistic. Yay me.

I got me an 11. Wewt.

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

edit: I got:
Score: 8

HS thats low


Scored 30.

Score: 26

weird.

I scored 22. Probably because I randomly clicked things.

28

Since my 10-year-old stepson is diagnosed with AS, I will say this much:

There is absolutely no way that any test done somewhere on the internet can diagnose anybody with Autistic Spectrum disorders. This diagnose has to be made by specialists in this field, and it is a very lengthy, complex and intense process taking several months. The older you are, the more complicated it gets.

There will be many persons interviewed, first of all the parents, then friends, relatives, in short, almost everybody who is close to you.

Are you absolutely sure you want to go through all that and that you want your parents and others close to you to go through it all? On nothing but a feeling of "being different"?

I'm not saying it's impossible that you're on the Autistic Spectrum, but I also say that "feeling different" is something EVERY teenager has to go through at some point. Grown-ups, too. At the end of the day, we are ALL different from everybody else, and each in their own way, and it's our basic right to be who we are.

Bearing all of the above in mind, how strong is your suspicion that it's probably AS now?

If it's strong enough, yes, of course, go ahead, seek expert help. But don't ever rely on results of tests you did on the internet. Don't let that confuse you. You might be creating a self-fulfilling prophesy of the kind "I'm not like all the others, so something MUST be wrong with me", when there isn't.

too many bloody questions.Can't keep intrested.;)

Haha! Yeah, ditto that. ;)

I got a 7. Does that mean I am anti-autistic? Caustic? Fantastic? Fanatic? Bad with rhymes?

Scored a 10

I got 13. I guess I'm not autistic either!

Haha! Yeah, ditto that. ;)

i got confused cos usually with tests on the net it goes from disagree -> agree, right to left. but this wasn't, and i had to start over :(

:eek: 21. Meh. :p

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

edit: I got:
Score: 8

HS thats low

I got 27. I didn't know what to answer at most of the stuff though :s

Since my 10-year-old stepson is diagnosed with AS, I will say this much:

There is absolutely no way that any test done somewhere on the internet can diagnose anybody with Autistic Spectrum disorders. This diagnose has to be made by specialists in this field, and it is a very lengthy, complex and intense process taking several months. The older you are, the more complicated it gets.

There will be many persons interviewed, first of all the parents, then friends, relatives, in short, almost everybody who is close to you.

Are you absolutely sure you want to go through all that and that you want your parents and others close to you to go through it all? On nothing but a feeling of "being different"?

I'm not saying it's impossible that you're on the Autistic Spectrum, but I also say that "feeling different" is something EVERY teenager has to go through at some point. Grown-ups, too. At the end of the day, we are ALL different from everybody else, and each in their own way, and it's our basic right to be who we are.

Bearing all of the above in mind, how strong is your suspicion that it's probably AS now?

If it's strong enough, yes, of course, go ahead, seek expert help. But don't ever rely on results of tests you did on the internet. Don't let that confuse you. You might be creating a self-fulfilling prophesy of the kind "I'm not like all the others, so something MUST be wrong with me", when there isn't.

I wouldn't want to go through with anything like that. I just want to out what kind of a person I am, even if i did a test and got 180 IQ, i would have a hard time telling anybody. I would just like to find more people who were like me, i have a hard time communicating with others, i just can't enjoy it that much, i don't know what to say so i usually stay quiet, and when i don't stay quiet i say something completely uninteresting according to the others. Even though they don't treat me badly or anything, i stay at home, I don't know why, i just have been for so long.
Sometimes i pull myself to go visit a friend, but the next day i've given up trying, even though they are nice and everything.

i dont think we took the same test

i got a 9 but the most you can get on that test is 50.

I scored a 26 on that test.

3o points means 30 cookies, yes?

I personally think Asperger's Syndrome is a crock.

I really just think it's an arrangements of certain personality traits that happen to coincide for an interesting personality. I think in some people this is noticible, and then when they are diagnosed with this they read all their emotions and reactions into it.
As for some of the symptoms, some people are just more logical than others. People say things like colloquialisms that don't make sense all the time. Some people who actually know the meaning of words instead of just the meaning of random phrases that make no sense often have the Asperger communication problem that is supposedly so characterisitc of the syndrome.
It's not, some people just need to start thinking about things before they string together a bunch of phrases.

I personally think Asperger's Syndrome is a crock.

I really just think it's an arrangements of certain personality traits that happen to coincide for an interesting personality. I think in some people this is noticible, and then when they are diagnosed with this they read all their emotions and reactions into it.
As for some of the symptoms, some people are just more logical than others. People say things like colloquialisms that don't make sense all the time. Some people who actually know the meaning of words instead of just the meaning of random phrases that make no sense often have the Asperger communication problem that is supposedly so characterisitc of the syndrome.
It's not, some people just need to start thinking about things before they string together a bunch of phrases.

And your credentials are....

I personally think Asperger's Syndrome is a crock.

I really just think it's an arrangements of certain personality traits that happen to coincide for an interesting personality. I think in some people this is noticible, and then when they are diagnosed with this they read all their emotions and reactions into it.
How did you come to form such an opinion, what is your reasoning?

As for some of the symptoms, some people are just more logical than others.
How about all the rest of the 'symptoms'?

People say things like colloquialisms that don't make sense all the time. Some people who actually know the meaning of words instead of just the meaning of random phrases that make no sense often have the Asperger communication problem that is supposedly so characterisitc of the syndrome.
Can you clarify? I dont understand what the above is supposed to mean...

It's not, some people just need to start thinking about things before they string together a bunch of phrases.
If you clarify the preceeding 'quote-block' then perhaps I'll understand what this means...

I wouldn't put too much stock in online tests. I got a 12 on this one, but a different one I took of a similar length a couple months ago said I was probably a high functioning autistic.

How did you come to form such an opinion, what is your reasoning?


How about all the rest of the 'symptoms'?


Can you clarify? I dont understand what the above is supposed to mean...


If you clarify the preceeding 'quote-block' then perhaps I'll understand what this means...

What I mean is as far as I can tell the main part of Asperger Syndrome is not being able to understand subtle social signals and implied meanings that other people somehow naturally understand.
I believe that a lot of times this is just people saying things that don't make sense with the words being used but that are generally understood, and people who naturall think in word meanings instead of phrases would have trouble.
For example, many people I know say "I could care less" when they mean the phrase "I couldn't care less" which always confused me since I just looked at what was being said since I thought they meant that, in fact, they did care about it since they could care less, and that it wasn't on the bottom of their priorities. It turns out this isn't what they all meant they just repeat phrases a lot instead of using words to create things that can be easily understood.

I personally think Asperger's Syndrome is a crock.

I really just think it's an arrangements of certain personality traits that happen to coincide for an interesting personality. I think in some people this is noticible, and then when they are diagnosed with this they read all their emotions and reactions into it.
As for some of the symptoms, some people are just more logical than others. People say things like colloquialisms that don't make sense all the time. Some people who actually know the meaning of words instead of just the meaning of random phrases that make no sense often have the Asperger communication problem that is supposedly so characterisitc of the syndrome.
It's not, some people just need to start thinking about things before they string together a bunch of phrases.
Try talking to somebody who has this sort of thing, they communicate and see the world totally differently to a 'baseline' human.

I've met people who 'have this'. I really can't tell the difference except these people seem not to be social butterflies. I've never had an problem communicating with these people. Also, the literature concerning the 'disorder' is very vague on how they have problems communicating. It sounds like in written communication they would be perfectly normal to me.

I AM NOT referring to autism, just this Asperger business.

What I mean is as far as I can tell the main part of Asperger Syndrome is not being able to understand subtle social signals and implied meanings that other people somehow naturally understand.
I believe that a lot of times this is just people saying things that don't make sense with the words being used but that are generally understood, and people who naturall think in word meanings instead of phrases would have trouble.
For example, many people I know say "I could care less" when they mean the phrase "I couldn't care less" which always confused me since I just looked at what was being said since I thought they meant that, in fact, they did care about it since they could care less, and that it wasn't on the bottom of their priorities. It turns out this isn't what they all meant they just repeat phrases a lot instead of using words to create things that can be easily understood.

Incomprehension of idiomatic phrases could be a symptom of Asperger's, I suppose, but it's certainly not the only one, nor even a major one.

Well it looks like I'm not autistic. Yay me.
I can say the same thing, though it doesn't stop the fact that I probably have ADD...

What I mean is as far as I can tell the main part of Asperger Syndrome is not being able to understand subtle social signals and implied meanings that other people somehow naturally understand.
I believe that a lot of times this is just people saying things that don't make sense with the words being used but that are generally understood, and people who naturall think in word meanings instead of phrases would have trouble.
Er, the short answer is no. It is not simply about verbal language.

For example, many people I know say "I could care less" when they mean the phrase "I couldn't care less" which always confused me since I just looked at what was being said since I thought they meant that, in fact, they did care about it since they could care less, and that it wasn't on the bottom of their priorities. It turns out this isn't what they all meant they just repeat phrases a lot instead of using words to create things that can be easily understood.
Ok.
The miscommunication that happens with verbal language is only one aspect of the communication divergence. Further the communication divergence is only one aspect of Asperger Syndrome.

I got a 30 on this one, but like Wanamingo Jr. I've taken others that said I was right in the range for Asperger's.


There will be many persons interviewed, first of all the parents, then friends, relatives, in short, almost everybody who is close to you.

Are you absolutely sure you want to go through all that and that you want your parents and others close to you to go through it all?

IMO any psychologist/psychiatrist who doesn't even understand that the patient won't want their mental state broadcasted to people who know them shouldn't be in the profession. WTF kind of thing is that...giving everyone close to you a reason to basically treat you like shit (to not take you seriously, and in the case of a kid's peers, to harrass you and call you nuts on top of that)?!

As an adult, I'd certainly exercise my right to privacy!

I've met people who 'have this'. I really can't tell the difference except these people seem not to be social butterflies. I've never had an problem communicating with these people. Also, the literature concerning the 'disorder' is very vague on how they have problems communicating. It sounds like in written communication they would be perfectly normal to me.


It's not really a question of normal vs. abnormal, or social vs. antisocial. Some people with Asperger's are very outgoing, and "normal" is a silly term. It's a question of simply lacking the capacity to understand things other people understand implicitly. For example, a friend of mine in high school who had Asperger's would regularly walk out of rooms mid-activity without saying a word, so that all of us would have to stop mid-card-game or whatever and wait to see if he was coming back. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. It simply didn't occur to him that he ought to say, "Hey, guys, I think I'm too tired to stay up any longer; I'm going to go home now" or "I'll be right back." An ex-boyfriend's brother had Asperger's, and would regularly force people to listen to him lecture for hours at a time on whatever subject had caught his fancy that week, and would get deeply offended if anyone ever tried to tell him that they weren't actually all that interested in the topic, or that they had something else they needed to do, or that they would kind of like to talk, too. Yet another acquaintance with Asperger's came over to my friends' (very recent newlyweds) house uninvited on a daily basis and got terribly hurt when they politely asked him to please let them spend some days by themselves. The fact that these sorts of behaviors are not socially useful seems obvious to the average person, but can be completely mysterious to someone with Asperger's. It's really not just some made-up syndrome to describe shy people who don't like idioms.

Er, the short answer is no. It is not simply about verbal language.


Ok.
The miscommunication that happens with verbal language is only one aspect of the communication divergence. Further the communication divergence is only one aspect of Asperger Syndrome.

Criterion A. Severe and sustained impairment in social interaction
Being a 'loner' isn't a disorder as far as I believe.
Criterion B. The development of restricted, repetitive patterns of
behaviour, interests, and activities
Hobbies.
Criterion C. The disturbance must cause clinically significant impairment
in social, occupational, or other important areas of
functioning.
Okay, this is the only one that I think is reasonable. But I still don't think that this is something you are just 'have'. Or that most people diagnosed with this are the ones with the problem.
Criterion D. In contrast to Autistic Disorder, there are no clinically
significant delays in language (eg: single words are used
by age 2 years, communicative phrases are used by age 3
years).
Normal.
Criterion E. There are no clinically significant delays in cognitive
development or in the development of age-appropriate
self-help skills, adaptive behaviour (other than in social
interaction), and curiosity about the environment in
childhood.
Normal.
Criterion F. The diagnosis is not given if the criteria are met
for any other specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or
for Schizophrenia.
Normal.


So you see, to me, it doesn't seem like a disorder at all. Just a set of personality traits that by probability multiple people have that unique combination. It's the same to me as creating a DSM category for 'being a dumbass'.

It's not really a question of normal vs. abnormal, or social vs. antisocial. Some people with Asperger's are very outgoing, and "normal" is a silly term. It's a question of simply lacking the capacity to understand things other people understand implicitly. For example, a friend of mine in high school who had Asperger's would regularly walk out of rooms mid-activity without saying a word, so that all of us would have to stop mid-card-game or whatever and wait to see if he was coming back. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. It simply didn't occur to him that he ought to say, "Hey, guys, I think I'm too tired to stay up any longer; I'm going to go home now" or "I'll be right back." An ex-boyfriend's brother had Asperger's, and would regularly force people to listen to him lecture for hours at a time on whatever subject had caught his fancy that week, and would get deeply offended if anyone ever tried to tell him that they weren't actually all that interested in the topic, or that they had something else they needed to do, or that they would kind of like to talk, too. Yet another acquaintance with Asperger's came over to my friends' (very recent newlyweds) house uninvited on a daily basis and got terribly hurt when they politely asked him to please let them spend some days by themselves. The fact that these sorts of behaviors are not socially useful seems obvious to the average person, but can be completely mysterious to someone with Asperger's. It's really not just some made-up syndrome to describe shy people who don't like idioms.


I think the social rules are the problem, not the few people who have missed out on them. In some eras and societies there were very specific rituals for doing things. In contemporary western society you're supposed to somehow 'know what to do' all the time. This is why we have more shy people. How the hell is anyone supposed to follow social standards in a society where they are rarely if ever mentioned to anyone?

I think the social rules are the problem, not the few people who have missed out on them. In some eras and societies there were very specific rituals for doing things. In contemporary western society you're supposed to somehow 'know what to do' all the time. This is why we have more shy people. How the hell is anyone supposed to follow social standards in a society where they are rarely if ever mentioned to anyone?

Like I said before, there is no direct correlation between shyness and Asperger's. These are two separate things, which you insist on conflating. Some "loners" have Asperger's. Some people with Asperger's are "loners." The two terms are not, however, in any way synonymous. Was my ex-boyfriend's brother, who was social in a very aggressive way, a "loner" per se? Of course not. Was his ability to interact with others severely impaired? Yes, very obviously.

And of course no one always knows what to do. Everybody says and does stupid and inappropriate things from time to time - but most of us do grasp very basic things, such as "people who look like they are about to cry are probably feeling sad," or "people don't generally like it when I ignore them and pretend they don't exist." Those aren't really social rules or standards, and those are the sorts of things people with Asperger's often have trouble with.

An ex-boyfriend's brother had Asperger's, and would regularly force people to listen to him lecture for hours at a time on whatever subject had caught his fancy that week, and would get deeply offended if anyone ever tried to tell him that they weren't actually all that interested in the topic, or that they had something else they needed to do, or that they would kind of like to talk, too.Now that sounds familiar!

The initial response is indeed to process the response as a personal insult. They don't like the speech, so they must be against the speaker.
It has to be explained--repeatedly--that it's not supposed to be an insult, and still, to not get too offended (it's still offensive though, bah!) takes a lot of work. And it took me ages to recognize enough signs of boredom to have any clue that I was losing the audience before they resorted to saying something.

Doesn't stop it from being disappointing when people "log off," though. It's as if the rest of the world has ADD! And there's a huge desire to not leave out anything from the "lecture." It's just not complete (and therefore flawed) when there are facts missing! Plus, often when something's left out, the next thing the person does is ask about that something. So might as well just put it in to begin with!

And for the record, yes it does run in the family. My grandfather being the prime example of marathon lecturing.

*must hit Submit Reply now, it's long enough*
*must hit it*
*go on hit it!*
*HIT IT dammit!*

Like I said before, there is no direct correlation between shyness and Asperger's. These are two separate things, which you insist on conflating. Some "loners" have Asperger's. Some people with Asperger's are "loners." The two terms are not, however, in any way synonymous. Was my ex-boyfriend's brother, who was social in a very aggressive way, a "loner" per se? Of course not. Was his ability to interact with others severely impaired? Yes, very obviously.

And of course no one always knows what to do. Everybody says and does stupid and inappropriate things from time to time - but most of us do grasp very basic things, such as "people who look like they are about to cry are probably feeling sad," or "people don't generally like it when I ignore them and pretend they don't exist." Those aren't really social rules or standards, and those are the sorts of things people with Asperger's often have trouble with.

If people used more specific language this wouldn't be a problem. I still don't think it's a disorder. If it were true, which I don't think it is in the way it is described, then who's to say that the average Joe simply can't express himself in the correct way and that's why these people can't understand it?

I really don't know how you're supposed to tell when someone is going to cry unless the person is already crying. I don't understand how things are supposed to be understood without someone teaching a person specific signs or features associated with it. If have never understood this difficulty. If you do not understand something, simply say so. If someone does something impolite, by courtesy the person should be told why it is impolite to do something in that particular situation. If there isn't any reason for that being a bad thing to do....well then it's not a bad thing to do.


EDIT:I'm also not saying that these people dont' exist, just that there isn't some specific syndrome that causes these things. I think these things are just the way some people are and some people coincidentally have more than one of these traits for some reason and psychiatry has decided that they have something else to use their profession on. It just doesn't add up when I look at it.

Hiemria: You are half-right. All people are wired differently, and this wiring plays a large part in the personalities and behavior they develop. There is no distinct line between "normal" wiring and "unnormal" wiring; it is simply so that those that are "odd enough" in a certain way are diagnosed, while those just below the fuzzy threshold in the diagnositic criteria aren't. There is no clear difference between those bordering on having and those bordering on not having AS. However, while pretty meaningless, the diagnosis describes a real "condition"; that of being wired in a way that makes you appear just odd enough, or somewhere beyond that level, to be concidered defective by society. The personality traits that manifest themselves as a result of this difference in wiring vary along with the wiring, and as the way your brain is wired is only part of what makes you develop your personality in a certain way, different people with AS are just as different as different people without it; both groups, though, have a few general characteristics that differ.

I got seventeen. Not too Asperger's-tabulous.

There is no distinct line between "normal" wiring and "unnormal" wiring; it is simply so that those that are "odd enough" in a certain way are diagnosed

Reminds me of a hilarious psychiatrist I heard on the radio, who said that 'Men tend towards the autistic side, while women are slightly schizophrenic'. Who needs sanity anyway :)

Was my ex-boyfriend's brother, who was social in a very aggressive way, a "loner" per se? Now that's where I'm different from him...I usually don't talk to people "live" unless I know them really well. I am quite the loner in RL.


I really don't know how you're supposed to tell when someone is going to cry unless the person is already crying. I don't understand how things are supposed to be understood without someone teaching a person specific signs or features associated with it. Exactly! But all the people I've run into seemed to think that this kind of thing is automatic knowledge. And I remember reading in psych-class, that some studies said that even infants can generally pick up basic emotions from pictures of faces! How the hell?!

I think it's indeed supposed to be part of the files in the standard human OS. Oh well. I like my Logic-Pack 2.0 that I got instead, even if it did overwrite the "emotions reading" plug-in and a few other things.

Fergi America;11708799']
Exactly! But all the people I've run into seemed to think that this kind of thing is automatic knowledge. And I remember reading in psych-class, that some studies said that even infants can generally pick up basic emotions from pictures of faces! How the hell?!

I think it's indeed supposed to be part of the files in the standard human OS. Oh well. I like my Logic-Pack 2.0 that I got instead, even if it did overwrite the "emotions reading" plug-in and a few other things.

Heh. Standard Human OS is nice and all, but speaking as someone with a mental disorder of my own, I suspect the world would be a much poorer place if it didn't include lots of people running very different software. :)

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

edit: I got:
Score: 8

HS thats low

I took that test once.

Got a score of exactly 32.

Reminds me of a hilarious psychiatrist I heard on the radio, who said that 'Men tend towards the autistic side, while women are slightly schizophrenic'.

We are excellent drivers. :|

Criterion A. Severe and sustained impairment in social interaction
Being a 'loner' isn't a disorder as far as I believe.
It doesnt say 'being a loner'. The critieria is a clinical critieria. That means that the severe and sustained impairment is clinically significant. In fact a person need not be a loner in order to meet this critieria.

Criterion B. The development of restricted, repetitive patterns of
behaviour, interests, and activities
Hobbies.
Er, no. The context is one of a clinical critieria. Hobbies are not clinically significant. The patterns referred to must be outside the range of normal to be meet this criteria. The normal behaviour associated with hobbies doesnt meet this criteria because it isnt clinically significant.

Criterion C. The disturbance must cause clinically significant impairment
in social, occupational, or other important areas of
functioning.
Okay, this is the only one that I think is reasonable. But I still don't think that this is something you are just 'have'. Or that most people diagnosed with this are the ones with the problem.
Just have? The point of the critieria is that it is a clinically significant impairment that is correlated directly to the behaviour of the individual. Further it is only significant in terms of an AS diagnosis in the context of the absence of other explaination (and the presence of other AS symptoms).

Criterion D. In contrast to Autistic Disorder, there are no clinically
significant delays in language (eg: single words are used
by age 2 years, communicative phrases are used by age 3
years).
Normal.
No, not normal. Rather a critieria is that certain other symptoms not be present (such as delayed speach). This critieris is a 'refining' criteria in that the delays described are not caused by AS but are present in other conditions that share features with AS.

Criterion E. There are no clinically significant delays in cognitive
development or in the development of age-appropriate
self-help skills, adaptive behaviour (other than in social
interaction), and curiosity about the environment in
childhood.
Normal.
Again, this criteria is simply a contraindication.

Criterion F. The diagnosis is not given if the criteria are met
for any other specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or
for Schizophrenia.
Normal.
No, if the person was normal they wouldnt fit other criteria. Again a criteria that excludes, not includes.

So you see, to me, it doesn't seem like a disorder at all. Just a set of personality traits that by probability multiple people have that unique combination. It's the same to me as creating a DSM category for 'being a dumbass'.
The criteria is not for a layperson, it is for a trained clinician who has already acquired extensive knowledge. This specialised knowledge is the context in which the criteria are intended to be interpreted. If you dont understand the difference between a hobby and clinically significant development of restricted, repeatitive patterns of behaviour, interests, and activities, then the criteria is not written to cater to you. The criteria assumes the context of particular conventions that are understood by those the criteria is written for.

Since my 10-year-old stepson is diagnosed with AS, I will say this much:

There is absolutely no way that any test done somewhere on the internet can diagnose anybody with Autistic Spectrum disorders. This diagnose has to be made by specialists in this field, and it is a very lengthy, complex and intense process taking several months. The older you are, the more complicated it gets.

There will be many persons interviewed, first of all the parents, then friends, relatives, in short, almost everybody who is close to you.

Sure you aren't just getting the run-around?

My friend, who has asperger, wanted me to take a test on the internet about if i had asperger, and I scored 138/156. It said 122 and above meant you had asperger.
Does this mean I have asperger?
I'm 14 years old and I've always felt different from others, having trouble communicating with othersand always distancing myself from others,, not having any real "best friend" and so on. I was always the calm person, never getting mad and so on.

you're a teenager that's normal.

and not everyone makes exclusive best friends. in fact i don't think most people do.

I scored 10 (very low), but then I know that it would be pretty unusual for me to be interested in counseling if I had asperger's.

If people used more specific language this wouldn't be a problem.
That's the whole point, it isnt normal for it to be a problem due to the functioning of a neural typical brain. Otherwise people would necessarily be more specific. They dont need to be because it is entirely normal for people to comprehend them without such specificity.

I still don't think it's a disorder.
I'm not convinced that it isnt.

If it were true, which I don't think it is in the way it is described, then who's to say that the average Joe simply can't express himself in the correct way and that's why these people can't understand it?
The point is that average Joe is understood, it's unaverage AS Joe that fails to understand what is perfectly understandable to everyone else. If everyone but AS Joe can understand particular communications, then the difference is both a deficit and particular to AS Joe. Your suggestion is akin to positing that hearing people cannot communicate in the correct way because they make use of capacities not available to non-hearing people.

I really don't know how you're supposed to tell when someone is going to cry unless the person is already crying. I don't understand how things are supposed to be understood without someone teaching a person specific signs or features associated with it.
I dont really understand all the intricacies of how my television works, but I'm confident that it does.

If have never understood this difficulty. If you do not understand something, simply say so. If someone does something impolite, by courtesy the person should be told why it is impolite to do something in that particular situation. If there isn't any reason for that being a bad thing to do....well then it's not a bad thing to do.
That's nice in theory, but it's not how things actually work.

EDIT:I'm also not saying that these people dont' exist, just that there isn't some specific syndrome that causes these things. I think these things are just the way some people are and some people coincidentally have more than one of these traits for some reason and psychiatry has decided that they have something else to use their profession on. It just doesn't add up when I look at it.
Well I dont think you are looking at the whole picture.

The condition has to be considered in the context of normal development. If someone fails to learn to talk, we dont simply say 'oh well they are just like that, it's their personality' yet verbal language is less then 40% of the communication the occurs in day-to-day interaction.

Scored 9. Def. not Asperger's. But I am prolly ADHD or ADD or something.

Scored 19. But that's probably due more to the lack of a "meh" answer (some of them I don't really care either way or are situation-dependent) than an actual above-average score.

Not that it really matters; I'm still below the autism threshold.

I scored a 9 on that test.

Yeah, I like to keep to myself from time to time (especially when I've been around my family for far too long... lack of privacy, eh). But I love to be around people; of course, that's to say people that I can get along with.

I like having conversations. I also like doing things with others. But, there are times (there have been plenty in the past) when I know that I can accomplish more, or do better on my own. It's not always best to do things as a group, I say. As for the interruption-as-insult thing, this is true... Sometimes. I can tell when somebody's just tired of me ranting (I don't rant very often at all, mind); I can also tell when somebody takes it personally, usually by the tone of their voice and their body language. I don't mind a bit when people calm me down (like I said, rarely happens). However, I do mind when people try to take it against me, and that really pisses me off (the key offender here is usually my brother, who's a total jerk in social situations with me).

I'm a people person. I just don't require attention like the extraverts who seem to have the need to go to raves every night. For me, a night in with a close-knit group of friends (of widely varying ages, mind) is far better than any night of clubbing could ever be.

So, to put it simply, I definitely don't have Asperger's, nor ADD/ADHD.

scored 15

If you clarify the preceeding 'quote-block' then perhaps I'll understand what this means...

I think the previous poster means that some people (with aspergers) are
hyperlexic; they have a profound grasp on words and definitions, and yey cannot interprete non literal phrases.

For example, to say "the cats out of the bag" means that a secret is revealed, but to some Aspies, they only think of a cat in a bag. I dont have this problem myself...

On the other hand, I have seen other Aspies make logical leaps that seem to defy chain of causation; a half assed example would be the mathmatical savants.

On the whole, I'd call Aspergers Syndrome a blessing, and I dont even have any really strong talents...

If you do not understand something, simply say so. If someone does something impolite, by courtesy the person should be told why it is impolite to do something in that particular situation. If there isn't any reason for that being a bad thing to do....well then it's not a bad thing to do.


It goes beyond that. There are certain communal behaviors in society that are simply no-verbal, do not lend themselves to pointed specific term discussion. One example would be flirting. While flirting can be effected consciously, the indication of interest is innate. You are either interested or not, and that causes certain behaviours to happen automatically.

You might see that I am not actually providing you with firm examples. You might not even be able to imagine any. Such talk is hard to go beyond generalities, but I will try.

An example would be a woman brushing her hair back behind her ear. This could be a matter of discomfort, or it could be a self groom, which indicates interest or availability. Now this depends greatly on situation.

In response, a man will effect certain behaviors, such as puffing out the chest, maybe eye contact, perhaps moving closer. It is very much a ritualized(without rules) game where the female grants permission for the male to approach closer. It starts as soon as someone walks into the room, and doesnt even end when they meet.

This is where the Aspergerian breaks down. A female may not indicate availability, and a male may not broadcast his interest, or the signals may be misread mistimed, or otherwise disfunctional.

The above example of talking past the point when others wish you to shut up is a case in point. There are subtle signals that one wishes to take a turn speaking, or wants to leave, or change the subject, or a myriad of other things.

These are not things that are verbally taught in society, and are controlled automatically by the neo-cortex as well as by life long exposure to society. As such, they vary from place to place.

A good example would be Italians talking with their hands. In Italian society, hands raised is an indicator of soapboxing. The act of putting hands in the air means "let me speak" or "I will continue speaking" and you can actually see some Italians pushing each others hands down. And they are not even conscious of it.

An aspies obession ranges from hard core hobby to downright singlemindedness. It might range from simply really liking trains all the way to having train themed cutlery, train wall paper, train toys, sound track CDs of train sounds, train bed sheets.. and a yard full of train parts. Since this isnt enough, vacations will be train themed too.

My own obsession is body language, strangely enough. I'm no good at it, but I could tell you all about it! I've spend around 28 of my 34 years reading about it... thats an obsession, not just a hobby.

I almost always know when its time to shut up... and thats right about... now.

My friend, who has asperger, wanted me to take a test on the internet about if i had asperger, and I scored 138/156. It said 122 and above meant you had asperger.
Does this mean I have asperger?
I'm 14 years old and I've always felt different from others, having trouble communicating with others, and always distancing myself from others, not having any real "best friend" and so on. I was always the calm person, never getting mad and so on.

Do you want to have Asberger's? These online tests are easy to skew so they are really not accurate. If you think you have a problem, see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. It might not be Asberger's. You might be ADD, ADHD, OCD, or just a teenager. In other words, it might be something or it might be nothing - you won't find out from an online test, you will find out from a properly qualified professional.

It goes beyond that. There are certain communal behaviors in society that are simply no-verbal, do not lend themselves to pointed specific term discussion. One example would be flirting. While flirting can be effected consciously, the indication of interest is innate. You are either interested or not, and that causes certain behaviours to happen automatically.

You might see that I am not actually providing you with firm examples. You might not even be able to imagine any. Such talk is hard to go beyond generalities, but I will try.

An example would be a woman brushing her hair back behind her ear. This could be a matter of discomfort, or it could be a self groom, which indicates interest or availability. Now this depends greatly on situation.

In response, a man will effect certain behaviors, such as puffing out the chest, maybe eye contact, perhaps moving closer. It is very much a ritualized(without rules) game where the female grants permission for the male to approach closer. It starts as soon as someone walks into the room, and doesnt even end when they meet.

This is where the Aspergerian breaks down. A female may not indicate availability, and a male may not broadcast his interest, or the signals may be misread mistimed, or otherwise disfunctional.

The above example of talking past the point when others wish you to shut up is a case in point. There are subtle signals that one wishes to take a turn speaking, or wants to leave, or change the subject, or a myriad of other things.

These are not things that are verbally taught in society, and are controlled automatically by the neo-cortex as well as by life long exposure to society. As such, they vary from place to place.

A good example would be Italians talking with their hands. In Italian society, hands raised is an indicator of soapboxing. The act of putting hands in the air means "let me speak" or "I will continue speaking" and you can actually see some Italians pushing each others hands down. And they are not even conscious of it.

An aspies obession ranges from hard core hobby to downright singlemindedness. It might range from simply really liking trains all the way to having train themed cutlery, train wall paper, train toys, sound track CDs of train sounds, train bed sheets.. and a yard full of train parts. Since this isnt enough, vacations will be train themed too.

My own obsession is body language, strangely enough. I'm no good at it, but I could tell you all about it! I've spend around 28 of my 34 years reading about it... thats an obsession, not just a hobby.

I almost always know when its time to shut up... and thats right about... now.

Well I don't know anything about flirting. I'm celibate so I see no need to, so I've never noticed any of these automatic behaviors. I have doubts to their actual existence.

And I will consign due to the validity of your examples that people like that do exist...just not that they are the way they are because of some singular brain disfunction, or that it is a disorder of any kind.

Scored 26, which isn't Asperger-ish. But I do have it. I've never been diagnosed, but I share many traits with my cousin, who has, and it runs in my family somewhat. If I don't have it, I'd be very surprised.

i got one :eek:

I scored 31, but this test is impossible to score over 50 so it's not the OPs test.

Sure you aren't just getting the run-around?

I don't get what you mean. Could well be my English.

I don't get what you mean. Could well be my English.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/give_somebody_the_run_around

*nod*

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/give_somebody_the_run_around

*nod*

Yeah, I know what the runaround means.
I still don't get what you're saying. Who's giving who the runaround?

found a test: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

edit: I got:
Score: 8

HS thats low

Score: 37 :(

These asperger tests are screwed. My biology teacher once told me after reading some philosophical essay of my were you would have to do something with comparing yourself to an animal that I might have Asperger syndrome. She thought this as her husband had the syndrome. But it turned out I was just a nerd :rolleyes:

Well I don't know anything about flirting. I'm celibate so I see no need to, so I've never noticed any of these automatic behaviors. I have doubts to their actual existence.
The behaviours have been empiracally observed. All peoples are known to communicate non-verbally. Hiemria, over 60% of all communication in face to face interactions is non-verbal! Just as people need put very little thought into how to talk and comprehend other people talking, they freely communicate in non-verbal language.

And I will consign due to the validity of your examples that people like that do exist...just not that they are the way they are because of some singular brain disfunction, or that it is a disorder of any kind.
Of course you are welcome to your view. However, I find it strange that a person who must realise they know little about the issue, would want to hold a view that has no supporting evidence, in the face of both contrary evidence and the predominance of a contrary view being held amongst people who have extensive knowledge about the issue.

Empiracal tests have demonstrated that there is a brain function irregularity involved. Often physical symptoms are also involved (for instance muscle dyspraxia). The condition involves not only certain deficits but also certain irregularities in regards to ability.

When you find clinical evidence of actual physical neurological irregularity, difference in developmental patterns, particular physical symptoms (for instance sensory, muscular), particular deficiencies, and irregular capacity, all occuring in a stable pattern across a range of people of different cultural, socio-economic conditions, and across all ages, sexes, and personality types,
I dont know what other explanation is logically consistent with our epistemological and clinical praxis, than to call it a condition and seek to understand the demonstrated physical function/process underlying the phenomena.

36

Hiemria I can see you are being open minded about it; you readily admit that the traits cluster in individuals. Whether or not it should be embodied as a singular syndrome is a valid question. The spectrum is very broad, and traits occur in an individual inconsistantly and in a somewhat random fashion.

That probably means that the considered spectrum needs to be tightened, or it needs to be split up into different syndromes. This is partially done with things like ADD and whatnot.

I disagree with Zagat on an important point. I've heard people toss out percentages of which body language is supposed to comprise.. anywhere from 50% to 90%. If ninety percent of communication was non verbal, then we would not need to speak to communicate. Even at 50% we would be able to 'talk' between ourselves better than we could "speak" to someone with a foreign language. Its jsut not true.

Instead, I posit that body language is a separate channel of communication. It is the blue channel of the RGB of higher mammalian communication. Just as all people speak with greater of lesser aptitude, we body signal with a variety of skill levels.

And I will leave you with an example of body language that you can use to verify such a channel of communication.

Next time you are having a nice chat with someone; bonding you might say, however lightly, do this.

Casually reach up and scratch your nose, or jsut touch it. Be subtle about it. Then relax your gaze and watch the other person. Within a short period of time, perhaps as fast as one second, they will also touch their nose. They might not scratch it if you did, but they should touch it.

If you dont like this routine, and you are sitting, lean forward in your chair. Wait for them to lean forward as well, and then lean back again. I am betting they will do the same! If you are standing, you can take a half step back or forwards in a similar fashion. They will mirror that.

Please! I'd love to hear of your success or failure in this endeavour. Will you reply here?

I disagree with Zagat on an important point. I've heard people toss out percentages of which body language is supposed to comprise.. anywhere from 50% to 90%. If ninety percent of communication was non verbal, then we would not need to speak to communicate. Even at 50% we would be able to 'talk' between ourselves better than we could "speak" to someone with a foreign language. Its jsut not true.

Non-verbal language goes beyond body language. A wedding ring communicates 'I'm married' to anyone familiar with the convention, a pair of jeans communicates something different to a suite and tie or a top hat and tails. There is a constant exchange of messages in clothing and accessories alone, and a lot of it takes place between people who never actually get around to talking.

And body language itself is very pervasive, even respecting the convention regarding the 'right distance' to stand behind someone in a cafetaria-line (or not for that matter) is a subtle message that is received and interpreted by others in the line.

Non-verbal language goes beyond body language. A wedding ring communicates 'I'm married' to anyone familiar with the convention, a pair of jeans communicates something different to a suite and tie or a top hat and tails. There is a constant exchange of messages in clothing and accessories alone, and a lot of it takes place between people who never actually get around to talking.

And body language itself is very pervasive, even respecting the convention regarding the 'right distance' to stand behind someone in a cafetaria-line (or not for that matter) is a subtle message that is received and interpreted by others in the line.

I don't think those are applicable to what we are talking about since all of those non verbal messages have to be learned to be understood.

I don't think those are applicable to what we are talking about since all of those non verbal messages have to be learned to be understood.
Actually it is an important aspect of what is being discussed.

The whole point is peoples' brains are arranged so that they automatically learn certain things through appropriate exposure, for language exposure at critical stages of development results in the acquisition of language. Other things most people need to be systematically taught - reading, playing a piano. People dont need to be systematically taught the basic non-verbal lexicon that applies in the culture they have been socialised in any more than they need to be systematically taught their first language. The reason is normally functioning human brains have properties and traits that make such automatic acquisition of certain skill sets, an inevitable response to the stimulae of appropriate exposure.

To not gain these skill sets in response to the appropriate stimulae is dysfunction, in the same way that not hearing sound in response to sound stimulae is dysfunction. It is a deficiency in an important capacity that is part of the normal range of human functioning. How is that not a condition in the same way the dysfunction of other physical parts of the body are?

I don't see how jeans are different than a suit except as the value our culture places on them. Same thing with wedding bands.

My understanding of this syndrome was that things that were not mentioned explicitly would not be understood. These are things that have to be mentioned explicitly. If no one had told me about wedding rings I would just assume they were a piece of jewlery.

I don't see how jeans are different than a suit except as the value our culture places on them. Same thing with wedding bands.

My understanding of this syndrome was that things that were not mentioned explicitly would not be understood. These are things that have to be mentioned explicitly. If no one had told me about wedding rings I would just assume they were a piece of jewlery.

I quite agree. All of these material things are society dependant. Though they have implied meaning, such meaning is taught through practical lesson, even if it is one brief statement.

But... someone on the autism spectrum might not even have an awareness of jewelry. Much like a cat doesnt really care(or probably notice) that you change your fur(clothing) everyday, an autist might not clue in to the fact that wedding rings are worn by some and not others.

This certainly isnt a matter of stupidity, although the effects can seem the same. It comes down to perceptual differences, attention issues.

I'm looking for an effective example..

Ah.

An artist succeeds to lesser or greater degree in representing reality on paper by transfering what (s)he sees. of course, to a normal sighted person, a great variety of data is taken in by the eyes, but only part of it is interpreted, encoded and transfered to paper.

A competent person would draw a recognizable face.. eyes, ears, mouth, nose. Thats a neurotypical person, if you are considering autism.

A innately talented or highly trained person would draw a shaded highlighted face, easily recognizable as a specific person. If you considered the equivilent on the autism scale, this would be a social genius(something that isnt at all discussed).

The stereotypical Autist reads function like a 2 year old draws. While they take in form and detail, they dont make very good use of the data. This can include material items and appearance as well.

To use your example of jewelry, you cant assume a (young)autist would be aware of the concept of beautification through adornment.

Myself, I sometimes fail to recognise people if they are out of the environment I know them from, or if they are dressed differently from how I know them. Thats called face blindness, and I have just a touch of it. Maybe once a year it will bite me in the ass in some way.

My perception is colored by my watching of behavior. I'll be seeing all these little movements and (trying!) to classify them.. meanwhile, I havent heard a word that they are saying. That is opposite from regular folk, who will be listening and understanding, but be unaware(consciously) or what the other persons micro actions are.

Ahem. I rant. I digress.

I was actually diagnosed with Asperger's in fact if it wasn't because of my strange behaviors from asperger's I wouldn't be imfamous on NS or anywhere else.:(

I would just like to find more people who were like me, i have a hard time communicating with others, i just can't enjoy it that much, i don't know what to say so i usually stay quiet, and when i don't stay quiet i say something completely uninteresting according to the others. Even though they don't treat me badly or anything, i stay at home, I don't know why, i just have been for so long.
Sometimes i pull myself to go visit a friend, but the next day i've given up trying, even though they are nice and everything.

Fishcakia:
I'm not a clinical psychologist, but I do know something about psychology. It sounds more like you have a social anxiety disorder than anything else. I would go to your school counselor (or, better yet, school psychologist if you have one) and describe what's going on. If you do have a social anxiety disorder, there are lots of things (therapy, medication) that a psychologist or psychiatrist could do to help.
Hope this helps.
p.s. I have a social anxiety disorder, and it is possible to "fix" it.

I don't see how jeans are different than a suit except as the value our culture places on them. Same thing with wedding bands.
That's the whole point. The meaning is not inherent in the sign anymore than the meaning of words are inherent in the sound. Just like verbal language, other modes of communication consist of using conventional and very often arbitary signs that signal the signified. The important aspect is the sharing of the convention. The normal funcitoning of the human brain is such that these conventions are readily acquired without any effort on the part of the person. All that is necessary in the case of a normally functioning human brain, is the appropriate stimulae exposure. The fact that most words consist of sounds that have no meaning except the meaning cultures place on them, doesnt change the fact that normally functioning humans will learn a language if they are approriately exposed to the necessary stimulae.

Compare this to a different (but related) arbitary sign system, reading and writing. Humans do not typically simply acquire the capacity to read and write by simply being exposed to the written word. Systematic teaching is usually necessary. The same goes for playing a piano. Now while there are varying levels of inherent-skill involved in such tasks, the same is true of communication (including verbal).

What is consistent is the way a normally functioning brain automatically acquires proficiency in certain capacities simply through exposure. In fact not only humans, but all higher primates have the propensity to automatically develop particular capacities in response to the appropriate stimulae. It is certainly a dysfunction for to be missing what is a basic requirement in all social higher primates.

My understanding of this syndrome was that things that were not mentioned explicitly would not be understood. These are things that have to be mentioned explicitly. If no one had told me about wedding rings I would just assume they were a piece of jewlery.
No one told you what every single word you understand means. And I think you'll find most people wouldnt need to be told about wedding rings. Most people dont need to be told the meaning of most signals that are common-place in their social/cultural group. That's the whole point. Human beings, like most primates have a propensity to learn most of the social rules that apply to their group, without being told explicitly. It's part of the normal functioning of a higher primate. If a human being does not automatically become socialised in response to the appropriate environmental triggers/stimulae, then that human is deficient in the normal range of human capacities. And significantly so at that.

Now you stated that you dont know that such things are the result of one cause. They may not be, but what is being referred to is not the cause but the outcome, the actual syndrome itself. Whatever is the cause or causes, we are only going to find out if we recognise the syndrome first.

Personally I expect there is more than one cause but with common results with regards to certain processes. But I also expect that the reason the results have some underlying commonality in effect is because whatever cause or causes are involved effect the same brain processes.

My friend, who has asperger, wanted me to take a test on the internet about if i had asperger, and I scored 138/156. It said 122 and above meant you had asperger.
Does this mean I have asperger?
I'm 14 years old and I've always felt different from others, having trouble communicating with others, and always distancing myself from others, not having any real "best friend" and so on. I was always the calm person, never getting mad and so on.

If you read it on the Internet, it must be true.

My friend, who has asperger, wanted me to take a test on the internet about if i had asperger, and I scored 138/156. It said 122 and above meant you had asperger.
Does this mean I have asperger?
I'm 14 years old and I've always felt different from others, having trouble communicating with others, and always distancing myself from others, not having any real "best friend" and so on. I was always the calm person, never getting mad and so on.

ummmm
i think it only means your an ass...burger..just kidding...see a doctor.

I scored 31, just one point away! :eek: