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Add to NewsvineA friend whose grandson is autistic tells me that this 50-question assessment devised by Cambridge University is considered by those in the autism community to be a pretty accurate assessment of where one falls on the autism spectrum. It'll take you only a few minutes to complete it, but the results might startle you. It certainly did startle several readers in a thread below, which is why I'm giving it its own entry.
Most adult males score at or around 17 (out of 50); most adult females score at or around 15. A score of 35 or thereabouts is associated with Asperger's Syndrome, the mildest form of autism. The lower your score, the more empathetic you are (this is not a moral judgment, but one that describes the way you interact with the world and process experience emotionally and psychologically).
I know someone who took it and got a 38; this guy I'd already figured was at least borderline Asperger's. He's pretty communicative, and fairly brilliant, but he's not terribly interested in what others have to say. As long as I've known him, I've been surprised at his lack of empathy for others. Seeing his result from the quiz made me actually more sympathetic to the guy. I'd thought he was kind of a jerk, actually, but now I think the poor fellow suffers from a mild form of autism, and simply doesn't understand how he comes across to others. It was a reminder of me to be careful about judging others, because I had a harsher opinion of this guy until it was revealed through this quiz that he might be struggling with something he's not even aware of.
Anyway, I got a 9 on the quiz. Mr. Empath, that's me. Heh. INFP on the Myers-Briggs, too. FWIW.
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I am a female and I scored a 26. Apparently this is slightly above average, but not actually on the autism spectrum. This is strange to me because technically I am on the autism spectrum. I’m empathetic now, but I’m not sure how much of it is instinctive and how much of it is learned.
I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) when I was four. A diagnosis of PDD-NOS is given to people who have symptoms of autism (impairment of communication/social interaction and stereotyped behaviors) but don't meet the full criteria for any of the disorders on the autism spectrum.
When I was very young, I was tactile defensive and couldn't endure being touched. I talked late, and when I did talk it was in some way odd (I used to never use contractions). I had hang-ups over unusual things (such as the Hokey-Pokey dance, because I always preferred to put the left foot first). I had terrible gross coordination (walked strangely, no sense of balance) and skewed fine coordination (I would point at things with my middle finger instead of the index, but on the other hand I taught myself how to write). I had an excellent memory for dates and numbers. I was obsessed with certain words ("exit", "dragonfly", and "kitty", among others), the letter G, the number six, the color green, and cats. I never lied, not because of higher morals but because deviating from "the facts" was unthinkable. I had speech therapy, where my teacher explained to me the concept of idioms. I was almost completely oblivious to social cues. I was introverted and preferred to be solitary, but I wasn't shy. Shy people think that other people think the worst of them; it never occurred to me that other people's thoughts were different from my own, and I didn't care about their approval.
As I got older I slowly realized that my social skills were "wrong" in some way. I had an easier time talking to adults than to children. Other people didn't like it when I talked over and over about things that interested me intensely. I was interested in a tiny range of different subjects more passionately than other children I knew. I became shy and lonely as I realized that I didn't know how to function socially or make friends, and that other people thought I was a weirdo. I started to want friends, but I rejected many social conventions, such as maintaining an unthreatening facial expression when not actively socializing (my "default" expression used to be a hideously ugly scowl), on logical grounds. Since I had never experienced social interaction with other children in a positive manner, I didn't understand that illogical rituals are often what sustain relationships. At one point I had to take social skills classes to learn such obvious things as correct posture and gait, when to say good-bye or I'm sorry, and how to be assertive without being aggressive.
I feel like such a different person now. I received occupational therapy at five, and all that remains of my tactile defensiveness is extreme ticklishness and a reluctance to hug or be hugged. My hang-ups are mostly about bad grammar, and I've learned that people don't like it when I correct them, so I almost never voice my complaints anymore. I'm still non-athletic, but I'm not clumsier than average, and I certainly don't point at things with my middle finger (unless they deserve it). I’m not so obsessed with particular numbers, letters, or words anymore (though I still adore cats). I tell white lies as often as anyone else. I’m still introverted, but I have friends and love spending time with them.
I’ve always been perfectionist, but it’s eased over the years. I’m often very serious and introspective, but I can detect humor and sarcasm just fine. I’m just ordinary now, I guess. This over-earnest comment may make me seem socially stupid, and it’s true that I’m not street-smart, but I’m just unfamiliar with posting my thoughts on the Internet.
What I don’t get is this: it’s obvious from my childhood memories that I would have scored much higher on the test as recently as a few years ago. Have my social skills improved so significantly that I don’t have PDD-NOS anymore? But if PDD-NOS is part of my brain wiring, then how did I get better? I remember an unusually small amount of my childhood up to the age of eight (I remember being told about the quirks I listed in my earlier paragraph). Could it be that learning more social skills changed the way I think so fundamentally that memories formed before my mental transformation were simply obliterated?
By the way, I’ve never identified my personality type with any confidence. I place great value in feelings, but I suspect this may have been learned and not instinctive.
Posted by: karkadann | July 22, 2008 5:22 AM
Ack, sorry about the super long comment before.
Anyway, my brother has classical autism. His language skills are poor enough that he couldn't possibly understand the questions in the AQ test, but what he's managed to communicate suggests he's very intelligent (he has perfect pitch, for one thing). He uses lines from movies to communicate his emotions, which don't seem to be inhibited. He enjoys solitary play (such as video games) for hours on end, but he also loves social interaction and physical affection (like hugs). He finds transitions exciting and fun. He is easy-going and fun-loving rather than anxious.
I'm not sure how empathic he is. He gets upset when anyone else is angry, sad, or upset, to the point that he can't watch emotional scenes in movies. He loves animals and small children, and they in turn instinctively like him, but he's not always gentle with them. Our young cousin idolizes my brother because he's a cool big kid who just happens to like trains and action figures with the passion of a much younger child. They can play together for hours on end. However, my cousin often irritates my brother with his antics, and my brother just can't understand the concept of ignoring people who annoy you. Perhaps my brother has the empathic abilities of a younger child?
I also have a female friend with Asperger's. It affects her life profoundly and it's part of her identity. (My diagnosis of PDD-NOS at four doesn't feel like part of me at all.) She's very outgoing and friendly, and not obsessed with numbers or impersonal details. However, she has very poor social skills and doesn't have a filter on what she says. I get the feeling her childhood was very awkward and lonely, but she's happier now. I wonder what she'd get on the AQ test?
Posted by: karkadann | July 22, 2008 5:43 AM
32 year old female, ENTJ
Score: 26
Posted by: | July 22, 2008 11:27 AM
Male, INTP... 40
Not suprised.
Posted by: MrUnemployable | August 29, 2008 6:04 PM
Male, 40, INTP...
Score 40
Not suprised.
Posted by: MrUnemployable | August 29, 2008 6:06 PM
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