Mystery: What looks identical to autism... but is not autism?

[Autistic Yoda]

I present to you a casino poker room regular. An intelligent, profitable card player... and quite childish for a man of around 50 years of age. Sincere and candid to an autistic level.
Engaging but odd. Considerate but sometimes a bit offensive to snowflake types, since he's not guarding his words like an NT. Somewhat monotone voice, even when excited. Friendly and generally well-liked or at least tolerated by others.

Regularly walks into the smoking room (which always smells of cigarettes and weed as one would expect), and comments on how overpowering the smell is to him. He does this time after time, as if the routine mild odor is somehow a big surprise and a big deal. Knows and admits he's "not normal".

He radiates mega autism- not just to me, but to an experienced neurologist who's also sat with him at the same card table for dozens of hours. It takes one to know one- and I am one. I thought I knew, and I thought the neurologist knew.

Yet somehow his aspie score came out just 33. Thirty-three! He showed me, and wouldn't have intentionally lied through the entire questionnaire. What would be the point? He seemed genuinely open to the possibility of being an undiagnosed aspie.

I highly doubt the aspie score quiz could be flawed to such an extreme degree.
My best theory so far: Wondering if there's some type of brain abnormality that manifests nearly identical to autism, but is actually something else entirely. Does anyone have better theories, or are some things just destined to remain mysteries?

Aspie score quiz:
The Aspie Quiz | Embrace Autism

 

[Crossbreed]

Gifteds without autism exhibit similar characteristics.
So does AD?D.

 

[vergil96]

I got some low score and I'm diagnosed by a doctor. The test IS flawed to a large degree. I know several other people who are also diagnosed and score low on tests like that. They test for personality and behaviours, not for sensory issues or childhood autism. I would trust a doctor over a test from the internet.

 

[Autistic Yoda]

Gifteds without autism exhibit similar characteristics.
So does AD?D.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Also, keep in mind that people may struggle to answer questions like those without clarification.

Take Will you abandon your friends if your activities or ideals clash? for example. I find this really hard. It depends! Are they racist or homophobic? In that case, yes, I might consider loosening the friendship. Do we support opposing sport teams (which isn't possible because I don't watch sports, but in theory)? I wouldn't care.
Taking things literal makes answering those questions harder.

 

[Outdated]

I got some low score and I'm diagnosed by a doctor. The test IS flawed to a large degre. I kmow several other people who are also diagnosed and score low on tests like that. They test for personality and behaviours, not for sensory issues or childhood autism. I would trust a doctor over a test from the internet.

I've never even attempted one of those tests, although they're all on the net these days to me they just look and sound so similar to the sorts of personality quizzes that we used to get in newspapers and magazines decades ago. Most commonly in girl's magazines like Cosmoplitan supposedly helping young girls find their perfect match.

I don't expect them to be useful tools in any way shape or form, just click bait to get you to load their adverts.

 

[vergil96]

I've never even attempted one of those tests, although they're all on the net these days to me they just look and sound so similar to the sorts of personality quizzes that we used to get in newspapers and magazines decades ago. Most commonly in girl's magazines like Cosmoplitan supposedly helping young girls find their perfect match.

I don't expect them to be useful tools in any way shape or form, just click bait to get you to load their adverts.

Oh they do remind me of those too What kind of hair product should you use, which celebrity is a match for you, which Christmas decoration complements your vibe etc.

Some psychologists use them during diagnosis though. But test are no replacement for actual interview with the patient.

 

[Alexej]

67/200
98% probability of being neurotypical
externally diagnosed as autistic

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Seven Conditions Closely Related to Autism

Autism Awareness Month: Five Conditions That Mimic Autism

Conditions & Disorders with Symptoms Similar to Autism

Clinical overlap between functional neurological disorders and autism spectrum disorders: a preliminary study - PMC

 

[FayetheAspie]

View attachment 138260

What if you relate to most of the items on ALL 3 bubbles and NOT just from sections that overlap with another bubble?

 

[Dillon]

I got a 106/200 with a 63% probability of being autistic/neurodiversed.

Is it really a trait for people to examine an another person’s hair? I’ve never done that but thought that question was werid.

A couple of the questions mainly in social situations I kind of over lap between 1 and 2 such as the one that asked “do you like to meet people one on one or in small groups”; that’s should’ve been two separate questions. I took that type of question a bit literally.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I got a 106/200 with a 63% probability of being autistic/neurodiversed.

Is it really a trait for people to examine an another person’s hair? I’ve never done that but thought that question was werid.

A couple of the questions mainly in social situations I kind of over lap between 1 and 2 such as the one that asked “do you like to meet people one on one or in small groups”; that’s should’ve been two separate questions. I took that type of question a bit literally.

I have not taken this particular test but some of those examples sound a little confusing. What do they mean by examining hair. If they mean walking up to someone and picking though their hair examining it then NO. If they just mean that a sprig of hair sticking out funny might grab your attention and cause you to focus on it for a moment, couldn't that even happen to a neurotypical? On a similar topic, I do like to compare human vs cat vs dog hair under my microscope. I have actually scored 100% on some little forensic hair analysis knowledge test that was online before. I don't think that is what they were meaning though.
As for the part about one on one versus a small group, can't that very according to current mood?
Condition based test and personality type test both seem to always have both vague questions that could mean multiple things as well as questions that for me at least depend on my current mood state or whatever you want to call it.

 

[Judge]

There are already plenty of such tests available, though none of them strike me as a definitive method of objectively determining whether one is autistic or not. A number of members here have steered any number of newcomers to various tests, emphasizing that they are just a tool and not to be perceived as any kind of "means to an end".

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht is a psychotherapist and a naturopathic doctor. What I found out about Eva Silvertant was that she was "pursuing" an M.A. in psychology who holds a B.A. in graphic design.

IMO insufficient credentials to be establishing preliminary tests for autism compared to other tests created by those with more formal medical credentials in psychology, neurology and psychiatry.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I took that test twice. The second time was an updated version of the test.If I average the scores, it puts me in the 140-159 range.

 

[Misty Avich]

 

[Misty Avich]

Funny how Fragile-X syndrome is never mentioned when finding other things that are similar to autism. Typically the symptoms of Fragile-X are difficulties making friends, lacking eye contact, sensory issues and hand-flapping and other stims. Boys are more likely to have a lower IQ than girls.

It's why I never say that 99% of the population are NT. It is not binary like that, but some Aspies still believe that autistic people and NT people are the only two types of neurology out there.

People with intellectual disabilities can be socially clueless. In fact I thought it was practically impossible for a person to have a severely low IQ and need help 24/7 and may not even be able to talk yet are normal socially. The argument is usually "well that's because they're affectionate, interested in social interaction from their caregivers, and may read body language". So that makes them as socially adept as an average person? What about Aspies/autistics who are affectionate, interested in social interaction, and can read body language? I was a naturally affectionate child (still am now), have always been interested in social interaction, and have always been able to read body language. Does that make me NT then?

 

[FayetheAspie]

Gifteds without autism exhibit similar characteristics.
So does AD?D.

Sometimes it makes it hard to know for certain if you really are autistic. Especially when you have lived in ongoing trauma situations your entire life and have gradually gained autistic symptoms over time with almost half of them appearing since adulthood. Yet some were present earlier but then other conditions such as sensory processing disorder could be considered.

 

[Cutesie]

Some psychologists use them during diagnosis though. But test are no replacement for actual interview with the patient.

They were created to be administered in the presence of a professional. That person will see not just the answers given, but also how the patient reacts to the questions and their mannerism while taking the tests.

 

[Crossbreed]

Sometimes it makes it hard to know for certain if you really are autistic. Especially when you have lived in ongoing trauma situations your entire life and have gradually gained autistic symptoms over time with almost half of them appearing since adulthood. Yet some were present earlier but then other conditions such as sensory processing disorder could be considered.

Said gifteds will have mature social instincts (or at least, be able to turn them back on when necessary). That might be true for AD?D, too.

 

[FayetheAspie]

And then there is what is called 2e. These people have a condition such as ASD + giftedness. I wonder if they have a title for someone if they have ASD + ADHD + giftedness.