Aspergers Syndrome

[telecom_goddess]

I was diagnosed with AS over a year ago; couldn't tell you exactly as time perception is one of my issues.

Others are dislike of being touched; guarding the "bubble" cuz I have severe personal space issues; hoarding cuz I find it difficult to throw stuff away even when it's had it; inability to tell when I'm being rude; difficulty in reading people; taking things at face value logicwise, for example if you ring me up and ask me if someone's there, I will say "no" and put the phone down rather than go and look for them and ask them to come to the phone; some stimming, foot tapping and finger tapping along with moving my feet randomly; a seemingly endless plethora of obsessions, some which I have had since childhood; tuning out to listen to music playing in my head; getting stuck in conversational loops and repeating myself.

Phew, that's a lot. o_o

I have a lot of those same issues...except the hoarding. I'm the opposite and tend to get rid of things. But everything else is spot on. I really need to go get a diagnosis I just don't have the funds right now to pay copays and whatnot.

[cewfa]

I don't hoard, but I clean just enough to keep the bugs out.

[Misanthropical]

I want to live in your house misanthropical.

I hear that a lot from my children's friends.

Lace Neil Singer you sound like my big guy. He has the same issues with his AS except for personal space. I have to remind him sometimes to respect people's personal space.

He is also way to trusting of people and I have to remind him sometimes that there are people out there that are not nice people.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I can just about manage to hug my parents, friends and fiance but anyone I don't know who touches me? Ugh.

[Dreamstalker]

He is also way to trusting of people and I have to remind him sometimes that there are people out there that are not nice people.

I don't remember what prompted it (only that the situation would cause anyone to question his actions), but the ex once said I had "trust issues". I tend to think that trusting everything/everyone unconditionally from day one means that you will get hurt badly eventually. I've had my head messed with in some pretty bad ways by "friends" (oh, haha, she's messed up and won't know we're screwing with her*) so have developed some pretty good armor.

* Retaliation in the more minor cases was fun, they didn't think I knew what was going on

[Misanthropical]

I can just about manage to hug my parents, friends and fiance but anyone I don't know who touches me? Ugh.

I use to have issues with not wanting to be touched which I put down to a very bad situation that I lived through. My now husband helped me get over that and we now have a very affectionate family. There are few people allowed to touch me without me getting all postal. Those people are my husband, children and old friends.

When I was pregnant with my big guy it use to make me want to kill when total strangers came up and touched my stomach. When he was born, it annoyed the hell out of me that total strangers wanted to touch him. The same thing happened with all my pregnancies and to the baby after words.

I am very big on my personal space and it seems people in PA have never heard of personal space, so I just use my purse to make sure people give me my space.

I can't sit totally still. It doesn't matter where I am. Just because I'm doodling or playing with my pen does not mean I'm not listening. I actually listen better when I'm doing those things. I make people nervous when they see me taking notes in a meeting, when all I'm actually doing is doodling.

I use to be too trusting of people, but when I turned 20 I can now tell when people should not be trusted even if I only talk to them on the phone. It's weird I know.

I, too can hear music in my head but only if I'm about to fall asleep.

My big guy shakes his leg all the time when he is sitting down. It drives me nuts sometimes, but it's one of his AS quirks. He also does the hording thing, so I try not to go into his room that often, because I'm afraid something may bite me.

[cewfa]

I'm the opposite on touching. I'm a very affectionate guy who will pat your shoulder or give you a hug if I know you're okay with it.

[taurinejunkie]

Some of the traits that people have described (particularly the social uselessness) sound a lot like me - does anyone know if/how I could be tested/diagnosed/whatever?

[AriGriffin]

I haven't been tested for it or anything, but after reading through the comments and looking it up, I think I might have Aspergers Syndrome.

I have never been comfortable dealing with people. I have been told I come off as being overly polite, distant, and stuck-up. I tend to say 'I'm sorry' a lot even for stuff I have no control over. I don't look people in the eyes unless it cannot be avoided. I am constantly told to 'speak up' because I talk quietly. I can't take a hint and need to be told something directly. I have also been told I lack empathy. I care about stuff but don't know how to properly express my feelings. I like to stay to a schedule.

I don't like people touching me. I'm okay with my younger cousins and my Mom touching me, but for anyone else it is hands off.

I have a problem with short-term memory. Say I go unload the dishwasher. Half an hour later I have to go check to see if I did it. I get distracted sometimes. I can remember facts of stuff I am interested in easily. I also tend to be reeeaaallllyyyy focused on a certain subject for a few weeks or months at a time and then drop it for something else (but still retain the love). Like growing up, it was 101 Dalmations, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, The Mummy/Egyptology, Star Wars, Are You Being Served, and Doctor Who.

[crazylegs]

If anyone is having difficulties in finding websites with a huge amount of support and help try this one, the forums seem to be regularly used as well so you might find some personal hints and tips

[Magpie]

Some of the traits that people have described (particularly the social uselessness) sound a lot like me - does anyone know if/how I could be tested/diagnosed/whatever?

It's basically the same process as getting tested for a learning disability. You go to a psychologist and they put you through a battery of tests, and they do some discussions about you growing up (if your parents are able to show up for it they appreciate that). I got a recommendation through my university's office for persons with disabilities. Your GP should be able to do so. I know that a lot of areas (Ontario for one) have online lists of who will evaluate for Asperger's, so do a web search on [your region] and Asperger's. Any local support group should be able to point you in the right direction.

[Dreamstalker]

Just because I'm doodling or playing with my pen does not mean I'm not listening. I actually listen better when I'm doing those things.

Exactly. A lot of people (my job coach included) seem to think that just because I'm not staring right at them I'm not interested/paying attention. Bugs the HELL out of me when they start doing the creepy-staring "come on now, look at me" thing. Maybe I've spent way too much time around dogs/riding the subway, but to me extended direct eye contact means a challenge (or it's just really unsettling).

Unobtrusively fiddling with something if the topic at hand isn't itself fascinating keeps me interested so I don't tune them out (and helps me formulate questions). Unfortunately a lot of people have been trained to think any type of fidgeting is "suspicious" in some way.

[Misanthropical]

I haven't been tested for it or anything, but after reading through the comments and looking it up, I think I might have Aspergers Syndrome.

I have never been comfortable dealing with people. I have been told I come off as being overly polite, distant, and stuck-up. I tend to say 'I'm sorry' a lot even for stuff I have no control over. I don't look people in the eyes unless it cannot be avoided. I am constantly told to 'speak up' because I talk quietly. I can't take a hint and need to be told something directly. I have also been told I lack empathy. I care about stuff but don't know how to properly express my feelings. I like to stay to a schedule.

I don't like people touching me. I'm okay with my younger cousins and my Mom touching me, but for anyone else it is hands off.

I have a problem with short-term memory. Say I go unload the dishwasher. Half an hour later I have to go check to see if I did it. I get distracted sometimes. I can remember facts of stuff I am interested in easily. I also tend to be reeeaaallllyyyy focused on a certain subject for a few weeks or months at a time and then drop it for something else (but still retain the love). Like growing up, it was 101 Dalmations, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, The Mummy/Egyptology, Star Wars, Are You Being Served, and Doctor Who.

I have been told I come off as a snob even though my problem (besides hating 99.9% of humanity) is that I'm not comfortable talking with people I don't know and/or just met. My husband can talk to anyone without a problem, so I guess compared to him I do look like a snob. The only time I try to avoid eye contact with someone is if I have a vibe off of them that they are the type of crazy that should be medicated and isn't.

I am also with you on the short term memory loss thing, but that is from a medical condition. My husband has to keep reminding me of things because he never knows what I might forget. My desk is full of post its with things I wrote down so I would be sure not to forget.

Dreamstalker I use to get in so much trouble in school for fidgeting or doodling instead of "paying attention". Teachers didn't seem to grasp that I did a lot better if I was playing with my pencil or doodling. In college classes I have taken no one cared what I was doing as long as I wasn't bothering anyone else and I carried a 4.0 till I ran out of money and had to stop going.

I would suggest if someone is worried they have AS is to talk to a doctor. It is how my big guy was diagnosed. First, by the school psychiatrist and again by a psychiatrist of our choosing.

[Cazzi]

] I use to get in so much trouble in school for fidgeting or doodling instead of "paying attention". Teachers didn't seem to grasp that I did a lot better if I was playing with my pencil or doodling. In college classes I have taken no one cared what I was doing as long as I wasn't bothering anyone else and I carried a 4.0 till I ran out of money and had to stop going.

That is my daughter and probably the cause of a lot of her outbursts at school when she was being accused of not paying attention when she was. Also it was the same at college, when she actually managed to attend, as long as she got the work done, no one cared she was doodling

There is one thing I can rely on my daughter to be though.. very honest about what suits me & what doesn't
Recently I decided on some clothes that are radically different to what I usually wear; I normally chicken out of anything but jeans & t shirt type stuff.
When I asked her what she thought of said outfit I got a beaming smile, a round of applause & a chorus of mewmewmew (she mews a lot )
If she didn't like it, she would have made a barfing noise
I definitely value her opinions

Full of character is my daughter

[Misanthropical]

That is my daughter and probably the cause of a lot of her outbursts at school when she was being accused of not paying attention when she was. Also it was the same at college, when she actually managed to attend, as long as she got the work done, no one cared she was doodling

There is one thing I can rely on my daughter to be though.. very honest about what suits me & what doesn't
Recently I decided on some clothes that are radically different to what I usually wear; I normally chicken out of anything but jeans & t shirt type stuff.
When I asked her what she thought of said outfit I got a beaming smile, a round of applause & a chorus of mewmewmew (she mews a lot )
If she didn't like it, she would have made a barfing noise
I definitely value her opinions

Full of character is my daughter

My little guy (he's 11) does that mewmew thing too. At first, I thought he was just being a weird kid, but I now think it's a internet thing, since I have seen it posted a lot on other boards.

My little guy doesn't have AS, but does have a disorder similar to it. I have been told by teachers he has outbursts when he is accused of not paying attention because he is doodling. I agree that he needs to learn to control his anger issues, but it only seems to be a problem when he is falsely accused of something or when he gets overwhelmed.

He has a very vivid imagination and a pretty cool kid most of the time.