Asperger’s Syndrome Quizzes -- A few links:

[nicknameless]

These sites make no hard claims regarding accuracy of diagnosis … but the quizzes are interesting and fun to do. :)

http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/MaleFemale.asp

This short quiz may be a replication of a Baron Cohen test.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

[BlueStorm]

1. There was one the MSNBC had on their site a few years back.

I don't know if they still have it or not. It was a good quiz. I will have to refer the quizzes that you mentioned above to my mom and stepdad.

Blue

[nicknameless]

2. They're fun tests. I tried to find the one on MSNBC, but couldn't.

I did however find something about Bill Gates being a probable Aspie.
Hard to imagine. Windows was plagiarized, and MicroSoft software is notoriously bad.
Those kinds of business practices aren't what I would have associated with Asperger's.

[Deja Q]

4. Bill Gates is no Aspie.

Asperger's Syndrome pertains considerably to social skills.

For Gates to have gotten his status means he has a social capacity far above and beyond regular people. And that is a level Aspies would DREAM to be. Not for the money, the ability to communicate one's ideas to others. And if you ask me (and you haven't), Gates doesn't look or act the type to need somebody writing his speeches for him and learning how to say those speeches by a good tutor.

It's a load of bunk that Gates is an Aspie or anthing else remotely associated with a PDD. Apple plagiarized as well - Xerox invented the mouse and GUI... It's a business thang to copy and "innovate".

[hunter]

6. I agree.

He's some kind of shark.

[KamaAina]

8. No way is Gates an Aspie.

When Aspies write software, it works. :evilgrin:

[nicknameless]

9. An Aspie would obsess over it until it DID work.

Whoever said that about Gates was pretty clueless about Aspies.

:)

[idgiehkt]

10. lol

that's hysterical

and true...

[Deja Q]

21. !

:spray:

True, however. There is humor, but it is reality as well. Aspies are persistent and want things to work just right.

Gates just wants it to work sufficiently so he can get the most money out of it. And his social skills as a businessman do indeed negate him as an Aspie.

[Aspy in Bend]

11. Gates being Aspie is open for debate

Unless he actually takes the test, we won't know for sure. Even then, doesn't prove it either way. I have to disagree with the comment about IF he was an aspy Windows would actually work better. I'm sure there are a lot of Aspies who can't complete things or follow through all the way.

I know speaking for myself; I can be driven to figure something out and work for hours and hours, but... when I'm almost done there is that 'unknown force' that does not allow me to completely finish it. For some reason I like other people to take care of the final details.

Isn't it possible that Bill Gates worked for hours and hours in his garage and when it was almost finished, He and Allen called it good enough, figuring that eventually things will work out.... I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, eventhough I do not agree with most of the Microsoft products.

[Deja Q]

22. But Gates didn't encode Windows on his own.

He had a team of developers work on it, though he too probably had a hand in it.

(though some people claimed he found some discarded code in the trash outside Apple's main building... :D )

[yankhadenuf]

24. ok, now let's be open-minded about this

Does Bill Gates flap his arms, toe-walk, rock back and forth, or do any other form of "stimming" and obsessing :think:(counting money for hours and even days at a time doesn't qualify ;-) )

[Kajsa]

3. Thanks!

I'm bookmarking these.
I hope my son will take them.

Sometimes he's very sensitive of the
fact of having PDDs and will refuse.

[Aspy in Bend]

12. PDD and being sensitive about it

I felt that way in the beginning as well, but I have embraced it. It took a while to accept that any Pervasive Developmental Disorders are grouped in this PDD group because there are 'many things wrong with you', as in more than one, so it makes it harder to categorize you.

When I first found about that I was AS, I thought great: my brain is screwed up, my emotions are lacking, my brain does the wrong things, my hearing has an auditory delay, socializing is like a foreign language, etc... but I found that focusing on the positives of the condition helped me overcome the negative view. Sure I still have challenges in the previously mentioned areas, but now I practice them and see it more as learning experience in those departments.

Asperger Syndrome has more positives than negatives in my personal experience; but that came only after learning more about it and educating myself about how to counter some of the challenges.

[idgiehkt]

15. I can identify with your second paragraph

I can accept the things that make me different. What I want to do now is kind of de-brief myself from all the garbage I 'learned' about myself growing up as my family reacted to what they perceived to be my defiencies. I was taught that I was just, in general, a bad, uncaring person, and I have internalized alot of that. So much of the pain of this problem for me comes from the reactions of those around me when it was crucial that I be understood and instead I was kind of derided about things. Like the auditory sensitivity... for example I could never sleep at night as a child because my Dad's bedroom was next door, and he would always have to fall asleep with either the tv on or the stereo on. I would have to wait til I heard him snoring, sneak into his room, turn it off, and then go back to bed. Half the time he would wake up while I was doing this and turn it back on and the cycle would start over again. I would come home from school and be exhausted from not sleeping the night before, and go to bed and sleep until dark. I remember complaining to my mother and her telling me that I was lying about not being able to sleep at night, because I slept fine in the afternoons after school. There were just a million little things like this going on all the time, and my family's reaction to me as always that I was lying, or bad, or trying to cause trouble, or being manipulative, or acting spoiled, or being difficult, or thinking I was 'better than them' (I heard that about a million times) because I was so withdrawn, etc. There is alot of pain lingering because my developmental problems weren't known. I took in SO MUCH negativity because of that. This is all new to me and I am still processing through all this and kind of reflecting on all of it and sometimes...just wow.

[Aspy in Bend]

16. de-briefing the past for what it was

... that can be a long and arduous process, to say the least. 10 years ago I 'survived' a nasty divorce. With my sense of 'justice and fairness' - a common trait in AS - I honestly thought that the Judge would see through all the lies my ex-wife's lawyer was spinning. To make a long story short, I was taken for all I had; after all, I thought justice was on my side and I didn't need an attorney. It ended up being a valuable life lesson (in hindsight)that resulted in a lot of soul searching for the next several years. I didn't know that I had AS at that time, that only came a few years ago, but I did make a decision that I would no longer allow negativity to rule my life. Looking back now, the decisions I made 10 years ago, are some of the best I've made in my life so far. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was also the very first time that I feel I made a decision solely for myself and through my own thought process, without 'pleasing' others or allow others to influence my decision.

To get back to the de-briefing, I do it in small doses, as it can be painful, especially when I had painted for myself this picture that my childhood was actually pretty good.

In regards to my sensitivity to noises; when I met my wife, I had to put it plainly to her about how important silence in the bedroom was for me. As you mentioned your father and his need for radio/TV while sleeping, that's how my wife was, she could not imagine sleeping without music. She couldn't understand why that would be such a big deal for me. She eventually figured it out, when I chose not to spend the night, and that kept being my reason. At some point in your life, you learn to stick up for what is important to you; and that happened to be one of those. My wife has not felt the need to have music on while we're in the bedroom ever since we decided to be in a committed loving relationship.

[hunter]

5. Ah, the infamous Wired quiz!

I scored in the forties on that. My wife was like, "So?" She's a very practical woman. It's what you do that counts, not why you do it.

My life experience demonstrates quite clearly I'm a bit off, and not just in some Asperger's way.

I have a new counselor and when she started to give me a similar quiz, I had to laugh. But she told me to do it anyways.

"You score high..." she said.

Um, yeah, it wasn't until I was in my twenties that I developed any reasonable strategies for interacting with people, and that was only after I'd been kicked out of college twice and lost a few jobs to my cluelessness. I did eventually graduate and work, but it's never been easy.

I still have some blind spots that flare up now and again. My kids ask me why I never eagerly devoured all the Harry Potter novels like everyone else in our family. Well, it's not because I don't have time, I just find them difficult in a "What's going on here?" sort of way. They don't flow for me. I do enjoy science fiction, mostly of the hard science sort. I can happily devour science and engineering texts.

I always worry about being too introspective about these things. Sure, it shapes who you are, but it's not you. You ask a guy with artificial legs "Who are you?" and if he answers "I'm a guy with artificial legs," he's not really telling you anything. Generally he's going to tell you his name, and what he's about within the context of your meeting. Maybe the topic of his artificial legs comes up later, maybe not. "I'm Bill. Maggie invited me. I work in the chem lab."

Myself, I'm fortunate that I can figure a lot of things out by some rational process, and I'm not particularly upset if these are the sorts of things other people recognize by some built-in magic.

Ah well, in spite of my great reluctance to be boxed in, here I am...

[nicknameless]

13. I look at it in a similar way that I view astrology.

We all have certain "tendencies". We can do with them whatever we choose. Either let them be, or try and change them.
No judgment good or bad, right or wrong. They just *are*.

:)

[Aspy in Bend]

7. Some more information for people with Asperger Syndrome.

Good morning:

I've been a reader of Democratic Underground for quite some time, but never commented to any of the topics. Yesterday I noticed the start of this group and figured it was time to participate.

I noticed that several of the comments seem to center around AS (Asperger Syndrome) being a disease or something to change; something that needs to be altered to fit into society. I believe it was Tony Atwood who said something along this line: "Asperger is not a disability; it's a different ability". That doesn't take away the fact that AS certainly has its challenges, as I can personally attest.

For those of you who are interested in finding out more about themselves and/or someone they know, here are a few links that may shed some light on the personality of someone with AS. I'd suggest you take some time and take the MYERS-BRIGGS test. It seems that there are several AS people who are also INTP (Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving) I'm not claiming that all AS people are INTP, but I'm sure that quite a few of them will reckognize themselves in this profile.

http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP.html

http://www.intp.org/intprofile.html

http://www.intp.org/

Here are 2 links to take a MYERS-BRIGGS test:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/mb-simpl.htm

I hope this information will be helpful to some of you. I'll be posting more at a later time. Take care and enjoy the day.

[idgiehkt]

14. thanks

I noticed your post count and wondered if you'd been lurking for a while, I've done that quite a bit myself

I am INFP on the Myers Briggs. I wonder if alot of female aspies are INFP.

Thanks for posting those links. :hi:

[Aspy in Bend]

17. 'lurking'

Yes indeed, I was happy reading the postings on Democratic Underground, without adding my 2 cents, until I saw a group for people like us was formed.

I assume you found the link to the detailed description of the INFP on one of the links.

[idgiehkt]

19. yes, I just took the Myer's Briggs for the first time a few months ago

I'd never heard of it but apparently it is a very popular test to take. The INFP seems to fit me pretty well. :hi: I am glad you are here and I hope this group continues to grow. I am surprised how when I come in here and post I feel a sense of relief, like I can really be myself...I normally post only in the lounge and I think I have a wall up in there, but in this forum I feel like I am really me.

[Odin2005]

29. I'm an INTJ. n/t.

[MSchreader]

18. Glad you posted these

Ever since I started reading about AS, I suspected I was. If the tests are any indication, I certainly am (36 out of 50 for the Baron Cohen, and 167 out of 200 for the Aspie-Quiz).

I've always had a hard time talking with someone face-to-face. I can't look anyone in the eye (including my wife!) without feeling uncomfortable. I can't explain anything very well verbally, but I can sit behind a computer and write my brains out ... as long as no one else is around. I've always noticed things that others don't -- especially little things. I've always had a highly sensitive sense of smell (if I'm in the living room, I can smell when my daughter opens the hot sauce in the kitchen and puts it on her food) and loud noises still send me into fits (the fire drill buzzer used to make me burst out into tears all through school ... and I was constantly teased about that fact).

I was diagnosed with ADD when I was four, and briefly took Ritalin, until my mother threw the prescription out (she said I spent all my time under the kitchen table when I took it -- I vaguely remember doing that -- and that spooked her). I was considered "Creatively and Academically Talented", but failed out of the program because I lost attention and kept wanting to do what I wanted to do.

I took honors physics in high school and aced the final, but failed the class because I never did the homework. All my math classes went just about the same. Why? I never "showed my work" -- I figured the answer out in my head, usually. When I tried to "show my work", I generally got all the procedures wrong, but had the right answer anyway ... which always confused my teachers. Politics and history became my strong suits -- especially leftwing politics (specifically, Marxism), 19th century U.S. history and 20th century world history. But history and politics generally offer up topics I like to learn a lot about. My most recent history binge has been the Nazarene (early Christian) movement, from the death of Ieshua to the rise of the Roman Christian church. (And I'm an atheist!)

I'm supposed to be starting back in college in January (I flunked out before because I spent all my time doing computerized layout -- which is another thing I like to do a lot -- instead of attending classes), and hopefully I'm old enough and have acquired enough "social skills" at this point to be able to handle it. It's only been 15 years since I was last in school, after all.

I came to DU back in 2002, and posted here fairly regularly for about a year and a half, and then have been more or less lurking ever since -- often going months at a time between visits. This forum has brought me back, and I'm glad it exists. Thanks.

Martin

[Deja Q]

20. "Other people frequently tell me that what I've said is impolite, even though I think it is polite."

Your score: 44
0 - 10 = low
11 - 22 = average (most women score about 15 and most men score about 17)
23 - 31 = above average
32 - 50 is very high (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 35)
50 is maximum


Though I've had people tell me I'm an Aspie and a year and 9 months ago was officially given the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome.

Knowing about it doesn't make it a cure. :(


Edited: Subject Line Context

[Pithlet]

23. Hmmm. I scored within the range of aspies on all of those.

I'm female, and one of the tests said "almost no women score in this range" I've never been diagnosed as an aspie, but my son is. I wonder if he got it from me.

[Dervill Crow]

25. Interesting. Those quizzes indicate I am an Aspie.

I've suspected it since reading about it a year ago. It would explain a lot and is much less alarming than some of the other self-diagnoses I was coming up with.

Thanks, HypnoToad, for linking to this board. :hi:

[Kajsa]

26. I scored a 44 on the Systemizing quotient.

My son is the one with HS Autism.

Hmmm--- things that make you go,
Hmmmmm----.

Thanks for posting these links.

:hi:

Afterthought,

Could my score have anything to do with being raised by
mechanical engineers, ( my dad and brother) a designer( again, aerospace)
( my mother) and they were/are all neat freaks?

Just asking.

[eridani]

27. 26 for me, 34 for hubby

I suspect that a lot of women (het or bi, of course) in that high range short of Asperger's, wind up being bridges between their geekier spouses and the rest of the world. He's always saying stuff like "You're the one with the social skills--explain what's going on." I can't always do that, and have to explain that just because my social skills are better than his doesn't make them good.

[Odin2005]

28. "Your Aspie score: 171 of 200"

http://www.rdos.net/eng/poly12b.php?p1=96&p2=81&p3=94&p4=93&p5=97&p6=90&p7=78&p8=91&p9=54&p10=31&p11=87&p12=64

[CraftyGal]

30. These are my scores...

Baron Cohen Test

Your score: 61
0 - 19 = low
20 - 39 = average (most women score about 24 and most men score about 30)
40 - 50 = above average (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score in this range)
51 - 80 is very high (three times as many people with Asperger Syndrome score in this range, compared to typical men, and almost no women score in this range)
80 is maximum

Aspie-quiz
Your Aspie score: 172 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 32 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

CraftyGal