Discovery

Of the three young ladies who I claim as my nieces, the one I've always had the most in common with is my bestest friend's little girl.  We both love computers, critters and books, and we both had all kinds of trouble with school, in spite of being smart and getting excellent grades.   When she graduated from High School, she had a myriad of social challenges and phobias that were very similar to what I fought when I was her age.

I was a bit stunned when I heard she had been diagnosed with Autism, and that it was so definite that she qualified for disability on the first try.


It took me a while to realize and face the full significance for me personally:

My niece is diagnosed with Autism
She and I are very much alike -- When I was her age, I wasn't doing much better than she is now.
 . . . .could it be that I too am on the spectrum? I finally wondered.


I started reading everything I could find on Autism and Asperger's. The more I read, the more the past 50+ years began to make sense.   I found a list of Aspie traits as it manifests in girls [http://help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_a58d4f6a/wp_a58d4f6a.html]  Although there are a few traits listed that I don't share, they are very few indeed.

Reading through the DSM-IV and DSM-V criteria [http://www.help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_b79de52e/wp_b79de52e.html], I'd still qualify, even after all these years.  When I was younger, it would have been an open and shut case, as the HFA was for my niece.

Finally, in an effort to definitively confirm/refute/refine my suspicions, I took a few highly recommended online tests:  [http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt113459.html]

1.  Autistic/BAP
You scored 109 aloof, 94 rigid and 85 pragmatic

You scored above the cutoff on all three scales. Clearly, you are either autistic or on the broader autistic phenotype. You probably are not very social, and when you do interact with others, you come off as strange or rude without meaning to. You probably also like things to be familiar and predictable and don't like changes, especially unexpected ones.

2.  AQ Score: 42 ( >32 indicates possible AS or HFA)

3.  EQ:  18
    SQ:  82
    Extreme Systemizing (possible AS or HFA)

4.  HSP:  18 ( >14 = Highly Sensitive Person and possible AS or HFA)

(5. is an Emotional Intelligence test that requires payment for the full results)

6.  Reading the mind in the eyes' test (Baron-Cohen et al.)
    28 (normal: 22-30)

7.  Face Recognition: 59% (normal: 65% or higher)

8.  Aspie Quiz
    Your Aspie score: 142 of 200
    Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 64 of 200
    You are very likely an Aspie

Of the 7 tests I have results for, the only one I tested normal on was "Reading the mind in the eyes"

Houston, we've found the problem.  I'm an Aspie!

(the main dividing line between Asperger's and High Functioning Autism is delayed communication, especially speech.  As far as I know, I started talking on time.  In fact, I was reading at 4 years old.)