I wish these things were guided

[Suzette]

I have been taking and retaking the AQ test and the Aspie Quiz just to see if my results chsnge by mood. The results I get do vary, but not by big margins. Each test or quiz still suggests I may be on the spectrum. But I am not so sure.

One of the biggest factors in my doubt is my age and current lifestyle. I am 54. If I am on the spectrum I am high functioning and I have had a lot of years to strategize compensating behaviors. At this point it is hard to tell what behavior is natural.

My life style too is almost perfect for avoiding situations that might trigger stress. I am retired and my husband and I live on a boat, moored in the middle of a bay. We get out of our comfort zone if we want to. During lockdown our lives changed not at all. Neither of us requires much social interaction so we really missed nothing.

The reason I am questioning my experiences is because I have some emotional issues I am attepting to address because they do become intrusive and affect my relationships with my family.

The point of this post though is that I find the standard online self assessment tests to be confusing.
Since my current life style is so calm, I have to rely on my memories of the past to take these tests because, if I base my answers only on the present, the tests don't apply at all.

"Would you prefer to go to a party or a museum"? I don't know. I haven't done either in years. What kind if a party? What kind of a museum?

"Do you get the urge to pick flakes off yourself or others"? Do they mean dandruff, lint or crumbs? I simply never use the word flake concerning humans. Corn flakes, flake shale, snow flakes, flaky pastry...ugh.

Then there are questions about how others see me. I have no idea how others see me. I don't go around asking and polite adults don't say. It's only the mean people who tell me what they think of me.

"Will you abandon your friends if your activies or ideals clash"? This is another weird question. If our activities clash we simply get together another time. If our ideals clash we might not become friends in the first place. I really don't know what they want.

So many other questions can not be applied directly because of my present life style.
"Do you enjoy traditional dating"? No, I am married.

Is there any other way I can self asses?

 

[Streetwise]

I have been taking and retaking the AQ test and the Aspie Quiz just to see if my results chsnge by mood. The results I get do vary, but not by big margins. Each test or quiz still suggests I may be on the spectrum. But I am not so sure.

One of the biggest factors in my doubt is my age and current lifestyle. I am 54. If I am on the spectrum I am high functioning and I have had a lot of years to strategize compensating behaviors. At this point it is hard to tell what behavior is natural.

My life style too is almost perfect for avoiding situations that might trigger stress. I am retired and my husband and I live on a boat, moored in the middle of a bay. We get out of our comfort zone if we want to. During lockdown our lives changed not at all. Neither of us requires much social interaction so we really missed nothing.

The reason I am questioning my experiences is because I have some emotional issues I am attepting to address because they do become intrusive and affect my relationships with my family.

The point of this post though is that I find the standard online self assessment tests to be confusing.
Since my current life style is so calm, I have to rely on my memories of the past to take these tests because, if I base my answers only on the present, the tests don't apply at all.

"Would you prefer to go to a party or a museum"? I don't know. I haven't done either in years. What kind if a party? What kind of a museum?

"Do you get the urge to pick flakes off yourself or others"? Do they mean dandruff, lint or crumbs? I simply never use the word flake concerning humans. Corn flakes, flake shale, snow flakes, flaky pastry...ugh.

Then there are questions about how others see me. I have no idea how others see me. I don't go around asking and polite adults don't say. It's only the mean people who tell me what they think of me.

"Will you abandon your friends if your activies or ideals clash"? This is another weird question. If our activities clash we simply get together another time. If our ideals clash we might not become friends in the first place. I really don't know what they want.

So many other questions can not be applied directly because of my present life style.
"Do you enjoy traditional dating"? No, I am married.

Is there any other way I can self asses?

I think the test is like a Rorschach test (traditionally the shape of a butterfly created by putting a splodge of paint on a piece of paper folding it in half and then opening it and saying what you see) just say what you feel !the first word!, if you feel museum is a bad word say, no I wouldn't want to go to a museum ,when I'm tested by a therapist ,they give me it for every two weeks, so if I'm different in two weeks they take that into account, but that's purely how I feel it's probably a lot like an AQ test definitely if you are stressed it will change how you answer questions when you become stressed your primal brain (psychologists call it the second brain it doesn't actually look like the primary brain but it constitutes certain parts of the body)starts to have more control over your thoughts if the test you are doing isn't just about emotions it would be better to do it when you are calm.
To self assess look up self assessment on a search engine probably just go through that test and say the first thing that comes to mind, the problem is it's going to be geared towards someone who is neuro typical not the neurodiverse (autism, downs syndrome, bipolar disorder ,schizophrenia ,autism umbrella disorders )group of people

 

[Progster]

These questionaires are inherently flawed. When I took these tests, I found them hard to answer for the same reasons that you mention here. Another question is "do you like dates?" What sort of dates? Going on a date, a day in the calender, the kind of date you eat? A lot of my answers, such as prefering a theatre or a library or a party would depend on the situation - I might indeed prefer a comedy at the theatre over a visit to a sports museum or something else I'm not interested in. The quiz wants to put people neatly into slots of being one thing or another when real life is much more complex than that.

And what people say about me - no idea! I haven't a clue half the time how I come across to others and what people might be thinking about me - isn't that one of the characteristics of autism? I don't talk to a lot of people and if I do, I rarely, if ever, get any feedback, people are too polite or reserved to tell me what they are really thinking.

 

[Aspychata]

The only way l think l have it, is that l pick up on other people with the same traits as me.

However coming to this site clearly spells out my common issues and helps me migrate the aftermath of our specific nuances such as rumination. And this guides me to work on relaxation and keeping my life stress free.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I have been taking and retaking the AQ test and the Aspie Quiz just to see if my results chsnge by mood. The results I get do vary, but not by big margins. Each test or quiz still suggests I may be on the spectrum. But I am not so sure.

One of the biggest factors in my doubt is my age and current lifestyle. I am 54. If I am on the spectrum I am high functioning and I have had a lot of years to strategize compensating behaviors. At this point it is hard to tell what behavior is natural.

My life style too is almost perfect for avoiding situations that might trigger stress. I am retired and my husband and I live on a boat, moored in the middle of a bay. We get out of our comfort zone if we want to. During lockdown our lives changed not at all. Neither of us requires much social interaction so we really missed nothing.

The reason I am questioning my experiences is because I have some emotional issues I am attepting to address because they do become intrusive and affect my relationships with my family.

The point of this post though is that I find the standard online self assessment tests to be confusing.
Since my current life style is so calm, I have to rely on my memories of the past to take these tests because, if I base my answers only on the present, the tests don't apply at all.

"Would you prefer to go to a party or a museum"? I don't know. I haven't done either in years. What kind if a party? What kind of a museum?

"Do you get the urge to pick flakes off yourself or others"? Do they mean dandruff, lint or crumbs? I simply never use the word flake concerning humans. Corn flakes, flake shale, snow flakes, flaky pastry...ugh.

Then there are questions about how others see me. I have no idea how others see me. I don't go around asking and polite adults don't say. It's only the mean people who tell me what they think of me.

"Will you abandon your friends if your activies or ideals clash"? This is another weird question. If our activities clash we simply get together another time. If our ideals clash we might not become friends in the first place. I really don't know what they want.

So many other questions can not be applied directly because of my present life style.
"Do you enjoy traditional dating"? No, I am married.

Is there any other way I can self asses?

I was laughing a bit at some of your over thinking into these questions....typical Aspie behavior,...I'm teasing a bit. Think of these AQ questions as just general questions. Party or museum? In other words, go to a noisy social event or walk around some place by yourself where it is quiet. Abandon your friends if your activities or ideals clash? In other words, are you too structured and/or set in your ways and/or don't like change will you cancel on them. Do you enjoy traditional dating? In other words, do like like face-to-face social interactions or do you prefer to do things on-line?

I do see where you are coming from. They are using indirect language on these questions,...not direct language.

 

[Aspychata]

I was laughing a bit at some of your over thinking into these questions....typical Aspie behavior,...I'm teasing a bit. Think of these AQ questions as just general questions. Party or museum? In other words, go to a noisy social event or walk around some place by yourself where it is quiet. Abandon your friends if your activities or ideals clash? In other words, are you too structured and/or set in your ways and/or don't like change will you cancel on them. Do you enjoy traditional dating? In other words, do like like face-to-face social interactions or do you prefer to do things on-line?

I do see where you are coming from. They are using indirect language on these questions,...not direct language.

That's a good point. You can tell if you have these traits if our little quiz of indirect questions are giving you a meltdown and you are pulling out your hair, guess what, you passed. Lol

 

[Suzette]

That's a good point. You can tell if you have these traits if our little quiz of indirect questions are giving you a meltdown and you are pulling out your hair, guess what, you passed. Lol

Thank you for that.

Buuuutt...
I gave my son the AQ test and he questioned the test too. But his results showed NT.
We had fun though!

 

[Raggamuffin]

Going by my ADHD assessment - the questions you get on these online tests are what is used in the official diagnosis. Which makes me wonder why they often put a disclaimer that "this isn't an official diagnosis" etc and that you must seek out a Dr and such like.

Makes me think that self diagnosis is enough for a lot of people. Yes, it's not enough to get benefits or medication etc. People who desire that would need an official one.

But it seems that the online tests are very much based off the official criteria. So if your score falls within what is considered to be on the spectrum - it'll probably be the same in an official diagnosis.

At least, that's my experience from the ADHD assessment. Perhaps the Autism one is different? But I think it'll be a similar experience. I should be able to confirm if this is the case in a few months when I get my assessment.

Ed

 

[Suzette]

@Raggamuffin I shall be interested to hear what you think of the assessment process.
I would love an official assessment myself but I can't afford the costs ( I am in the U.S).

I want to know because I can't seem to get beyond the trauma of my childhood. I suspect that ASD might have played a role in my perceptions of what occurred at that time. If so, perhaps I can reframe how I think of the past.

If I self declare being on the spectrum, I am not sure I could trust that reframing. It would feel like I am pretending, or lying.

 

[Raggamuffin]

A self-declaration is tricky. I mean, "coming out" with a condition to those closest to you can be hard enough. There could be stigmas and misunderstandings etc. It's taken months of regular talks with my parents for them to be more understanding and knowledgeable around ASD and ADHD.

When you self diagnose, I think the wording is probably important. Something along the lines of - "I've been researching ASD, and I believe I might be on the spectrum".

I think without an official diagnosis, some might be a little dismissive. Especially if you were to use language such as "I have autism". Which leaves no room for interpretation etc. Self-assurance is all well and good, but without it being "official" some might shoot down your beliefs, because they're not backed by a medical assessment.

It is expensive for a diagnosis. Mine was nearly £600, which also has coincided with expensive dental and car costs. So my finances are in the red until September.

Ed

 

[Suzette]

Yes, it's very expensive. In the U.S. it can cost thousands of dollars depending on the method used for diagnosis. That really isn't an option for me.

I don't have a need to come out to anyone. But I did discuss my suspicions with my husband. He was accepting and disclosed that his eldest son was diagnosed as a child.

I tried discussing my suspicons with my mother. I had hoped we could have a wider conversation that might be more revealing. But she only said "If you think this helps you." She obviously didn't care to hear more so I dropped the subject.

 

[DK’s_Ghost]

Yes, the AQ test I did was stupid too.

The question I remember that annoyed me the most was ‘would you rather go to a theatre or a museum?’. Given that the whole test seemed to be an exercise in stereotyping the typical male autist, I’m pretty sure that they expect people who answer ‘museum’ to score one more point on the scale.

The ridiculous thing is, though, that I don’t think they have actually asked people with autism that question! Which would I pick? The theatre, every time!

Why?

Well, theatres are dark and comfortable (usually). They have big soft seats and plush carpets that deaden sound. Nobody expects you to talk or focus on multiple things. All of the sounds and lights are designed and choreographed. I’ve always loved the theatre.

What are museums usually like? They’re huge, hard, white spaces with big windows and no soft furnishings. The whole place is usually full of people and the sounds and light bounce off the walls and create an exhausting cacophony of horror full of screaming kids, arguing adults and the clatter of the cafe utensils heard from the other end of the hall. To top it off, there are no quiet dark places to go unless you’re talking planetarium. You can’t linger looking at things because there’s always someone behind you that needs to move past. There’s always someone everywhere. You can’t get away from the people. It’s awful.

To top it off, yes. I love history stuff but I prefer when it’s real. Museums are just great big buildings full of lies and privilege.

*takes a breath*

As it is, I’ve studied question design in the research modules I took in university. Whoever writes these tests needs to do the same!

If they want to know if I like large, noisy gatherings of people or quiet spaces alone or with a friend… they need to just bloody ask that! They’re trying to be ‘smart’ about it and they’ve absolutely failed at that.

 

[Raggamuffin]

This free quiz is from a place which does private diagnosis etc. So it's a good example of the sort of questions you might get in an official assessment. The actual appointment would be in depth and a long conversation I'd imagine.

The consultant psychiatrist I will be having my autism assesment with says it'll be about 2 hours long

Online Test for Adult Autism | Clinical Partners

Ed

 

[Streetwise]

I have been taking and retaking the AQ test and the Aspie Quiz just to see if my results chsnge by mood. The results I get do vary, but not by big margins. Each test or quiz still suggests I may be on the spectrum. But I am not so sure.

One of the biggest factors in my doubt is my age and current lifestyle. I am 54. If I am on the spectrum I am high functioning and I have had a lot of years to strategize compensating behaviors. At this point it is hard to tell what behavior is natural.

My life style too is almost perfect for avoiding situations that might trigger stress. I am retired and my husband and I live on a boat, moored in the middle of a bay. We get out of our comfort zone if we want to. During lockdown our lives changed not at all. Neither of us requires much social interaction so we really missed nothing.

The reason I am questioning my experiences is because I have some emotional issues I am attepting to address because they do become intrusive and affect my relationships with my family.

The point of this post though is that I find the standard online self assessment tests to be confusing.
Since my current life style is so calm, I have to rely on my memories of the past to take these tests because, if I base my answers only on the present, the tests don't apply at all.

"Would you prefer to go to a party or a museum"? I don't know. I haven't done either in years. What kind if a party? What kind of a museum?

"Do you get the urge to pick flakes off yourself or others"? Do they mean dandruff, lint or crumbs? I simply never use the word flake concerning humans. Corn flakes, flake shale, snow flakes, flaky pastry...ugh.

Then there are questions about how others see me. I have no idea how others see me. I don't go around asking and polite adults don't say. It's only the mean people who tell me what they think of me.

"Will you abandon your friends if your activies or ideals clash"? This is another weird question. If our activities clash we simply get together another time. If our ideals clash we might not become friends in the first place. I really don't know what they want.

So many other questions can not be applied directly because of my present life style.
"Do you enjoy traditional dating"? No, I am married.

Is there any other way I can self asses?

I immediately thought traditional dating!, a young Amish couple sitting in a room that has nothing in it apart from the sofa, the light is on and they just sit, how am I supposed to know what traditional dating is?

 

[Kevin1968]

From what I have heard it's a sign of autism if you have those difficulties with the questions.

[/QUOTE]

The point of this post though is that I find the standard online self assessment tests to be confusing.
Since my current life style is so calm, I have to rely on my memories of the past to take these tests because, if I base my answers only on the present, the tests don't apply at all.

"Would you prefer to go to a party or a museum"? I don't know. I haven't done either in years. What kind if a party? What kind of a museum?

"Do you get the urge to pick flakes off yourself or others"? Do they mean dandruff, lint or crumbs? I simply never use the word flake concerning humans. Corn flakes, flake shale, snow flakes, flaky pastry...ugh.

Then there are questions about how others see me. I have no idea how others see me. I don't go around asking and polite adults don't say. It's only the mean people who tell me what they think of me.

"Will you abandon your friends if your activies or ideals clash"? This is another weird question. If our activities clash we simply get together another time. If our ideals clash we might not become friends in the first place. I really don't know what they want.

So many other questions can not be applied directly because of my present life style.
"Do you enjoy traditional dating"? No, I am married.
/QUOTE]

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Yes, it's very expensive. In the U.S. it can cost thousands of dollars depending on the method used for diagnosis. That really isn't an option for me.

I don't have a need to come out to anyone. But I did discuss my suspicions with my husband. He was accepting and disclosed that his eldest son was diagnosed as a child.

I tried discussing my suspicons with my mother. I had hoped we could have a wider conversation that might be more revealing. But she only said "If you think this helps you." She obviously didn't care to hear more so I dropped the subject.

Helpful Hint: Talk to the folks at the psychologist's office. They know the proper ICD-10 codes to use for billing an insurance company and, in the end, could only cost you a few hundred,...not the $1600 of the actual cost. When I called my insurance company prior to my assessment, they said that since I was over the age of 18, they did not cover mental health,...period. I was like,...OK,...looks like this is going to be a bite. When I was to be admitted for my assessment, they said, "Not to worry about the cost." I wasn't sure what that meant, but I was only billed like $190 for what ended up to be a fairly comprehensive assessment and testing. So,...that was my experience,...might not be yours,...but I would definitely inquire.

 

[Suzette]

This free quiz is from a place which does private diagnosis etc. So it's a good example of the sort of questions you might get in an official assessment. The actual appointment would be in depth and a long conversation I'd imagine.

The consultant psychiatrist I will be having my autism assesment with says it'll be about 2 hours long

Online Test for Adult Autism | Clinical Partners

Ed

Thank you for that quiz. The questions are very similar to the AQ quiz but some of the questions have been reworded.
My score was 24 out of 30.

 

[Suzette]

@Neonatal RRT
When we retired about 6 years ago, we did so on savings and the sale of our house. We moved to Mexico to save money and live on our boat but pay for health care out of pocket. I am going to look into assessment when we get back to Mexico. I don't know what I will find. Most PHDs in Mexico do speak very good English.

Once I am back on the boat, that private floating island, I may not think I need to know morr than I do right now.

 

[SusanLR]

Insurance covered all of my costs.
But, it is true that the actual test questions are very much like the ones on-line.
I was given a huge personality psych test with it all. Something like 400 questions.
It was the worst for wording. Things like "I see things that others don't" or "I hear things that others don't."
Now how to answer that with no way to explain yourself.

You know if you say yes to them, they are thinking hallucinations.
Yet one of the hallmarks of ASD is seeing things that are there that most people would pay no
attention to. And a lot of us have super fine hearing and can pick up sounds others don't.
If you ask the doctor, they answer just put down what you think, no right or wrong answers.
I put yes, then at the explanations on the findings of the tests, I told the psychologist why I answered
the way I did on certain things that I found unclear.

I remember that museum or theatre one too on the AQ test.
They think an autist would pick museum. Stereotyped.
But, I would want the theatre. More comfortable and entertaining.

A lot of mine was done with interviews from the psychologist. They know certain questions to ask
and even asked me to explain things such as foods, textures, clothing and such.
She threw a can of pencils and pens out on the table and ask if seeing that bothered me.
So there are a lot of different things to expect if you go for an official diagnosis.

 

[DK’s_Ghost]

She threw a can of pencils and pens out on the table and ask if seeing that bothered me.
So there are a lot of different things to expect if you go for an official diagnosis.

Haha. That’s hilarious. That would absolutely bother me because she’s hurting the pencils! There’s nothing more annoying than broken lead…

I agree with everything you said, though. It seems to me that the people who design these tests have missed the point of autism - if they have to say ‘well, it’s obvious that this is what that question is driving at!’, then they’ve completely failed to understand what having autism means.

Like, I had to consciously learn what things meant what in different contexts. I got into major trouble at work because the rules for what is ‘good’ at work are completely different to the rules for what is ‘good’ at university - and nobody told me what they were. Apparently, arguing with the managing director in an all-staff meeting isn’t actually an ‘extra credit’ activity. ROFL. Luckily I worked that out eventually…

I can’t believe they’ve apparently not actually tested these questions to see if they actually mean what they’re intended to mean.

My curse, as an autistic person, is to have the difficulties with social communication without the anxieties that it seems to cause in a lot of others. So, while I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do, I’m pretty confident in the process of doing the ‘wrong’ thing. It leads to really bad decisions, sometimes. Ha.

It really bothers me that all these tests exist that are literally not meeting the needs of the people they’re created to diagnose. It almost makes me want to go into psychology just to introduce them to the concept of effective research instruments, and to the other novel concept of ‘not pissing off their core user base’!