Silk Road forums

Discussion => Off topic => Topic started by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 02:48 pm

Title: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 02:48 pm
I fairly frequently see people here (often trolls) making the claim that SR has a lot of autistic people on it. This got me curious, so I decided to make a poll. The following test determines your Autism Quotient. I suggest taking it over Tor and posting your results if you want to.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

28 is my score
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 02:51 pm
The majority of Autistic people (80%) have an AQ of 32+  , only 2% of control groups (people without Autism in this case) score 32 or higher. The possibility of Aspergers is said to start at 26+.

Average females score 15 and average males score 17, with increasing score correlating positively with probability of receiving a diagnosis of Autism. Computer scientists and mathematicians average score is 21.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 03:19 pm
29
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: seuss on May 12, 2013, 03:35 pm
13 is my score.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: jda6130 on May 12, 2013, 03:44 pm
<----- 26
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ChemCat on May 12, 2013, 03:52 pm
Score: 20



:)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: smokecrack on May 12, 2013, 04:05 pm
Score: 37

Computer scientists and mathematicians average score is 21.

i fit in that category so maybe im not autistic...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 04:23 pm
Score: 37

Computer scientists and mathematicians average score is 21.

i fit in that category so maybe im not autistic...

This test is not diagnostic (although some research apparently says people who score under 26 are definitely not capable of qualifying for Aspergers), but a score of 37 does strongly indicate that you fall on the Autism spectrum. The reason mathematicians and computer scientists have such a high average score is probably due to the fact that they tend to be Autistic as well. There is a definite correlation between Autism and Engineering. Some people have also argued a link between Autism and Atheism, although this is controversial (I definitely see it). Personally I think that Autism, Engineering, Atheism and Libertarianism are all going to positively correlate, although I have only seen research linking Autism to Atheism (controversial) and Engineering. 
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: NOTspacecase on May 12, 2013, 06:12 pm
Is this supposed to be some type of joke that is making fun of how society judges mental illness?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: smokecrack on May 12, 2013, 06:24 pm
i think i need prescribed mdma. im 210% normal on mdma. i guess im kind of autistic without it.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 06:31 pm
Is this supposed to be some type of joke that is making fun of how society judges mental illness?

No it is supposed to evaluate the number of autistic traits in people who take the test....

If you mean my claim that Autism is linked to Engineering, Atheism and Libertarianism, well that is partially supported by research, especially the link between Engineering and high functioning Autism (as well as the link between engineer parents and children with any form of Autism). High functioning Autistic people are superior in areas that are important to engineering. High functioning Autism often is a trade off between systemizing and empathizing. Most people are roughly equally adept at empathizing and systemizing, high functioning autistic people tend to be above average or even superior at systemizing while showing deficiencies in empathizing. Engineers deal with systems, not people, so having an above average or superior ability to understand systems is beneficial to engineers. It is also likely that people with systemizing minds are more likely to be interested in engineering in the first place. Of course there is a balance to be had, a mildly autistic person may be infatuated with cameras and want to learn everything they can about how they work, while not having much interest in interacting with their peers. A person with more severe Autism might be infatuated with cameras and start to memorize all of the model numbers of cameras without learning anything very valuable about cameras in general. A person with even more severe Autism might not even understand what the word camera associates with. The higher functioning autistic person who has an intent focus on learning how cameras work likely also has natural abilities that are beneficial for engineering tasks while having a lack of ability when it comes to peer interaction, whereas the more Autistic person may have an excellent rote memory for camera model numbers but not be particularly adept at engineering cameras.

High functioning autistic people tend to have above average to superior verbal intelligence while having below average visual intelligence, low functioning autistic people are more likely to have the opposite of this or to have below average IQ of both subtypes. Having narrow interests, extreme focus on details and certain intelligence characteristics can result in performing substantially above average at certain tasks. However, if the focus gets too narrow or superficial or the intelligence gap too large and GIQ drops below average, there is no longer a benefit. Certainly no engineers have low functioning autism.


http://aut.sagepub.com/content/1/1/101

Quote
Autism is a severe childhood neuropsychiatric condition with a substantial genetic component. At the cognitive level children with autism are impaired in the development of their folk psychology, seict while they are normal or even superior in the development of their folk physics. We predicted that if their parent shared this cognitive phenotype, then they should be over-represented in engineering as an occupation. This prediction was confirmed. Both fathers and grand-fathers of children with autism were found more than twice as often in the field of engineering, compared with fathers and grandfathers of other children. This link between autism and engineering may throw light not only on autism itself, but ultimately on the genetic basis of two essential human abilities: folk psychology and folk physics.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/baron-cohen_pr.html
Quote
It is another focus of his research, though, that has made Baron-Cohen an occasionally controversial figure. In 1997, he and his colleagues looked for and found some evidence of a link between autism in children and a propensity for engineering in their parents. Further work with students at Cambridge has suggested that engineers, mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists have a way of thinking that is quantifiably "more autistic" than that of their peers in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. To some, this sounds like a medicalized stigmatization of nerdiness. Others fear that linking children's disabilities to their parents' inclinations is a new way of blaming the parent. Baron-Cohen rejects this. He argues that linking the styles of thinking that society has come to value is helpful, not harmful. Minds come in different shapes just as bodies do, and we must learn to accept that. Indeed, we must learn to value it.

Quote
Autism is now seen as largely genetic in origin. But that leads to a seeming contradiction: One would expect genes that cause the disability not to be very good at getting transmitted to future generations.

Everything seems to be conspiring against the genes to persist, because they're interfering with social relationships, which are usually a prerequisite for reproduction. But if the genes for autism are persisting in the gene pool, it may be that in milder forms attributes of autism are adaptive. They're maladaptive in some circumstances - in conditions where social sensitivity is important - but they may be very adaptive in other environments, for example where high systemizing might be needed.

This led you to look at the parents of people with autism, and in some early research you found that, like their children, these parents are better than average at "embedded figures" tests, which involve picking specific geometrical shapes out of complex pictures. Did that surprise you?

I was impressed by the degree of talent. Among both individuals with high-functioning autism or Asperger and their parents, many are superfast at spotting details. You hardly have time to get the experimental materials out on the table before they've spotted the target. You've hardly managed to get the stopwatch going. The normal brain, as it were, takes much longer.

The studies linking Autism to Atheism are less established and much more controversial.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psyched/201205/does-autism-lead-atheism

Quote
Jesse Bering, in a 2002 paper, noted that in autobiographical accounts written by people with high-functioning autism, God is more a principle than a person. He/it provides order but isn’t much concerned with human affairs—the idea of him satisfies the intellect rather than the emotions. Temple Grandin, for example, described God as the entanglement of millions of interacting particles.

In line with such a conception of the divine, Simon Baron-Cohen, who proposed the mindblindness theory of autism, told me that “sometimes I meet people with autism who are religious, but their motivation is driven more by the rules (the system) in theology rather than the anthropomorphizing.”

Quote
When people see an event as divine intervention, or a result of intelligent design, they’re just letting their teleological bias run amok. They’re attributing purpose where there is none. Bethany Heywood, in collaboration with Jesse Bering, found in her Ph.D. research that even atheists tend to say that certain things happened to them “for a reason,” e.g., to teach them a lesson. But subjects with Asperger’s gave significantly fewer teleological responses than a control group did, and several even expressed confusion regarding the questions about purpose. One, misinterpreting a prompt for “a coincidence you saw meaning in,” wrote, “in practical application, I wear nice clothes and make my hair presentable. Coincidentally people are more friendly towards me.”

The strongest connection between atheism and autism before now was a paper presented at a conference last year by Catherine Caldwell-Harris and collaborators at Boston University. Survey respondents with high-functioning autism were more likely than control subjects to be atheists and less likely to belong to an organized religion. (They were also more likely to have religious ideas of their own construction, perhaps something similar to Temple Grandin’s.) And atheists were higher on the autistic spectrum than Christians and Jews. But the researchers were not able to demonstrate that mentalizing deficits were responsible for the connection.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: seuss on May 12, 2013, 06:40 pm
Yeah, having autism traits doesn't really mean one has autism.  Some people are naturally quirky or become quirky through their environment.  Some serious testing has to be done, besides questionnaires, in order to diagnose autism.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: BruceCampbell on May 12, 2013, 06:47 pm
Fuck I got a 34.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 07:06 pm
Yeah, having autism traits doesn't really mean one has autism.  Some people are naturally quirky or become quirky through their environment.  Some serious testing has to be done, besides questionnaires, in order to diagnose autism.

Autism spectrum disorders can be diagnosed through IQ tests with brain imaging to rule out lesions, questionnaires / interviewing, or a combination of both. An IQ test showing a large discrepancy between verbal and visual IQ is a big sign of being on the autistic spectrum,  if there is no sign of brain damage. The questionnaires tend to look an awful lot like this one although with developmental history also taken into consideration. I think that this test is good for basic screening for Autism. One research paper claimed that scoring below 26 definitely rules out a diagnosis of Aspergers. However the test is not meant to be diagnostic. On the other hand, when this test was being evaluated, only 2% of neurotypical people scored 32 or higher. So I think scoring 32 or higher strongly indicates Autism, and scoring 26 or higher indicates a possibility of Aspergers.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: smokecrack on May 12, 2013, 07:06 pm
Fuck I got a 34.

so im not alone :D
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 07:18 pm
A clinical neuropsychologist would likely make the diagnosis with an IQ test for initial screening followed up by brain imaging to rule out lesions, a behavioral  psychologist would make the diagnosis after interviewing/observing the patient.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 07:21 pm
20

I saw no questions regarding visualizing or imagining oneself as a monotreme though. Highly disappointing. Also [50] is supposed to be the twin question or whatever it's called of [40] but it just seems a bit creepy instead.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: seuss on May 12, 2013, 07:28 pm
20

I saw no questions regarding visualizing or imagining oneself as a monotreme though. Highly disappointing. Also [50] is supposed to be the twin question or whatever it's called of [40] but it just seems a bit creepy instead.

Was 40 the one that asked if you were good at pretending as a kid amongst other kids?  And was 50 the one asking if you're good at pretending with kids as an adult?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 07:32 pm
You should run a survey on the Myers-Briggs test kmfkewm! Bet you a 1 BTC on the result :D

Code: [Select]
Prediction: result will be SU5USg==
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 07:37 pm
20

I saw no questions regarding visualizing or imagining oneself as a monotreme though. Highly disappointing. Also [50] is supposed to be the twin question or whatever it's called of [40] but it just seems a bit creepy instead.

Was 40 the one that asked if you were good at pretending as a kid amongst other kids?  And was 50 the one asking if you're good at pretending with kids as an adult?

Yeah. Although the context shouldn't shift for the purpose of the test, obviously it will in most people's heads. I wonder what Sasha and his brother (Ali G) score on the test themselves.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 07:39 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation. autistic mental retardation is rampant on these forums.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: smokecrack on May 12, 2013, 07:44 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation.

wrong. that is like saying an apple is a form of plum.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 07:45 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation. autistic mental retardation is rampant on these forums.
You seem to have every other kind of mental retardation.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 07:50 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation.

wrong. that is like saying an apple is a form of plum.
An autist who insists that autism is not a form of retardation is like a guy who drinks too much seeking out evidence that he's not an alcoholic.

People with "Asperger's syndrome" are subhuman faggots who deserve no pity.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: PrincessHIGH on May 12, 2013, 07:51 pm
Thanks for sharing this interesting test kmfkewm, nine is my score.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 07:54 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation.

wrong. that is like saying an apple is a form of plum.
An autist who insists that autism is not a form of retardation is like a guy who drinks too much seeking out evidence that he's not an alcoholic.

People with "Asperger's syndrome" are subhuman faggots who deserve no pity.
Go die in a fire you Nazi fuck.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 07:57 pm
Yeah, having autism traits doesn't really mean one has autism.  Some people are naturally quirky or become quirky through their environment.  Some serious testing has to be done, besides questionnaires, in order to diagnose autism.

Autism spectrum disorders can be diagnosed through IQ tests with brain imaging to rule out lesions, questionnaires / interviewing, or a combination of both. An IQ test showing a large discrepancy between verbal and visual IQ is a big sign of being on the autistic spectrum,  if there is no sign of brain damage. The questionnaires tend to look an awful lot like this one although with developmental history also taken into consideration. I think that this test is good for basic screening for Autism. One research paper claimed that scoring below 26 definitely rules out a diagnosis of Aspergers. However the test is not meant to be diagnostic. On the other hand, when this test was being evaluated, only 2% of neurotypical people scored 32 or higher. So I think scoring 32 or higher strongly indicates Autism, and scoring 26 or higher indicates a possibility of Aspergers.
That's what they tell Asperger's sufferers to keep you people from raging. Its like in the old sci fi movie where they give androids an empathy test and tell them it's "just an 'IQ test''.

If the researchers told you people you were being tested because you exhibit a form of mental retardation, you people would freak out and go on school shootings or something
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 07:58 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation. autistic mental retardation is rampant on these forums.

Sometimes. A primary characteristic of Autism is a large discrepancy between verbal and visual IQ. Low functioning autism and mental retardation pretty much go hand in hand, with Autism being something in addition to the mental retardation. In some cases low functioning autism presents with extremely superior visual memory and verbal retardation (these are the Autistic savants who can paint photorealistic images from memory, but can hardly talk). In many cases of high functioning Autism there are specific mental deficits or even retardation coupled with specific forms of superior intelligence. For example I have been diagnosed as on the Autistic spectrum, and although I obtain very superior scores on specific tests of verbal intelligence, my scores on specific tests of visual intelligence are quite bad. Most people obtain average scores on all tests of verbal and visual intelligence. In addition to this characteristic intelligence profile, I meet several of the diagnostic criteria for high functioning autism, and have been diagnosed as having a mild form of Aspergers syndrome (which itself is a mild form of Autism).
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 07:59 pm
autism is a form of mental retardation. autistic mental retardation is rampant on these forums.

It is intriguing that you post declaring machismo peculiar while at the same time posting threads on beards. My highly developed quantum platypus duckbill intuition senses that you're pretty much everything you accuse others of being. Or you're the most obvious troll in the world. Either way it kind of points to the same conclusion to be honest.

I don't consider autism a bad thing, it's just not really an insult in geek circles. I'll go on the record saying I'd like a special nootropic pill that temporarily made me more autistic, it would be extremely useful.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 12, 2013, 08:02 pm
Yeah, having autism traits doesn't really mean one has autism.  Some people are naturally quirky or become quirky through their environment.  Some serious testing has to be done, besides questionnaires, in order to diagnose autism.

Autism spectrum disorders can be diagnosed through IQ tests with brain imaging to rule out lesions, questionnaires / interviewing, or a combination of both. An IQ test showing a large discrepancy between verbal and visual IQ is a big sign of being on the autistic spectrum,  if there is no sign of brain damage. The questionnaires tend to look an awful lot like this one although with developmental history also taken into consideration. I think that this test is good for basic screening for Autism. One research paper claimed that scoring below 26 definitely rules out a diagnosis of Aspergers. However the test is not meant to be diagnostic. On the other hand, when this test was being evaluated, only 2% of neurotypical people scored 32 or higher. So I think scoring 32 or higher strongly indicates Autism, and scoring 26 or higher indicates a possibility of Aspergers.
That's what they tell Asperger's sufferers to keep you people from raging. Its like in the old sci fi movie where they give androids an empathy test and tell them it's "just an 'IQ test''.

If the researchers told you people you were being tested because you exhibit a form of mental retardation, you people would freak out and go on school shootings or something

I don't really disagree with you, although some Autistic people have above average scores on all verbal and visual IQ tests, while still having a discrepancy between scores. Most high functioning Autistic people do have significant deficits on specific sorts of intelligence tests, but they make up for it by having very superior skill on other specific sorts of intelligence tests, which balances out their general IQ (or even raises it to above average). High functioning autism is sort of like being a genius at specific things and retarded at specific things at the same time. Most people are average at everything, and have an average GIQ. High functioning autistic people are more likely to be really good at some things and really bad at other things, and have an average GIQ. Low functioning autistic people tend to be mentally retarded on all tests, but have a discrepancy between subtests, whereas someone without Autism but with mental retardation would score about equally as low on all tests.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 08:09 pm
Quote from: Ballzinator
You seem to have every other kind of mental retardation.
Asperger's sufferers commonly claim that. It is comparable to how homosexuals allege that people who criticise them are secretly ''gay''.

autism is a form of mental retardation. autistic mental retardation is rampant on these forums.

Sometimes. A primary characteristic of Autism is a large discrepancy between verbal and visual IQ. Low functioning autism and mental retardation pretty much go hand in hand, with Autism being something in addition to the mental retardation. In some cases low functioning autism presents with extremely superior visual memory and verbal retardation (these are the Autistic savants who can paint photorealistic images from memory, but can hardly talk). In many cases of high functioning Autism there are specific mental deficits or even retardation coupled with specific forms of superior intelligence. For example I have been diagnosed as on the Autistic spectrum, and although I obtain very superior scores on specific tests of verbal intelligence, my scores on specific tests of visual intelligence are quite bad. Most people obtain average scores on all tests of verbal and visual intelligence. In addition to this characteristic intelligence profile, I meet several of the diagnostic criteria for high functioning autism, and have been diagnosed as having a mild form of Aspergers syndrome (which itself is a mild form of Autism).
Normal people aren't interested in Aspergers Syndrome, they do not seek out medical help for its symptoms, and doctors and researchers do not assign pathologies to them because they are normal.

In contrast, fags who bother everybody all the time with obnoxious robot-like behaviour, who flap their arms around for no reason, who bore everyone to death, etc. suffer from Asperger's syndrome, and these people come to the attention of doctors because they're retards.

Quote from: pine
It is intriguing that you post declaring machismo peculiar while at the same time posting threads on beards. My highly developed quantum platypus duckbill intuition senses that you're pretty much everything you accuse others of being. Or you're the most obvious troll in the world. Either way it kind of points to the same conclusion to be honest.

I don't consider autism a bad thing, it's just not really an insult in geek circles. I'll go on the record saying I'd like a special nootropic pill that temporarily made me more autistic, it would be extremely useful.
There's a story that might be of interest to you entitled ''Dominated By Dave''. Give it a read and then consult a psychiatrist.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 08:15 pm
Quote from: Ballzinator
You seem to have every other kind of mental retardation.
Asperger's sufferers commonly claim that.
Can you support that assertion with evidence?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 08:36 pm
Quote from: pine
It is intriguing that you post declaring machismo peculiar while at the same time posting threads on beards. My highly developed quantum platypus duckbill intuition senses that you're pretty much everything you accuse others of being. Or you're the most obvious troll in the world. Either way it kind of points to the same conclusion to be honest.

I don't consider autism a bad thing, it's just not really an insult in geek circles. I'll go on the record saying I'd like a special nootropic pill that temporarily made me more autistic, it would be extremely useful.
There's a story that might be of interest to you entitled ''Dominated By Dave''. Give it a read and then consult a psychiatrist.

You're talking to a person who most strongly identifies with an egg laying, venomous, aquatic mammal.

Just how far do you think you're going to be able to go with this killjoy? :))

Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: streetelitist on May 12, 2013, 08:41 pm
I scored a 7.

This test is extremely vague. The majority of the questions are simply based on how social someone is or if they are a "numbers" person.

A lot of anti-social people who aren't autistic will easily score above 20 on this test.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ѕpongebоb on May 12, 2013, 08:43 pm
Why are we feeding a troll?

Streetelitist, being very antisocial is a strong sign of aspergers.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 08:46 pm
Why are we feeding a troll?

Streetelitist, being very antisocial is a strong sign of aspergers.
it's also a strong sign of sociopathy, schizoid personality disorder, or just normal introversion.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: seuss on May 12, 2013, 08:47 pm
Who's that in your picture, Pine?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 08:50 pm
Who's that in your picture, Pine?
This chick:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickflashwhirr/
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 12, 2013, 08:56 pm
Who's that in your picture, Pine?

It is clickflashwhirr, I think she is the Mona Lisa of the Internets :)

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/clickflashwhirr/5483790718/lightbox/

Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: MC Haberdasher on May 12, 2013, 09:03 pm
Why are we feeding a troll?

Streetelitist, being very antisocial is a strong sign of aspergers.
it's also a strong sign of sociopathy, schizoid personality disorder, or just normal introversion.

I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective personality disorder, and I scored a 29.

Got some wise ass shit to say to me??
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: joywind on May 12, 2013, 09:11 pm
Why are we feeding a troll?

Streetelitist, being very antisocial is a strong sign of aspergers.
it's also a strong sign of sociopathy, schizoid personality disorder, or just normal introversion.

I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective personality disorder, and I scored a 29.

Got some wise ass shit to say to me??
i was talking specifically about the trait of anti-sociality, not your autism quotient, you retard.  Ѕpongebоb claimed that anti-sociality is a 'strong sign' of Asperger's syndrome. Maybe so, but it is also a strong sign of sociopathy, schizoid personality disorder, introversion, and a wide variety of other disorders and dispositions, not all of which are abnormal.

oh, and if you truly have schizoaffective disorder, you shouldn't be on this forum. You shouldn't be messing around with drugs except those that are prescribed to you for your disorder.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: KitKatisBorednow on May 12, 2013, 09:18 pm
All of my favorite people here scored above 32 here....Very interesting.

I got 19.  I guess that is kinda average for girls.  I am good at reading people and at conversation, but I do have a tendency to get obsessed with certain subjects and prefer to be alone more than most people I know.

I wish there was a more in depth test.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 12, 2013, 09:22 pm
Why are we feeding a troll?

Streetelitist, being very antisocial is a strong sign of aspergers.
it's also a strong sign of sociopathy, schizoid personality disorder, or just normal introversion.

I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective personality disorder, and I scored a 29.

Got some wise ass shit to say to me??
lol, same here - schizoaffective and scored 29 :D
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ron Swanson on May 12, 2013, 10:21 pm
i got 9...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: MC Haberdasher on May 12, 2013, 11:13 pm
oh, and if you truly have schizoaffective disorder, you shouldn't be on this forum. You shouldn't be messing around with drugs except those that are prescribed to you for your disorder.

Thanks, ma...


Most doctors are fuckin quacks at best, at least the ones I have encountered in regards to any mental health issues.  However, my foot specialist is awesome.   I have been through the SSRI/Mood Stabilizer gauntlet since a very early age.  The first does of Methylphenidate I had was at age 6..  Prescribed by a doctor.



Now that I like to consider myself a grown-ass man..  I muthafuckin control what medicines I am taking.  Not some shithead "Freud-worshiping" shrink.  And, you can take your worthless advice and shove it up your cunt.



Cocksucker.


Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: masteroffrets on May 13, 2013, 01:09 am
I got a 29.. Some of the questions confused me tho..
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: zipstyle on May 13, 2013, 01:52 am
6
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: BruceCampbell on May 13, 2013, 02:12 am
Lol I think I'm autistic as fuck.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: itsthecops on May 13, 2013, 04:33 am
I'm a 33. 

 I had learning disabilities in school and was in a special class for slow kids.  Then, in two years I was put into a gifted classroom.  They figured I was a genius or some kind of idiot savant after some tests. 

  I learned 12 different instruments by age 15 and memorized the Funk & Wagnals Encyclopedia set at age nine.   Wasn't intelligent, I just could recite everything I read to the word.  So I was like a tape player that recorded information and played it back for people.  It made me look smart, but I was just mimicking and mocking things I read.  I could understand or apply anything.   I had obsessions that were unhealthy and consumed all my time.

So anyway.  I love drugs and self medicating. I recently fell in love with amphetamines, i dont even care about the buzz, its the concentration effects im after. Where have you been all my life. ?!!!?  Fuck I love you!   
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ghettohmbrglr on May 13, 2013, 05:49 am
25

*hums*
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 13, 2013, 04:21 pm
I'm a 33. 

 I had learning disabilities in school and was in a special class for slow kids.  Then, in two years I was put into a gifted classroom.  They figured I was a genius or some kind of idiot savant after some tests. 

  I learned 12 different instruments by age 15 and memorized the Funk & Wagnals Encyclopedia set at age nine.   Wasn't intelligent, I just could recite everything I read to the word.  So I was like a tape player that recorded information and played it back for people.  It made me look smart, but I was just mimicking and mocking things I read.  I could understand or apply anything.   I had obsessions that were unhealthy and consumed all my time.

So anyway.  I love drugs and self medicating. I recently fell in love with amphetamines, i dont even care about the buzz, its the concentration effects im after. Where have you been all my life. ?!!!?  Fuck I love you!   

I think it is interesting how high functioning Autistic people are more likely to have minds like tape recorders, and low functioning autistic people are more likely to have minds like cameras. I also have exceptional verbal memory although poor visual memory. It is a bit of a risk though, it is very easy to completely memorize a complex paper but actually understanding it is more of a challenge. It seems that the more Autistic a person is the more the trade off between memorizing and understanding increases (in favor of memorizing). Thankfully I am able to understand complex things, but I can almost always verbally memorize them first. 

I have read about some Autistic people who are so good at one type of memory that they can mask deficiencies in other types of memory. For example, someone with very poor long term visual memory, but genius level long term verbal memory, could encode a picture with words. So if they are presented with a picture, they could remember it with words, and then if they are asked questions about the picture half an hour later they could describe it without actually remembering it visually. This could be perceived as them having adequate long term visual memory, when in reality they just have exceptional long term verbal memory. Most people would visually recall the image in their minds and answer the questions about it using their mental image as a reference, but someone who can remember words verbatim but who struggles to recall images, could encode the entire picture to words and then answer questions about it based off of their stored verbal information. There are of course more specialized tests that can get around this though. There are actually a lot of examples of people with high functioning Autism using what would normally be horribly inefficient methodologies to  successfully complete tests with average+ scores. This is due to them having extremely well developed abilities in areas that do not normally map directly to the test they are presented with, and poorly developed abilities in areas that normally map directly to the test (ie: using exceptional long term verbal memory to appear to have average long term visual memory).
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 13, 2013, 04:45 pm
It is really interesting how the human mind is, between different people the approach they take to solving the same problem can vary enormously. On a reverse digit span test for example, the subject is briefly presented with a series of numbers one at a time and then asked to repeat the numbers backwards. There are two primary ways in which this problem can be solved. Some people will visualize the numbers as they are presented to them, and then read them backwards from short term visual memory. Other people will loop the numbers in their mind, for example with the series: 1, 5, 11, 20, 12

they would say in their mind: 1, then 1, 5, then 1, 5, 11 then 1, 5, 11, 20 then 1, 5, 11, 20, 12

then they would repeat the series verbally in their mind until coming to the next number to say:

1, 5, 11, 20, say 12
1, 5, 11, say 20
1, 5, say 11
1, say 5
say 1

I am very good at this test and use the verbal short term memory method (I believe it is called phonological looping, whereas the visual method is called visuospatial sketching).

Another example would be if you are asked to say 'what letter comes after x in the alphabet?'

some people visually recall the letters of the alphabet and simply look at the letter to the right of x. Others would recite the alphabet quickly in their mind: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, say y


Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Hunter Guy on May 13, 2013, 05:25 pm
10, but it'd probably be a lot higher without drugs lol
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: KitKatisBorednow on May 13, 2013, 07:31 pm
10, but it'd probably be a lot higher without drugs lol

LOL...yeah. I was actually thinking the reverse.  Drugs make me more introverted, I am happy just kinda being by myself when I am on a bender or whatever. 

Bump because I find this subject really interesting and want to know what other people score.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: modziw on May 13, 2013, 08:01 pm
What is the next step to determine if you have Aspergers? Is there a more comprehensive online test?

Not for me, just for someone I know, you know, who's not me...

Mdzi
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: thyme on May 13, 2013, 08:09 pm
Huh.
41.
Not what I was expecting.
 
Quote from: kmfkewm
I think it is interesting how high functioning Autistic people are more likely to have minds like tape recorders, and low functioning autistic people are more likely to have minds like cameras.
That is interesting. I hadn't really considered it before, although I guess there are some presumptions under it I need to check, and then verbal ability would be part of it too. Something to look into today...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 13, 2013, 08:33 pm
29.

Some of those answers can stem from social anxiety, which I definitely have, or from anti-social behavior, which may be unrelated to autism. Hell, drugs can make people antisocial, so you're going to get biased results in this community.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 13, 2013, 08:44 pm
Although it's noteworthy (and perhaps sad) that alcohol makes me much less anxious. I become a very chatty and social drunk, as numerous people in this community can attest. Which supports the idea that many mental disorders are predictive of substance abuse.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: shakedown street on May 13, 2013, 08:57 pm
35, always knew I was out there...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Jack N Hoff on May 13, 2013, 09:02 pm
35, always knew I was out there...

Yeah, I thought you were out there when I saw you selling Purell hand sanitizer on here...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 13, 2013, 09:21 pm
35, always knew I was out there...

Yeah, I thought you were out there when I saw you selling Purell hand sanitizer on here...
lmao ;D
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 13, 2013, 09:24 pm
The average score of everybody who posted their specific score so far:

28 + 29 + 13 + 26 + 20 + 37 + 34 + 20 + 9 + 7 + 29 + 19 + 9 + 29 + 6 + 33 + 25 + 10 + 41 + 29 + 35 = 488 (up to shakedown)

488 / 21 = 23.23 , which is 6.83 points above the average in control groups, which is 16.4


Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Jack N Hoff on May 13, 2013, 10:37 pm
35, always knew I was out there...

Yeah, I thought you were out there when I saw you selling Purell hand sanitizer on here...

Yo I got bottles of sanitizer for days and a vendor account. let's make this shit happen homie.

I'm serious.  Shakedown was selling Purell hand sanitizer on here by the liter...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Ballzinator on May 13, 2013, 10:59 pm
35, always knew I was out there...

Yeah, I thought you were out there when I saw you selling Purell hand sanitizer on here...

Yo I got bottles of sanitizer for days and a vendor account. let's make this shit happen homie.

I'm serious.  Shakedown was selling Purell hand sanitizer on here by the liter...
But why? :D
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Oddworld on May 13, 2013, 11:32 pm
I got a 30 :S
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 13, 2013, 11:56 pm
Huh.
41.
Not what I was expecting.
 
Quote from: kmfkewm
I think it is interesting how high functioning Autistic people are more likely to have minds like tape recorders, and low functioning autistic people are more likely to have minds like cameras.
That is interesting. I hadn't really considered it before, although I guess there are some presumptions under it I need to check, and then verbal ability would be part of it too. Something to look into today...

It is really a bit hard to piece together because there are so many different perspectives people look at Autism from (with some of them conflicting), some studies have conflicting results, and Autism itself is somewhat poorly defined and is a broad spectrum with many possible characteristics and ways of presenting itself (and its subtypes are equally poorly defined, with widely varying and conflicting descriptions across academic papers). For example, Aspergers (which I am pretty sure is now rolled into high functioning autism and is not an independent diagnosis anymore) tend to have low visual intelligence and high verbal intelligence, but many studies simply say "Autistic people" tend to have higher visual intelligence than verbal intelligence. I can also find papers saying that Aspergers and High Functioning Autism (HFA) are BOTH types of high functioning autism (not HFA) with HFA people having visual intelligence strengths and verbal weaknesses, and Aspergers people having verbal strengths and visual weaknesses. Certainly low functioning Autistic savants tend to have exceptional long term visual memory while having very poor verbal memory, and people with aspergers (which is a type of high functioning autism, but possibly not HFA depending on who you ask) tend to have exceptional verbal memories with poor visual memories. The only conclusion I can really come to from reading papers on this subject, is that the people studying these things have widely varying opinions, use widely varying language and are generally very disorganized. ( Then again I guess I am expected to have knowledge of physics and a lack of ability to understand psychology, so maybe the issue is with me ;) )   


Here is an article about the visual intelligence of people with Autism. I imagine they studied people with low functioning Autism, although it does not specifically say so. I assume they mean low functioning autistic people simply because people with Aspergers have the opposite cognitive profile (ie: they have poor visual processing abilities and superior verbal processing abilities).

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404093149.htm

Quote

Autism: Exceptional Visual Abilities Explained

Apr. 5, 2011 — Researchers directed by Dr. Laurent Mottron at the University of Montreal's Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders (CETEDUM) have determined that people with autism concentrate more brain resources in the areas associated with visual detection and identification, and conversely, have less activity in the areas used to plan and control thoughts and actions. This might explain their outstanding capacities in visual tasks.

Aiming to understand why autistic individuals have strong abilities in terms of processing visual information, the researchers collated 15 years of data that covered the ways autistic brain works when interpreting faces, objects and written words. The data came from 26 independent brain imaging studies that looked at a total of 357 autistic and 370 non-autistic individuals. "Through this meta-analysis, we were able to observe that autistics exhibit more activity in the temporal and occipital regions and less activity in frontal cortex than non-autistics. The identified temporal and occipital regions are typically involved in perceiving and recognizing patterns and objects. The reported frontal areas subserve higher cognitive functions such as decision making, cognitive control, planning and execution,'' explained first author Fabienne Samson, who is also affiliated with the CETEDUM

"This stronger engagement of the visual processing brain areas in autism is consistent with the well documented enhanced visuo-spatial abilities in this population," Samson said. The current findings suggest a general functional reorganization of the brain in favor of perception processes -- the processes by which information is recorded the brain. This allows autistic individuals to successfully perform, albeit in their own way, higher-level cognitive tasks that would usually require a strong involvement of frontal areas in typical individuals. These are tasks that require reasoning -- for example, a research participant would be asked if a statement is true or false, or to categorize a range of objects into groups.

"We synthesized the results of neuroimaging studies using visual stimuli from across the world. The results are strong enough to remain true despite the variability between the research designs, samples and tasks, making the perceptual account of autistic cognition currently the most validated model," Mottron said. "The stronger engagement of the visual system, whatever the task, represents the first physiological confirmation that enhanced perceptual processing is a core feature of neural organization in this population. We now have a very strong statement about autism functioning which may be ground for cognitive accounts of autistic perception, learning, memory and reasoning." This finding shows that the autistic brain successfully adapt by reallocating brain areas to visual perception, and offers many new lines of enquiry with regards to developmental brain plasticity and visual expertise in autistics.

Dr. Isabelle Soulières of the CETEDUM and the Neural Systems Group at the Massachusetts General Hospital (NSGMGH) and Dr.Thomas Zeffiro of the NSGMGH, also contributed to the findings. The CETEDUM is based at the University of Montreal affiliated Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital and is part of the Fernand-Seguin Research Centre. It is officially known as Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal. The research was financed in part by grants from Autism Speaks, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec.



Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 13, 2013, 11:57 pm
And here is an article about the cognitive profiles of people with Aspergers syndrome, now folded into high functioning autism (but possibly not HFA high functioning autism):

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=252

Quote

Ms. Kelly could see that all was not well with Aaron. The four-year-old walked with a strange lope, vaguely pigeon-toed, and slumped, as if wanting to fold in on himself. Even after a week of child care, he refused to make eye contact. When he did respond to questions, he spoke in a machine-like monotone.

While Aaron occasionally eyed the other children, he made no attempt to engage with them. In fact, Aaron seemed content to play with his toy dinosaur, a replica of a stegosaurus whose name, his mother laughingly told the staff, was “Amph.” Whenever Ms. Kelly or another teacher attempted to get him to join the group, Aaron pulled away, as if physical contact and closeness burned his skin. But when, by the end of the second week, Aaron was no more engaged with the group than he was initially, Ms. Kelly firmly explained to him that he needed to participate in a game of musical chairs. As she gently removed Amph from Aaron’s hands, he met her eyes with an expression of pain, confusion, even betrayal. Though Ms. Kelly tried to soothe him, Aaron’s tantrum escalated. He appeared not to hear or even to be aware of other people trying to talk to him. Eventually, he was removed from the classroom.

Later that day, when Aaron’s mother came to pick him up, Ms. Kelly discussed Aaron’s behavior. “He can be stubborn,” Aaron’s mother agreed. “He won’t learn manners,” she said, describing how Aaron interrupted people in the midst of conversation with a monologue on his favorite topic, dinosaurs. Aaron’s tantrums at home also disturbed and baffled his mother. Many times she couldn’t figure out what they were about, but she had noticed that they occurred most frequently when they were leaving the house.

Based on this conversation, it was clear to Ms. Kelly that Aaron’s problems were not confined to the center. When asked what his pediatrician had to say about Aaron’s behavior, Aaron’s mother confessed that he had recommended that her son see a psychiatrist, who could prescribe him medication to alleviate some of his problematic symptoms. “But I didn’t want my son on drugs,” she said. Nevertheless, Aaron’s mother agreed to allow a psychologist to evaluate Aaron.

The psychologist administered a sophisticated and exhaustive series of psychological, neuropsychological, and educational tests. Fortunately for Aaron, his family, and his teachers, this psychologist had evaluated children whose behaviors were similar to Aaron’s. With a verbal IQ of 140 and a full scale score of 122, Aaron did not fit the standard profile of a child with autism. Neither could he be categorized as “Oppositional-Defiant,” or ADHD, or obsessive-compulsive, though he exhibited signs of each of these diagnoses. The psychologist concluded that Aaron was one of a growing number of children with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Children With Asperger’s Syndrome
Every teacher knows children like Aaron. They’re “different,” “strange,” “eccentric.” They don’t fit in. They grow up to become the brainy kids, the computer “geeks,” socially aloof and alone. Though it may not have felt so to his mother at the time, Aaron was lucky to have been diagnosed so swiftly. Many children with Asperger’s Syndrome are initially misdiagnosed and thus treatment, however well-intentioned, is misguided and involves medication targeting one or more symptoms without taking the entire condition into account. Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a neurologically based developmental disorder marked primarily by qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication, and behavior (Tanguay, Robertson, & Derrick, 1998). Named after Hans Asperger, an Austrian pediatrician who first identified the disorder in the 1940s, AS affects as many as one in 300 children. It is very rarely recognized before the age of three, and is thought to be far more common in males than females (Porter, 1996).

Asperger’s Syndrome is considered by many mental health experts to belong to the spectrum of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), and is often used synonymously with “high functioning autism” (Williams, 1995). Other experts believe that the characteristics of AS are different enough from autism to warrant its own category of diagnosis. With a later onset, less severe social and communication impairments, and a higher verbal IQ than autism, the diagnosis of AS implies a more promising prognosis, and therefore affects both treatment modes and outcome. Whether the diagnosis ultimately exists in its own category or not, the numbers of people being diagnosed with AS—children and adults alike—is steadily ising (Autistic Association of New Zealand, 1998). “Asperger’s Syndrome is such an inconsistently used term,” says Fran Goldfarb, Director of Parent & Family Resources at the Center for Child Development at Children’s Hospital-Los Angeles (personal communication, May 18, 1998). “The terminology, more than anything, tends to confuse people.”

According to Stephen Bauer, M.D., from the Developmental Unit of the Genessee Hospital in Rochester, NY, “For each case of more typical autism, [mainstream] schools can expect to encounter several children with a picture of AS” (1997). For this reason, teachers’ awareness of this syndrome is increasingly critical, not only in order to conference effectively with parents around their children’s educational needs, but to be able to work directly with these students on a daily basis. Children with AS can be tremendously challenging to teachers. The more education, empathy, and support the teacher brings to bear on this situation, the better the child and the classroom as a whole will fare.

Features of Asperger’s Syndrome
Asperger’s Syndrome is a disorder that affects a child’s social, behavioral, speech/language, and physical abilities. The following are some common features of the disorder, divided by areas of strength and weaknesses, as compiled from articles by Ruth M. Ryan, M.D. (1992); Stephen Bauer, M.D., (1997); Amy Klin, Ph.D., (1994); Karen Williams (1995); the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition; the O.A.S.I.S. (On-line Asperger Syndrome Information and Support Home Page, updated 1998); the Asperger’s Syndrome Support Network Homepage (updated in September 1996); and the Autistic Association of New Zealand, Inc. (1998).

Areas of Strength


Children diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome

    Have excellent rote memory;
    Absorb information and facts easily;
    Have an average or above-average intelligence (IQ);
    Are usually verbally advanced;
    Are extremely gifted in specific areas such as math, science, music, and art;
    Are academically proficient in several subjects including reading, vocabulary, and memory skills;
    Have the ability to focus on an area of interest, albeit to the exclusion of other interests and activities;
    Are intensely curious about their particular areas of interest, albeit to the exclusion of other areas; and
    Can be absorbed into mainstream education with appropriate support services.

 

Areas of Difficulty
Although children with AS have many strengths, they also have areas of difficulty which make interaction with others and learning difficult. These areas are listed below.

In social situations, children with Asperger’s Syndrome

    Play in solitaire or with much younger or older children;
    Exhibit a lack of empathy or ability to see others’ point of view ;
    Demonstrate a lack of awareness of how their behavior affects others;
    Show absence of spontaneous interest in sharing experiences with others (they live in “their own world”);
    Have inappropriate behavioral and emotional responses to social situations (i.e., laughing at something sad);
    Suffer impairment in non-verbal expression (limited facial expressions and social cues; limited use of gesture, and inability to judge appropriate social distances);
    Have limited and/or missing non-verbal communication; and
    Are often teased and bullied by peers because they cannot perceive that others are fooling or manipulating them.

Behaviorally, children with AS

    Exhibit restricted and repetitive, often bizarre patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (these routines or rituals may be imposed on self and/or on others);
    Display repetitive movements, mannerisms, and vocalizations;
    Develop unusually intense attachment to particular possessions;
    Lack the ability to explain motivations, feelings, or reactions;
    Show inflexibility and rigidity of routine (when they are met with a change in plan or with a surprise, even a pleasant one, they become extremely anxious and upset); and
    Lack the ability to tolerate frustration, often resulting in emotional outbursts.

Children with AS display speech and language difficulties by

    Speaking in peculiar voices (monotone, machine-like);
    Not understanding metaphor/simile, figurative language, and abstractions (everything needs to be very concrete); and
    Expressing difficulty in holding give-and-take conversations.

Physically, children with Asperger’s Syndrome

    Are clumsy and ill-coordinated (unusual gait or stance);
    “Avoid and may become overwhelmed and confused by phsical contact with others” (Cesaroni & Garber, 1991);
    Have gross or fine motor impairment which may affect penmanship, keyboard manipulation, and drawing; and
    Utilize relatively little eye contact.

Students with Asperger’s Syndrome can also have erratic and irregular results from educational and psychological testing. A child with autism or AS “may be a ‘math whiz’ in algebra, but not able to make simple change at a cash register.” Or, he or she may have an astonishing memory for statistics or prose, but forget to bring his or her supplies to class day after day. “Uneven skills development is a hallmark of autism” (Moreno, & O’Neal, 1998).

Sensory Overload
An additional, fundamental feature of Asperger’s Syndrome is a hypersensitivity to external stimuli. People with AS may hear things more acutely than the average person, feel things more sharply, and smell things with exaggerated intensity. Thus they are often in a state of sensory overload. In her paper, “My Experiences with Visual Thinking, Sensory Problems and Communication Difficulties,” Temple Grandlin (1996) describes her experiences with autism. “Sudden loud noises hurt my ears, like a dentist’s drill hitting a nerve,” she writes. “Being touched sent a...tidal wave of stimulation through my body. I wanted to feel the comforting feeling of being held, but the effect on my nervous system was overwhelming.” She writes, “The fear [or anticipation] of a noise that hurts the ears is often the cause of many bad behaviors and tantrums.” Her revelations make accessible and understandable what would otherwise be incomprehensible to most of us.

Suggestions for Early Childhood Professionals
For each of the areas of difficulty, Williams (1995) outlines ways for teachers to deal with the AS child in the mainstream classroom. (Another invaluable resource, written from the perspective of an adult person with Asperger’s Syndrome, is the article by Temple Grandlin, Ph.D., “Teaching Tips for Children and Adults With Autism,”http://www.autism.org/asperger.html.) While there is not room here to enumerate them all, the following are some basic guidelines for helping teachers deal with the AS child in their classroom.

    Minimize transitions by anticipating and preparing the child for any change in routine or schedule and avoid surprises.

    Explain why. AS children do not have the intuitive ability to see that their behavior is insensitive or inappropriate. They need to be told why in very concrete terms.

    Help AS children develop self-consciousness around behavior that is socially insensitive or inappropriate by explaining the reaction their behavior elicits, why their behavior offended people, and why it would have been better to behave in a specifically defined alternative way in the future. Help them to “practice” this alternative way.

    Learn to differentiate between what the child can help and what he or she cannot help, behaviorally, emotionally, or socially. Speaking at length, regularly, with the parents is invaluable towards this end.

    The combination of firm expectations and flexibility is necessary with the AS child. Provide choices, but limit them. In addition, require that they follow the rules of the classroom, and learn to sense where their rigidity can and cannot be loosened.

    To the best of your ability, protect the child from bullying and teasing by peers. Aside from the obvious aim of avoiding hurt feelings, peer insensitivity can be an opportunity to teach and model empathy, even to do some role playing. AS children can also learn to “mimic” empathetic responses.

    Limit their tendency to perseverate on circumscribed areas of interest by designating a specific time during which they may discuss or ask questions about the topic. Likewise, use their interest area as a reward for completing assigned tasks.

    Be calm, predictable, and matter-of-fact in interactions with the child with AS, indicating compassion and patience. It will be “necessary to teach children [with AS] seemingly obvious things...” (Asperger, 1991).

    “Be positive. Be creative. Be flexible” (Moreno, & O’Neal, 1998).

Therapy, Medication, or Behavioral Modification?
No one knows better than professional educators that every child is an individual. Children with Asperger’s Syndrome are no exception. Each one exhibits his or her own cluster of behaviors and traits, some of which may be more attributable to inherent personality characteristics than to a feature of the Asperger’s disorder. Likewise, treatment for AS will be different with each child. Some will benefit from medication for problems having to do with attention, or anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Others do not seem to benefit from medication, but respond well to a supportive behavioral approach to their idiosyncratic ways of experiencing and dealing with the world. A therapist experienced in working with AS children and their families is invaluable. Teachers may find themselves in a position of having to refer the families for consultation to a mental health professional. At times they may have to deal with a degree of family denial. Therefore, your role in recognizing and supporting the family in dealing with their child is crucial.

Conclusion
With the ever-increasing number of children in mainstream educational settings being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, teachers and parents need to come together around the special academic, social, and emotional needs of the AS child. Parents are rightfully concerned that the bureaucracy of educational planning committees is not equipped to accommodate their children’s unique needs. Cognitively and academically, these students are, if anything, advanced, making them ill-suited for most special education programs. On the other hand, the emotional and social challenges of the mainstream school setting can be extremely taxing for AS children and their teachers. Education and awareness are the first steps towards a sympathetic and effective program for these frequently gifted children with special emotional and social needs. What’s singularly important to remember is that the AS child experiences the world in a high-volume way, uniquely and creatively. The more we can learn from them about patience, compassion, and empathy, the more we will all benefit.


However these articles are rather cherry picked to support my initial hypothesis that people with low functioning Autism are more likely to have exceptional visual memories  (although many are retarded in all areas) and people with high functioning autism are more likely to have exceptional verbal memories. Unfortunately, when it comes to Autism disorders, it is pretty much possible to find plenty of research supporting nearly any hypothesis you want to throw out there. I do believe that this is an accurate point of view though.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 14, 2013, 12:16 am
The average score of everybody who posted their specific score so far:

28 + 29 + 13 + 26 + 20 + 37 + 34 + 20 + 9 + 7 + 29 + 19 + 9 + 29 + 6 + 33 + 25 + 10 + 41 + 29 + 35 = 488 (up to shakedown)

488 / 21 = 23.23 , which is 6.83 points above the average in control groups, which is 16.4

Which shows selection bias in posting it to a drug community. Either,

1. Anti-social psychological traits cause people to use drugs, or

2. Drugs make people more anti-social.

(or both)

I would like to see the quiz answers broken down by question, to see which specific questions this group deviated the most from the norm on. I bet it was the social questions, and not questions related to numbers or visualizing things.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 14, 2013, 01:30 am
http://www.rdos.net/eng/ has a more comprehensive Autism test may be a bit more resistant to the selection bias that Astor thinks is influencing the results. You need to go to the Aspie Quiz link from the left bar. It asks for personal information (sex, date of birth, race) prior to taking it, but this can and should all be bullshit if you plan on posting results from it here. Unfortunately their site looks like it was made with geocities drag and drop editor about a decade ago.

My results:

Quote
Your Aspie score: 128 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 98 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: titsmcgee123 on May 14, 2013, 01:34 am
36
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ChemCat on May 14, 2013, 02:33 am
Your Aspie score: 77 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 123 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical

 :o
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: kmfkewm on May 14, 2013, 02:35 am
Your Aspie score: 77 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 123 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical

 :o

That is about in line with your score of 20 from the original test, which is only 3 points above average for males.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ChemCat on May 14, 2013, 02:38 am
so i'm just a normal pothead ? 

:P


Peace,


ChemCat

O0
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: seuss on May 14, 2013, 03:59 am
Your Aspie score: 50 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 129 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: KitKatisBorednow on May 14, 2013, 04:29 am

Your Aspie score: 88 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 140 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical

Well that kinda surprises me.  No one I know in real life would agree that I am "nuerotypical" 

I'm quite odd.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 14, 2013, 04:48 am
Neurotypical with respect to autism. There are a thousand things that test doesn't test for. ;)


BTW, look at the nice normal curve in the poll results. As expected. We're just shifted up by 6 points compared to controls.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 14, 2013, 05:08 am
http://www.rdos.net/eng/ has a more comprehensive Autism test may be a bit more resistant to the selection bias that Astor thinks is influencing the results.

You mean because the simple quiz is too focused on social stuff? Possibly.

Once you collect enough results on the second one, do a paired t-test with the two sets of scores and you'll know if there's a statistically significant difference between them. You'll have to normalize the two sets of scores, because they have different ranges, means and standard deviations. You do that by converting each score to a "standard deviation unit".

If they're not different and/or we score higher on the longer quiz too, find 30 random people on the street and give them the quiz, then do a t-test to see if that difference is real. On a small sample, like 30 people, a 6 point difference could be a fluke, ie not a real difference, especially given that huge range from 6 to 42.

This is science! :)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: KitKatisBorednow on May 14, 2013, 06:50 am
Neurotypical with respect to autism. There are a thousand things that test doesn't test for. ;)


BTW, look at the nice normal curve in the poll results. As expected. We're just shifted up by 6 points compared to controls.

LOL...yeah noticed that!  ;)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: pine on May 14, 2013, 07:28 am
It is not that autism is more pronounced on here. Not specifically. There is some correlation between autism and geeks, probably. I mean all kinds of neurological issues aren't uniformly distributed throughout the populace, just look at the genetic problems Jews and only Jews seem to get. But what we're seeing is that people who actively use (or even lurk) internet forums in general are not part of the general population anyway.

If this test produced a different result from the set of Facebook users, I should be more surprised. But I am not surprised at all that an internet forum has different results because it is obvious that less than 10% of the population accounts for 90% of what is written online. Half the population uses the Internet exclusively for porn and videos on YouTube. This is why it seems elsewhere on the internet everybody online loves cats and Ron Paul. It's like expecting an IQ survey of Usenet users in the old days to follow a normal distribution, when it is was clearly the inverse!

Even ignoring the rest of the net, even on SR the majority of people don't seem to use the forums. Technocracy! Soon we shall evolve into Morlocks and farm Facebook users... oh wait.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: thyme on May 14, 2013, 08:14 am
Thanks for the articles, kfmkewm, I'm looking forward to them. Found a few things yesterday but no time yet to critique. There's a lot of agenda-laden bullshit out there.

For your curve:
Quote
Your Aspie score: 160 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 56 of 200
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: SelfSovereignty on May 14, 2013, 09:21 am
Quote from: AspieQuizyThingie
Your Aspie score: 96 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 118 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

I'm really astounded at your results, Astor... never would have guessed, frankly.  That's not sarcasm.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 14, 2013, 03:11 pm
Huh? Those aren't my results. I didn't take the second test.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: londonpride2 on May 14, 2013, 03:40 pm
People with asbergers/high functioning autism are both rare and tend to follow rules so it is likely that this site has a lower demographic of people in the spectrum rather than higher.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: zipstyle on May 14, 2013, 05:03 pm
The average score of everybody who posted their specific score so far:

28 + 29 + 13 + 26 + 20 + 37 + 34 + 20 + 9 + 7 + 29 + 19 + 9 + 29 + 6 + 33 + 25 + 10 + 41 + 29 + 35 = 488 (up to shakedown)

488 / 21 = 23.23 , which is 6.83 points above the average in control groups, which is 16.4

Which shows selection bias in posting it to a drug community. Either,

1. Anti-social psychological traits cause people to use drugs, or

2. Drugs make people more anti-social.

(or both)

I would like to see the quiz answers broken down by question, to see which specific questions this group deviated the most from the norm on. I bet it was the social questions, and not questions related to numbers or visualizing things.


My thoughts exactly, Astor. First off, it's very difficult to self-diagnose (arguably impossible) and secondly, it's very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis while drug use is occurring. Anyways, these are good thoughts. Thanks for putting em out there :)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: SelfSovereignty on May 14, 2013, 09:51 pm
Huh? Those aren't my results. I didn't take the second test.

Oh, those are mine -- sorry.  I didn't realize how ambiguous my statement was: I was throwing mine out and commenting on yours in a totally unrelated fashion.  Quite independent of each other; I just meant that your high result on the initial autism quotient test really surprised me.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: astor on May 14, 2013, 11:41 pm
Wait, so you're astounded that I got a 29 which is slightly in the autistic range?

Because I originally interpreted your comment the exact opposite way (juxtaposed against the normal results you quoted).

I was like damn, SS, that's kind of a dick thing to say, lol.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: sirius on May 14, 2013, 11:49 pm
My score on the first test was 20
My score on the second was: aspie 94/200, neurotypical 110/200
No autism here...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: SelfSovereignty on May 15, 2013, 01:09 am
Wait, so you're astounded that I got a 29 which is slightly in the autistic range?

Because I originally interpreted your comment the exact opposite way (juxtaposed against the normal results you quoted).

I was like damn, SS, that's kind of a dick thing to say, lol.

Yeah, I do that sometimes without meaning to... as I think you know by now -- insult someone without realizing it, that is; I meant the opposite of what it sounded like though, yes :)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ChemCat on May 15, 2013, 01:13 am
@ astor & SS

please dont take this the wrong way  (Hugs)

I've been drinking some wine while doing my research and am a little buzzard  :P

but i have to say  :)

Brainiacs and their endearing pitter patter  :)


I Love ya'll  :)

Peace,

ChemCat

O0
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: blster666 on May 15, 2013, 01:27 am
Score: 20



:)

Same here...should I be happy? lol
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: ChemCat on May 15, 2013, 01:38 am
Be Happy no matter what  :)

:P


Peace,

ChemCat

O0
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: mcgrizzle on May 15, 2013, 03:52 am
35. i'm actually having some psych testing being done in a month or so. i'll report back when i have actual diagnoses
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: shakedown street on June 03, 2013, 03:21 am
35, always knew I was out there...

Yeah, I thought you were out there when I saw you selling Purell hand sanitizer on here...

I have a hook-up and everyone needs to sanitize, don't they?
Maybe it's just my autism coming out.

All along I thought it was OCD...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: WeSaySo on June 03, 2013, 03:43 am
Its good to see that there are bigger ass-burgers here than me, I only scored 32.

Does it mean I can collect SSI for my malfunctioning neuro-type?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Nyaruko on June 03, 2013, 07:39 am
24.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: towelie on June 03, 2013, 10:02 am
I gots me a 33
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: motek on June 04, 2013, 01:30 pm
     21  ;)
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Somepup on June 04, 2013, 02:24 pm
19
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: thyme on June 19, 2013, 05:32 am
Lots of coverage at APA this year, it appears, for this:

http://autismmentalstatusexam.com/index/

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805223
excerpt:
Quote
Medscape: Can you summarize and speak to the somewhat controversial new DSM-5 autism criteria?

Dr. Grodberg: The DSM-5 revisions collapse the DSM-IV TR subtypes of pervasive developmental disorder into a single unifying DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD. Specifically, this means that the DSM-IV diagnoses of autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder (not otherwise specified) are not in the DSM-5. Additionally, the revisions combine delays or deviation in social and communicative functioning into a single category (A), alongside another category for repetitive restricted behaviors (B). This change reflects an effort to improve the diagnostic accuracy of clinicians and researchers.

The first DSM-5 field trials, published in November 2012, indicate significant consistency in the way that different clinicians use the new criteria when diagnosing children with ASD. However, many people continue to express concern that significant numbers of those who meet criteria for one of the DSM-IV subtypes of pervasive developmental disorder will not meet criteria for the new DSM-5 ASD. A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry [3] applies the DSM-5 criteria to datasets from several thousand children who previously were classified as having ASD under the DSM-IV criteria. Findings indicate that the new criteria do not miss the diagnosis in a significant number of children. This retrospective study will be followed by prospective studies that will comprehensively test out the new criteria on children and adults.

Medscape: Can you summarize the intent and methods of the subgroup analysis that you presented here at the APA meeting?[1]
Dr. Grodberg: Fifty consecutive high-functioning adults with suspected ASD came to the Seaver Autism Center at Mount Sinai for a diagnostic evaluation. First, each person was evaluated by a psychiatrist, who administered the AMSE. Then, each received an independent gold-standard evaluation that included the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule as well as other standardized assessment tools. Finally, a clinical diagnosis using DSM-5 criteria for ASD was determined by an independent clinician at the center who was blind to the AMSE score. Data analysis determined sensitivity and specificity of the AMSE in predicting DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD.

Medscape: What did you find in terms of sensitivity and specificity?

Dr. Grodberg: In this population of high-functioning adults with suspected ASD, a cutoff of 5 or greater predicted an independent diagnosis of ASD with a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 92%.

Medscape: So, your study then provides support for the DSM-5 criteria.

Dr. Grodberg: The DSM-5 criteria for ASD appear to improve the specificity of our diagnostic practices by decreasing the number of false positives. The results of this study indicate that the evolving psychometric properties of the AMSE hold promise to provide brief and streamlined observational assessment that can support a physician's DSM-5-guided clinical diagnosis of ASD in high-functioning adults who are suspected to have ASD.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: abrakadabra on June 19, 2013, 06:24 am
I have a friend who I consider a very intelligent and reasonable person that has twin boys, now in their late teens. One is 100% "normal" and the other has sever autism and is completely unable to function and requires special care 24/7 and can not even speak or communicate.
 My friend told me that he is 100% certain that his son's autism was a direct result from the vaccine shots given as a child. He said his son was totally normal and even ahead of his twin in developmental progress, they took them in for the routine vaccinations and his son became sick immediately afterwards and never the same since.
 They eventually diagnosed him with severe autism but refused to admit any connection to the vaccinations.
 He is completely certain the vaccines caused his son's condition.
Anyone else heard of this possible cover up?
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: SelfSovereignty on June 19, 2013, 08:23 pm
I have a friend who I consider a very intelligent and reasonable person that has twin boys, now in their late teens. One is 100% "normal" and the other has sever autism and is completely unable to function and requires special care 24/7 and can not even speak or communicate.
 My friend told me that he is 100% certain that his son's autism was a direct result from the vaccine shots given as a child. He said his son was totally normal and even ahead of his twin in developmental progress, they took them in for the routine vaccinations and his son became sick immediately afterwards and never the same since.
 They eventually diagnosed him with severe autism but refused to admit any connection to the vaccinations.
 He is completely certain the vaccines caused his son's condition.
Anyone else heard of this possible cover up?

I understand that your friend is quite certain the vaccine is what caused it.  But please, do not subscribe to this theory.  To my knowledge there is no evidence -- none at all whatsoever -- that links vaccinations to this sort of thing.  It could have been anything.  It could have even been something other than a vaccine in the syringe that caused it; mistakes are extremely rare, but they do happen.  Who knows.  To think it's a cover up or conspiracy or that vaccines do more harm than good based solely on one case is not logical though.

It really does a great deal of harm to society as a whole and all of our well being to think that just because A and B happened at approximately the same time means that A caused B.  You must not let yourself see causation where there is only coincidence.  The human mind is an incredibly complex and powerful thing, but intuition is prone to mistakes.  The power we have as intelligent creatures is to correct those mistakes when needed.

I strongly believe that your friend's intuition on the matter is such a mistake.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: zvp1014 on June 20, 2013, 01:52 am
"I often notice small sounds when others do not."
Questions like this are pissy given how my employment requires that I hear sounds that others do not :p I guess all Mix Engineers are also autistic!

"I notice patterns in things all the time."
Both learning calculus while on LSD and analyzing artwork while on LSD have definitely amplified this ability in me.

Scored 23.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: chriscalderon on June 20, 2013, 08:46 am
37

Which may begin to explain why I do not have any friends.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: BlackIris on June 20, 2013, 09:06 am
I scored 32.

But I don't have a mathematical mind, just the contrary in fact. I have a very strong visual capability, however. I make mental pictures of everything I see and remember them by that. I have a very strong visual imagination (for example when I painted I used to paint above the visual image I visualized in the canvas).

So I have 32 in this test with an IQ of 151, I guess I'm totally insane (oh well, not that I didn't know that already anyway).
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: BlackIris on June 20, 2013, 09:10 am
37

Which may begin to explain why I do not have any friends.

I am in the same boat as you, my friend (uh... so that means I HAVE a friend now, urrah! When will we go to the pub?... or better not, it will be easy one of us will not return back from the encounter ;) )
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Railgun on June 20, 2013, 11:32 am
16.

I'm actually heavily into the sciences as a hobby and profession, but I don't seem "nerdy" unless you get me on the topic.

The real skinny:
These claims are made by people who view getting on the net to buy drugs as asocial. To an extent, they are correct. However, there's also two other dimensions they fail to neglect:

1) Some people are natural introverts.  I'm a huge introvert; I love time alone.  A lot of these questions had introvert bias. "Do you prefer doing things along" fuck  yes, it's amazing.

2) This is actually a safer way to distribute, and I'm glad that people here seem to be of higher intelligence than the average dealer. Would I rather a "semi-autistic" dealer with good knowledge of stealth and security or a socialite dealer who gives me an awkward fucking handshake in broad daylight while looking as sketchy as possible? Option A please.

Fuck these tests.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: rock_lobster on June 21, 2013, 09:42 am
I scored 30, I'm a borderline autist...  ;)

Also it is the most common result so far.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Kalli on June 21, 2013, 10:06 am
I scored 6 !!! That's pretty low...
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: thyme on June 21, 2013, 11:13 am
what, on the AQ or on the AMSE? :P

Going to guess the AQ.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Kalli on June 21, 2013, 12:56 pm
what, on the AQ or on the AMSE? :P

Going to guess the AQ.

If you're talking to me yes the AQ !
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: jameslink2 on June 21, 2013, 01:04 pm
I got a 32 and I have had more than one person suggest that I may have mild Asperger's so it is not surprising.

I figure it is just a side effect of having an IQ in the top 1%
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: sleeptight on June 21, 2013, 01:34 pm
28

I realized during the test, that there really are things which are more important to me than people. But then again I don't know what I would do without my friends. I guess I'm just introvert, like Railgun :P
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: Itsworking on June 21, 2013, 03:14 pm
Got 16, phew.
Title: Re: What is your Autism Quotient
Post by: mito on June 26, 2013, 10:23 pm
Subscribed

Score 22