Take the Autism Quotient quiz

21. Male. I'm not surprised. I thought it might be higher.

Wow, there aren't even jerks anymore. It's just another diagnosis to pity. :)

21, figured it would be lower.

"Jerk" implies willfulness, chosen nastiness. Aspies literally don't grasp the full import of their behavior, and how distorted their perceptions are. That seems to me to reduce culpability, in some sense.

Crap- I got a 31. That probably explains why I listen to the same song enthusiastically over and over again for weeks on end whenever I listen to music.

27. Sounds about right. The test seems to conflate social awareness with social capability with social comfort, which seems a little odd to me, but then maybe that's a function of where I score on the spectrum.

I tend to be socially hyperaware, always reading people, always analysing everything that's said (lots of people who grew up in abusive or highly unstable environments can corroborate this) for mood cues and emotional content. This is part of what makes the Internet such an alluring and frustrating place for communication -- it cuts away so much of the subconscious noise I tend to process in normal interaction.

Maybe that's why blog comment boxes are appealing. We don't have to face the emotions of people we disagree with.

Or blogs, or any other kind of writing that doesn't involve face to face communication. I have lots of opinions, some of them strong, but I'm a really social person, and I am made intensely anxious by direct social conflict. I've found that people who only know me through my writing are surprised when they meet me to find that I'm not combative, but actually conversational and fairly cheerful, no matter where you come from politically or otherwise. I enjoy arguing in the abstract, but in social settings, I'd rather just have a drink and a laugh.

I scored 24, high for a female, but not outside of normal range. I read one of Dr Simon Baren-Cohen's books which had an empathy scale in the back and was surprised to find I scored lower than an average male, though again, not that far from normal. I e-mailed him, and he actually e-mailed me back! It's always exciting to hear back from an author of an actual book.

He explained that women tend to express autism spectrum disorders, or even simple empathy differences, differently. Our brains physically function on a more balanced level. Even autistic spectrum women, therefore, may score a couple of points lower on these scales, since their interests tend to be more towards social or soft sciences, rather than pure mathematics or hard science. (Though of course, for every rule there is an exception.) They also tend to cope or compensate better for the unspoken social rules this population finds so hard to pick up on. They still have difficulties, and still feel quite different from "neurotypicals" around them, though.

My family has its share of autism. I have a first cousin on my father's side who is full-blown autistic. He was quite withdrawn as a child. He is now able to communicate fairly well, and is actually quite personable once you overlook his repetitive words and actions. He is mid-functioning, I estimate his IQ to be in 60s. He lives on his own, but cannot support himself fully.

A first cousin on my mother's side has Asperger's. It was a very hard road to diagnosis - they had him on a fair number of psychotropics for other disorders, and he lost a few years of education, however, he is much relieved with the diagnosis.

Once I read the book, I thought about things. The tendencies I exhibit include a difficulty in making and maintaining eye contact, very focused (though temporary) pursuits and interests, difficulty with empathy, and a dislike of disruption in my routines and plans. I can't handle higher level math at all, my forte is languages - their structure and history. I also enjoy international politics and popular science. I don't always know where people are coming from - though I can often figure out organizational or idealogical agendas. With my close friends I can demonstrate deep empathy, but am unable to muster much at all for strangers or casual acquaintances. I don't mind meeting new people at all. Still, sometimes, I've felt very left out socially, but most of the time I don't mind this.

How much of this is genetic? How much due to the way I grew up? How much due to mysterious environmental influences? Who can tell?

A couple of you have posted quite high scores - possibly even borderline Asperger's. Keep in mind that an online test does not a diagnosis make. However, you may find the whole concept explanation for a range of experiences in your life. It's fascinating. You can live it with it, but it will take some reflection, and counseling if you can at all manage it. Regardless how we all scored, it helps to be aware of the differences between all of us, doesn't it? How some of us want only FACTS and others are interested in the supernatural and symbolic - and we have trouble understanding each other's perspectives because of it.

All sorts of theories have been put forth about environmental causes. The most interesting studies I have read about lately suggested some behavior differences in premature babies - they have some trouble forming relationships, and tend to be quite attached to structure and order. Is this related, I wonder, to the increasing diagnoses of Autism Spectrum disorders? Is there some factor which more and more full term babies may share with premature babies? It could be the least slightest thing, or it could be such a combination of genes and environment that we won't ever unravel it fully...

AB: Regardless how we all scored, it helps to be aware of the differences between all of us, doesn't it? How some of us want only FACTS and others are interested in the supernatural and symbolic - and we have trouble understanding each other's perspectives because of it.

Well said, and important. This might help explain why we so often talk past each other here. My very low score helped me understand why I tend to go out of my way to make people in whose presence I'm in comfortable, and why I prefer written communication when I have to talk about ideas or anything controversial. And my friend's score of 38 made me understand why he tends to be so rigid in his routines and harsh in his judgments -- and to not understand why people have a problem with the way he acts.

"Or blogs, or any other kind of writing that doesn't involve face to face communication. I have lots of opinions, some of them strong, but I'm a really social person, and I am made intensely anxious by direct social conflict. I've found that people who only know me through my writing are surprised when they meet me to find that I'm not combative, but actually conversational and fairly cheerful, no matter where you come from politically or otherwise. I enjoy arguing in the abstract, but in social settings, I'd rather just have a drink and a laugh."

Believe it or not, that's true of me, too. I'm such an ***hole in these comboxes a high percentage of the time, but I swear I'm quite conflict averse in person.

25, above average hmm.

I'm an INFP too... No fair Rod... We are not supposed to be successful in life!!! I guess you blew that myth out of the water! Even an idealist can succeed ... and in the NEWS BUSINESS of all places!

Rod: "I have lots of opinions, some of them strong, but I'm a really social person, and I am made intensely anxious by direct social conflict. I've found that people who only know me through my writing are surprised when they meet me to find that I'm not combative, but actually conversational and fairly cheerful, no matter where you come from politically or otherwise. I enjoy arguing in the abstract, but in social settings, I'd rather just have a drink and a laugh."

I had you pegged as being like this, rather than being ready to fight in defense of your opinions like some of the folks I come into contact with on a regular basis.

I have a similar job, but for a much smaller paper. The worst part of column writing for me is dealing with the conflict that it generates. I absolutely cannot stand to make anyone mad. In short, I like the writing, but hate the emotional fallout. Perhaps why I'm leaving the profession entirely, although it probably would have happened sooner or later.

Curiously, I was much happier as a reporter because I didn't have to deal with people who were vehemently angry with me all the time.

I got a 24 on the quiz, too.

Andrea

33. This is actually a lower score than I got a few years ago, when I took a similar test (then I think it was a 37 or something.)

Scored a 6.

32 - and I'm a woman! Eeek! However, not really surprising. My mother and brother are both pretty Asberger-ish. We have a lot of those types in the family, like the cousin who as a child was fixated on all things electrical (his "lovey" was an extension cord -- he grew up to become an electrical engineer).

I can "blend" pretty well socially, but it is all an act. My real, true personality is an introverted geek. INTP all the way, baby!

My oldest daughter is the same way -- she is super-smart but basic social niceties baffle her. We both have to rehearse what we'll say in social situations.

42

Hmmm. A 9, what a coincidence. ;-) And I've invariably scored as iNFj all the dozen or so times I've taken the Myers-Briggs tests.

I've always tended to come out an ENTJ on the Myers-Briggs tests I've taken. Naturally, I disagree with that result, and have a lot of good ideas about how the tests could be better written, organized, and implemented. ;)

25

Interesting how many high scorers we have here. And I found the autism in women post pretty interesting too.

So, let's see.. I doubt this will be a surprise to anyone who reads my posts.

I took the test, to make sure it was the same test (level playing field) and scored a 28. That puts me high, especially for a woman.

I think it'd be higher if I liked numbers more. (Which I don't.) More a social science type than math.

I'm also INTP on the Meyers-Briggs, and I took an online writing test that claimed to be able to determine gender from word choice and they guessed I was male.

Guess I write like a guy.

14. But answering as I would have as a teenager, 24.

Very interesting test! I scored a ten.

Also, that's funny--I was going to come and comment that I had Rod pegged as ENFP. Then I came and read the comments and found that you used to score ENFP and now apparently score INFP. Fwiw, as a student of MBTI, I would say that if you are innately ENFP, that can't change, though you may act more like an INFP now or you may be near the median on the I/E scale.

That being said, I don't know that Myers-Briggs types and Asperger's are related at all. In fact, one might say that Asperger's symptoms can actually make it a little more tricky to determine type, since it may skew or mask some of the answers.

11. (Or is that a patterned, "2"?)
Posted by: mm | July 18, 2008 8:24 PM

It could be "3" in base 2

Another Believer wrote "All sorts of theories have been put forth about environmental causes. The most interesting studies I have read about lately suggested some behavior differences in premature babies - they have some trouble forming relationships, and tend to be quite attached to structure and order. Is this related, I wonder, to the increasing diagnoses of Autism Spectrum disorders? Is there some factor which more and more full term babies may share with premature babies? It could be the least slightest thing, or it could be such a combination of genes and environment that we won't ever unravel it fully..."

Interesting...my oldest daughter was 5-1/2 weeks early, and she is totally attached to structure and order. As I mentioned before, she is quite bright (she had a neurodevelopmental assessment a few years back and scored 127 for IQ) so they classified her as "gifted, with a learning disability." She is not socially inept, mostly because I have drilled her endlessly "Say hi! Now, smile! Look at their eyes!" I remember being amazed at how my 2nd and 3rd kids picked up social niceties simply by osmosis, whereas with my oldest I had to literally teach it all to her.

So, she's like me...someone with a touch of Aspie but who can blend, for the most part. Except I was born two weeks past my due date...

It's funny, because we are both very sensitive and emotional...we just don't necessarily pick up on OTHER people's emotional states all that well. We are also total animal lovers; perhaps animals are easier for us to read than people?

14 and INFJ. Interesting how many INFJs.

11. (Or is that a patterned, "2"?)

or it could be three in binary.

I've been following this thread and am intrigued by the posts of those diagnosesd or who tested high. I'm glad to see that most here appear to be highly functioning and have worked at acquiring insight (if not empathy) and skills needed to survive and even thrive in family, business, and spiritual relationships.

I was emotionally traumatized by my relationship with S, the guy who I think had Asperger's. The initial attraction for me was to his gentle nature and intelligence, which predominated the relationship; but his inability to engage emotionally, despite wanting to, provided to few, but intense episodes of emotionally cruelty.

While he was without empathy, he was also very emotional. In terms of structure, he kept lists of offenses committed against him, many of which were people who came along before me who had asked him outright if he was "autistic". That really hurt him, as he took it as criticism. He knew he was different and was frustrated that he had been unable to sustain romantic relationships.

While he was sensitive to what he perceived as cruelty committed against him, he was totally oblivious to the cruelty he could inflict. His perception was very skewed, and he honestly believed that the motives of others were always bad.

We went into couples therapy together, because we both knew there was something wrong in the relationship. We went to the therapist he had been seeing for years, and the therapist automatically assumed that everything S accused me of was true, so the focus was on fixing me. Because S was such an honest and convincing guy (not a sociopath, this guy was for real) whose fears were his truth it took several weeks before the therapist figured out something was not right.

Therapist then asked to see us separately, because he told us he found us in a situation he had never encountered: we both told radically different renditions of the same event, unlike most couples who agree on what was said or done and argue about who was in the right. S became unglued because he thought I had requested separate sessions, despite assurances from the therapist that that was not the case, and he took that as criticism.

The thing is, S wanted what everybody else wants; but his capacity to love, through no fault of his own, was limited to the sensation, but not the activity. He lacked the capacity to make it a two way street.

I haven't seen him in years, but I know his childhood was traumatic, as he was a strange kid whose parents didn't understand or seek help for him. As for me, although I was terribly hurt, it was compounded by the knowledge that I had given my best to a man who honestly did not believe that I loved him. I was also able to see that, somehow, this guy was blameless in the whole situation.

I have a question of you who have been diagnosed or tested high - what were your childhood relationsips like? What were the dynamics with parents/siblings/etc.?

"Interesting how many high scorers we have here"

Not really. Arguing in comboxes hasn't quite hit the social mainstream yet, it is still a left-brain, geeky sort of activity.

38, by the way.

I scored a 23 and I'm INTJ who works as an engineer. I figured I would score a little high being a science/math person.

Roland de Chanson, I'm actually less left brain analytic than most engineers I've met, so you must be even more so!

Thomas R wrote:
"Some Asperger's people are jerks, but being a jerk doesn't mean someone has Asperger's. As I implied some of slimiest jerks I know of are very empathetic, in the sense that they understand your pain."

As the sister of a woman who is a severe autistic, I agree. My
sister, though she cannot perhaps read pain in another unless the other
person's discomfort is obvious, will use what she perceives as a weakness
in another person to get her way or punish. For example, several years before our mother's death, Mother badly injured her shoulder in a fall, shattering the
joint. When my sister noticed how Mother could be made to feel pain,
she would twist Mother's arm when she was angry with Mother or when she wanted
Mother to give her something or do something Mother didn't want to do. And
as other caregivers have come along - my sister now lives in a group home situation with other disabled women - she has with each new person tried twisting his/her arm, which is not effective if the person's shoulder is normal as my sister has problems with coordination. The fact that my sister has no empathy, and is amoral, makes her a formidable person to deal with. She will use what she can to feel in control - and she is very controlling with a hair-trigger temper.
She may not understand your pain, but if she can perceive it, she will use it.

As to the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, it is not to my way of thinking
a diagnosis that can be made with any accuracy. Sometimes a jerk is just
a jerk, sometimes a maladjusted teenager or adult is maladjusted because he/she is a spoiled brat, who has never been taught self-discipline and manners and
that he/she is not the center of the universe.

ThomasR: ... some of slimiest jerks I know of are very empathetic, in the sense that they understand your pain.

I'll bet con men score very low.

I don't (necessarily) mean crunchy con men. :-)

I scored average, but i was concerned about the emphasis on social situations. Like many people, I spent the earlier decades of my life as a very social being - drink! meet women!- but as i got older became more relusive. I don't dislike people; i just feel i have been in enough boring, phony social situations for one life time. But I'd enjoy talking to any of these people one on one.

I'd take this test with a pinch of salt.

I scored 40, but I'm not particularly antisocial. I mean - I don't like parties, but I like talking to individuals.
I have a PhD in biochemistry, but I kind of drifted into that, and I'm not an uber-science type. I'm pretty poor at maths, and I don't like Star Trek - I prefer magical SF to techy SF.
I have a flair for languages, which I didn't find until later in life.
I don't much like novels, but I do like poetry and short stories.

I actually find the kind of person who always seems to know others' thoughts and feelings a bit creepy and manipulative. Salesmen, politicians, personnel managers - they make my blood run cold.

I can see the point of distinguishing between people-people and thing-people (literature vs. physics, say), but I think there's also a need for a division between natural-thing-people and artificial-thing-people. I belong to the former category, in that I can feel my head frying if I go more than a couple of weeks without an activity in which I get physically tired and have contact with nature - a long walk, digging the garden, swimming in the sea, etc.

Eek! I don't know if I'm brave enough to try. I always thought they were a bit of a gimmick. There again Cambridge University does have a certain authority.
Cheers
Whitterer

Found a short online version of the five factor test, which compares your results against a sample of about 2500 people. That was interesting, as well. Not sure if sample is large enough for this to be reliable but, I scored 1) average on extraversion, 2) above-average on agreeableness, 3) average on conscientiousness, 4) average on neuroticism (though I like better the phrase "emotional stability" they put in parentheses, after all who wants to be an average neurotic?!) and 5) below-average on openness (creative versus pragmatic.)

This scale seems easier to understand than the Meyers Briggs. It was instantly comprehensible to me, and jives better with what I know about myself. I look forward to hearing from Christian what shifting Meyers Briggs scores might mean:).

A 31 but I'm a bit confused. What are all these other initials you're tossing around? I skimmed the article on INFP, which I assume is the opposite of Autism and that description sounds like me,also, to a certain degree. Where is the test for schizophrenia?

This could explain also why I am the only woman I know who enjoys science fiction,

Who Knew try this link:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
Hey, I like science fiction! Though I prefer straight-up non fiction, if I need brain candy I always go for sci fi.

I just took it and now I come up as INTJ. But my preferences for T and J are six percent each. SO I guess that answers the question, my scores in those areas are borderline, so I'll likely come up different at different times.

OH, but I just discovered that the INTJ type is the MASTERMIND, according to one online description!!! Muwahaha haha. Okay, I'm now adopting it, even if the N and T are very shakey in my case. I AM INTJ. I AM MASTERMIND!

I scored a 47 on this test and ISTJ for another test to get a job.
I don't know what this means, though. Do you see a counselor? How much authority do these kinds of tests have? Are they simply more highbrow versions of astrology or Dr. Phil?

So now are people going to ask, "What is your AQ?"

AB: Thanks for the link. I am ISTP, and all the psychology classes I took in junior college are flooding back. But did anyone else go to the celebrity profile part? Guys, I'm pretty sure I've got nothing in common with Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood. Well, okay, maybe a slight moustache, but other than that...

31 here; 8 for my wife. My 16 year old got a 28; I think the test probably isn't meant for teens. What teen isn't apprehensive about social situations?

Bless,
Doug

I might have gone overboard there. My nephew has many social problems and difficulties due to Asperger's. It does have disadvantages, for him I'd say it has more disadvantages than advantages.

The main thing I meant is that I don't think the test is saying a person is screwed up or a jerk just because they're not into chit-chat or the theater. Scoring "above average", as I did, struck me as kind of neat in a way once I thought about it.

I have posted before on the family connections to this topic so for reasons of privacy suffice it to say that while 1 scored 7 the topic bears heavily on my loved ones' well-being! An obsessive perfectionism that ends in hoarding all and everything may not be 'conservation,' nor ought 'conservatism' be an overly judgmental moralism of righteous indignation. These quirks of temperament may be, rather, the expression of a maladjusted philosphical-contemplative personality bent described in detail in the scholarly article linked at the close of this Wikipedia entry | en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Obsessive-compulsive_personality_disorder | Those who seek some pointers on improving their social intelligence would do well to read (or listen in to the audiobook version) of Daniel Goleman's sequal to his classic "Emotional Intelligence" aptly titled:

Social Intelligence

http://www.amazon.com/Social-Intelligence-Science-Human-Relationships/dp/0553803522

Whereas he terms it a 'new science' I beg to differ: Christian scholastics embraced the psychological wisdom of medical insights of the ancients' classical "Four Temperaments" (associated erroneously with the elemental forces of air, water, fire and ice). Nonetheless, for we "brights" with the can-do Enlightenment attitude facing the aftermath of the fallacy of the 'ghost in the machine,' there is much to rediscover and promote in the concepts he covers.

And if we can recognize the degree to which one's free will is still free, one's intentions become exposed to a value judgment that opens the field on a dialog of developing virtues for the common good: another example of the application of McIntyre's 'internals of praxis' well-suited to flourishing amidst the challenges of the culture of the present day. The emotional impediment behind much of the OCPD trait is anxiety: perhaps the good Lord facilitates our recognition of Autism Spectrum disorders to teach us something we might otherwise overlook? Consider the rebuke contained in today's Novus Ordo Liturgy of the Word:

"For your might is the source of justice;       your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;      and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.

Non abbiate paura ! www.youtube.com / watch? v=PO6Hdcp2Fgc

"Answering questions one can unconsciosly exagerate to fit wanted image of oneself." maria

TR: Kind of true. I like the image of myself as independent and contemplative. Part of this is the people I admired growing up and part of it might come from my disability. I'm probably a bit more social than it indicates. Although the times I've taken it again, trying a bit to correct my tendency to exaggerate those things, I got a 26.

Still people with brittle-bone disease or OI, what I have, sometimes have tendencies that might seem similar to Asperger's on paper but probably wouldn't be confused with it in an interview. In the first ten years of life particularly OIs are likely to be immobile a fair amount due to bone-fractures. So an ability to enjoy staying home, and some reduction in socialization, pretty often happens. A routine can also develop, somewhat by necessity, that the OI gets used to. In certain cases, not mine, an OI can be afraid of physical contact as they associate it with injury. The OIs I've known though are quite sociable and don't really need to "learn socialization" anymore than any other kid. (I've had to leave family parties before I wanted because my driver wanted to go. In fact part of my statements about "parties" is because in this area "party" means a kegger or something similar. Sober social occasions are fine by me, albeit in moderation)

I'm an ENFP, according to this test. I read some of the descriptions online and this actually fits me quite well.

Interesting test. Scored a 31. Can't say I was overly suprised. Back in elementary school I was sent to the school psychologist and run through a battery of tests to find out if I had a learning disability. The result was that I was highly analytical and had a very high IQ, but that I would always march to the beat of my own drum.

Scored 9. INTJ. 27 years old. Come on, you mean it won't get any better?

An online test should not, on its own, be seen as a replacement for an actual diagnosis. This test apparently was devised by a prominent researcher in the field, but it even says you should not take it as definitive by itself.

In children a diagnosis may involve a period of observation with a team of professionals including things like a neurologist and psychiatrist. The adults I've looked up went to a psychiatrist or expert in the field. I would guess if you have a score above 35, or a score about 32 that concerns you, you may look for someone to do the observation/interviewing period. Although if you're not having any problems you might be as well to save your money.

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.

32 year old female, ENTJ
Score: 26

Male, 40, INTP...
Score 40
Not suprised.

Scored 50! O, my God, I am a Rainman! Running to my shrink immediately!

By the way, the AQ Test is not an autism test, it is a personality test that measures where someone fits on a Bell Curve of normal variants of human personality types from reserved to outgoing..

Autism is a developmental disorder caused by a disruption in early brain development, it is not a psychopathological personality disorder as the test implies.

The idea has been promulgated by polygenic theorists who have redefined the nature of autism, beginning with the publication of the new diagnostic criteria introduced in 1987. The new criteria is so vague, ambigous and subjective that this new conceptualization of what autism is enough to explain the so-called ‘autism epidemic’.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder caused by a disruption in early brain development. That is about the only fact that there is universal agreement on. Theorists like Baron-Cohen are responsible for the autism epidemic because they have redefined the nature of autism from what it is, a disruption in early brain development to what it is not, a personality disorder.