Overthinking the RAADS Questions

[BreaksOver]

I'm finally getting around to taking the RAADS-R. I have a lot of difficulty with these self-assessments because I spend so much time considering the wording and specificity of the questions.

For example: "I only like to think and talk about a few things that interest me." Is question 13, and I don't know how to answer this. I can certainly think and talk about things that don't interest me - there are a lot of aspects of life to deal with that don't interest me. And when I caught myself thinking about this, I decided that maybe I'm taking it too literally. But my issue is that they used the word "only"! How can I assume they meant "usually" or "most often" when those are completely different from "only", y'know? I do enjoy talking and thinking about my interests all the time. But it's not like they're the only things to occupy my mind. I think about my taxes, even though taxes are not at all an interest of mine.

I can also tell that if I answer "true for now and when I was younger", that gets me more points. My knowledge of that makes me feel as though I'm being disingenuous and maybe even skewing the results by being aware of this.

I know it's not that deep since it's just an online test. But this is why I still haven't been able to finish most of these tests. It's impossible for me to feel like I've answered honestly. There's also no room for nuance. It really makes me wish I had the means to get evaluated.

 

[Gerontius]

These tests are always going to be "visible" in parts; you're not cheating the system by guessing where it's going. You're quite all right.

Put on there (like for the interests one) maybe a 3 or 4. Dependent on how excited you get about your interests, of course. This will all be dependent on not only the tests but hopefully interviews with the doctor doing the evaluation.

Have courage, friend; they can't evaluate an empty sheet. You're not the first autistic to be confused by the tests; I was the same and so were many others.

 

[Fino]

You're ignoring the word "LIKE." You do think about your taxes. But do you enjoy it? Or do you only like to think and talk about things that interest you?

But whatever your first gut response is is what is most likely the most accurate response.

 

[Gerontius]

You're ignoring the word "LIKE." You do think about your taxes. But do you enjoy it? Or do you only like to think and talk about things that interest you?

But whatever your first gut response is is what is most likely the most accurate response.

First gut response sounds about right--and the hard part I think with these things is remembering what we sound like to other folks.
I might think I'm the guy who has interesting & varied interests. Other people in my hometown knew me as "the crazy Victrola guy" for my habit of buying old records & stuff.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Welcome to the club, this is why a number o test are not accurate ie, IQ, I have issues answering verbal questions let alone ones on paper.

 

[BreaksOver]

You're ignoring the word "LIKE." You do think about your taxes. But do you enjoy it? Or do you only like to think and talk about things that interest you?

But whatever your first gut response is is what is most likely the most accurate response.

I try to go with my gut responses but my worry is that I've misinterpreted a question and given an inaccurate response, because I've done that before. I wish I could ask an online test clarifying questions

Welcome to the club, this is why a number o test are not accurate ie, IQ, I have issues answering verbal questions let alone ones on paper.

Yeah just the thought of taking an IQ test sounds awful to me. It's hard enough to find the motivation to do stuff like the RAADS.

 

[SDRSpark]

First gut response sounds about right--and the hard part I think with these things is remembering what we sound like to other folks.
I might think I'm the guy who has interesting & varied interests. Other people in my hometown knew me as "the crazy Victrola guy" for my habit of buying old records & stuff.

Oh man. The "people often tell me" questions are the ones that really get me. I'm thinking "I really need you to understand that people don't have these sorts of conversations". Alternatively "that would require that I actually talk to people on a regular basis outside of a professional setting". You kinda have to associate with people in order for them to tell you things.

I had some imposter syndrome with those tests until I took multiple different (but similar) tests and took them more than once. It's a lot harder to think I was somehow cheating the test now that I've gotten almost the exact same result twice, with a year between. I certainly don't remember what my answers were last time, and I answered similarly enough both times to wind up within a few points of the last time I took it. (Same with the 'aspie quiz', which is a very similar test).

 

[SDRSpark]

I try to go with my gut responses but my worry is that I've misinterpreted a question and given an inaccurate response, because I've done that before. I wish I could ask an online test clarifying questions

I'm pretty sure this got in the way of getting a diagnosis at one point...and this was a questionnaire given by a neuropsychologist. The one question I remember was "does the tag in your shirt bother you". I said no, because my shirt does not HAVE tags, so they cannot bother me, of course. It never occurred to me that I should have extrapolated from that and told her about all of my OTHER sensory sensitivities.