Every time I take these tests every question feels like: In general, I tend to feel that I consider myself to be a person who, at times, may often be at risk of being indecisive. _Probably agree _Vaguely agree _Don't not disagree _Violently disagree Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank Sparknotes for my English degree.
Yes!! Thank you, beautifully put! Also, very often i's like "do I want to put the neutral option because it represents how I feel or should I move it towards the one which gets me desirable score" 🤔
@@lidu6363 What you should be doing is answering as you would have felt inside during your late teen years or so. That's when you can get the best balance of self-awareness and your likely-weakest masking. If you answer based on what you feel and can do today, you don't know what your true score is, because that's going to include a lot of (un)conscious masking. Go back in time and remember it as it was.
Scored 35. Some questions were definitely ambiguous. I self identify as autistic. I figured it out this past May at 53 yrs old. Just thought I was an empathetic introvert with social anxiety and trauma issues.🙄 Watching videos like yours give me so many "Ah... that's why that happened that way." moments. Definitely helps things click into place. Thanks, Tay!
I totally resonate with your comment. It totally encompasses how I think of myself. I scored 35 also. I’m 43 years old and live in Syracuse, New York State. I am not diagnosed and looking for somewhere I might be able to go to get a professional opinion. Any ideas? The place locally has a waiting list.
Hey, fellow 53 yo! I was diagnosed with ADHD at 39 and I figured I just was introverted and traumatized as well, but lately some problems I've had in a group work situation have opened my eyes to the probability that I'm on the spectrum. I scored 36. Will be pursuing an official diagnosis. Fun fact: the last few years I have been working in special education, and I always wondered why my students with autism were so easy to read. 😳😂
I took the AQ a month ago & scored 44/50. At age 78 I am now learning - through this & quite a few other tests, as well as many YT videos - that I am definitely on the spectrum. This answers many, many of the questions that have beleaguered me for decades! It's an enormous relief, & I have so very much to learn. Thank you, thank you! (LTB, Grandma on the spectrum)
Ok fun fact but I scored very high on this one when I had OCD tendencies, depression, anxiety and had to be constantly dependent on some kind of obsessive structure to get me through the day. Not to mention that I would completely isolate myself from society to the point where I believed that I needed no human contact. That led to me being misdiagnosed as autistic, even though at first another doctor diagnosed me with ADHD. Now after a few years of therapy, feeling relatively healthy and like myself again, I took this test with you and I got 13. Which to me says that these tests are helpful but only as an additional tool, as they can reflect someone's mental state at a certain time and not their permanent tendencies. I also had dissociative disorder and basically constructed this new personality for me, which was everything that I initially was not. I now realize that my obsession with structure was due to anxiety because of being unable to do well due to my ADHD. Now that was a long journey to get here!
Oh my god I loved your mood! It’s what I used to call acerbic. I’d forgotten. I think I stopped being that way because the things I said confused people. I miss it.
@@MomontheSpectrum Honestly, seeing you post a video while feeling this way was nice because it was validating and felt very "unmasked" if that makes sense. Also people being acerbic/sassy is funny to me and the bluntness/directness is refreshing. :) (I do hope you are feeling more balanced now or soon, tho!)
I scored 35 but thought too some of the questions were too ambiguous. Embrace-autism is such a great website and the other tests helped confirm it - as did my therapist. I’m 55 and it explains so much. Thanks for going through this test.
I was also diagnosed at age 55 (last year). My therapist suggested the possibility and sent me the AQ test. I scored 39 and went on to receive a diagnosis. Sure explains a lot, doesn't it?
Scared me to death. My name is Angela W too! Thought I took the test and had abs no memory of it, but I am 67. Thanks for listing your age. Lol. I scored a 24.
@Angela W I’ve never agreed more with your bundle of self-assessments-that’s been me my entire life! I was also born clairvoyant and was so misunderstood I realize I’d been wearing two masks ‘til my 40s! @Mom on the Spectrum I even have an autistic son, but I’m always last to notice when it relates to myself! ❤
Depending on the day, I score anywhere in the range of 41 to 43. I was always confused about that question about whether or not one is "fascinated by dates." I always understood it had to do with whether or not I like history and enjoy memorizing dates (definitely agree). But I think I was really off on that (can't remember what Dr Englebrecht's suggestion was). Also, YES, that museum-or-theater question makes me INSANE, too. I always interpreted it as "do you like quiet or noise" but even then, the question makes no sense. Museums can be quiet or they can be echoey and crowded; theaters are not especially noisy once everyone has sat down and shut up and the performance has begun. I like going to both. But I always tell the AQ that I prefer the museum because I do prefer quiet as a rule. But it depends on the day and the event. I will be willing to put up with a lot of noise for an activity related to a special interest. It's frustrating.
I feel you for both, I am interested in dates for when things happen but don't retain any of them (loved history at school but barely passed because I could tell you what happened but couldn't' tell you when, don't know if that relates to having time blindness). For the museum or theatre question I struggled with that too and ended up picking museum for the same reason though I love going to musicals and the last time I went to a museum I needed my loops in because they had tvs on the walls in different rooms that were part of the instillations, they were really loud and it was noticeable because there weren't many people there when I was there.
@@amandamandamands Oh that's me as well! I also love history and would memorize dates if I could...I just can't retain them. I think it is because of my ADHD. I have to be able to attach the date to another related piece of information that is pattern based in order to remember it. But in terms of my personal life timeline of what year something happened in my life...I can remember it because there were other events that would have happened the same year. So I can usually deduce what year something happened if it was important enough to me. If it was REALLY reall significant to me, I never forget. But for history, I wish I could easily remember specific dates but I'm stuck giving generalities which is extremely frustrating!
@@carolynmacdonald7024 Yep the joys of time blindness, I explain it to people that for most things I will be like the way that events are described in the Bible, this happened in the time of that.
I love that you didn't "get ready" for this video. Sometimes I have to just make a video in my pj's for the sake of getting it done. Thanks for helping me feel less alone in that.
I'm so glad you mentioned the energy thing! I'm undiagnosed but definitely think I am on the spectrum. The only thing is that I pick up on energy easily. So much so that a person's energy, if it's negative, can make it really difficult for me to interact with them because I can't get past that uneasy feeling I'm getting from them. Anyways that made me think maybe I'm not on the spectrum.. I'm happy to know it's "normal" lol
I scored 39. I’ve done a lot of therapy for anxiety and depression and feel fairly confident in my ability to self-evaluate. It was this initial score (in addition to scoring very high on every other ASD-related screening test available) that led me to meticulously watching so many TH-cam videos about the subject. I’m fairly confident that I’m AuDHD and it has been a massively healing revelation for me at 40+ years of age. I thank these videos for all they do to support and educate!
My score was 41. I am going to request an evaluation at my therapy appointment at the beginning of the month. The results of the self-assessments do not surprise me, I have suspected it for about a decade but never said anything until the past couple of months. When I first brought it up to a long time friend, she said she always suspected it but was too scared to say anything. Having an official diagnosis will actually be a relief to me because I always knew I was not "normal" and no amount of masking could change that fact.
I like that the embrace autism website includes multiple assessments, including the RAADS-R and the CAT-Q. I scored a 39 on the AQ, then I scored a whopping 152 on the CAT-Q. I think taking as many reliable assessments as possible has been really helpful to make sense of the range of asd symptoms and their varying presentations. Sidenote: something i find interesting about this assessment is that non-autistic males tend to score higher than non-autistic females (the gender discrepancy is not present, however, among people on the spectrum). I think this speaks to how males and females are socialized, and it also demonstrates why clicians identify males with asd at higher rates than females: they exhibit more "classic" asd symptoms while females are still forced to mask far more. Hopefully we see this gender gap close increasingly over time as we learn more about autism & neurodivergence, but I just thought that was interesting.
This is such an important point about having to take all the results of multiple assessments and everything in totality. The AQ was the first test I found out about; I took it twice and scored in the mid-20s, like a 24 or something. It left me with more questions than answers, bc I was pretty sure already that I’m autistic, but that borderline result was confusing, inconclusive, and invalidating! A lot of the issue comes from things Taylor touched on in this video, like the fact that some questions are way too vague or the answer depends on so many contextual factors that I can’t possibly choose a response. Later, I came across the rest of the battery… my RAADS score initially was 71, so over the threshold but just barely. Then I took the CAT-Q and scored a 155. Also, my SQ score was a staggering 88. At some point I also started a list in a note app on my phone of all the reasons I believe I’m autistic, and I’ve also been trying to notice more and lift the mask a bit. I’ve learned a lot about myself and realized some of the answers I’d provided on the questionnaires at first aren’t actually true! Like I previously didn’t think I engaged in stimming, but then I started actually noticing what my body was doing throughout the day and realized my mask was so sophisticated it even hid my autistic traits from me! I also put that I didn’t mind being interrupted in the middle of doing something, which is hilarious because I actually become filled with rage whenever that happens 😅 But I completely had myself fooled on so many things! I re-took the RAADS a short time later, and my score increased to an 82. I’m still in the beginning of my journey of self-discovery so I’m sure there are still lots of things I need to figure out and unravel, but I at least have clarity in my own mind now that I am autistic. And this has brought me a lot of peace, understanding, and healing ❤️🩹
I love hearing other peoples answers on these. It’s fascinating how alike yet also so different we are. As for jokes, my son and I both usually get the meaning or the “humor” but we just genuinely think they’re stupid. We would never laugh like the joke tellers do. We much prefer jokes that are plays on words.
I scored 43. My psychologist started screening me for asd but she's basically said if she did decide there was enough information to go ahead with an assessment then in order to give a diagnosis she would require enough information from others who knew me well between age 3 and 10. I'm about to turn 44 years old. I still have my parents, but life was hard,for family reasons i won't go into, when i was young. I feel like my life has started to make sense since looking more into asd. I'm so glad i found this channel. It has helped me so much xx
I just did the test and I got 45. Just fire some context I’m not officially diagnosed but I have been self diagnosed fire a year or so now ☺️. This channel has been really helpful and the resources and people have been so nice, thankyou ☺️.
As I said to someone else, I don't think you should answer the questions on this test with masking engaged. If you do, you're masking your real score as well. Answer it the way you feel inside. I usually suggest that people answer as if they were still a clueless late teen, aware of how they feel but not good at masking. That gives you your true AQ, but then you can take it again with full masking engaged and see how much difference your masking might be making. 🙂 Edit: For example, I'm 39 without masking, but because I have the benefit of ty years of learning to mask, more and more of them after learning I had autism, my score _with_ masking is just 26. Knowing that, I can cut myself some slack if I get exhausted in a social setting, because that's a lot of masking. I'm masking like 1/3 of my score away these days. Good job, me, but still, it's _tiring_ to do it.
My score was 37 this time. I've taken this test (or some like it) several times over that last few years (because taking tests is fun!), and it seems like my score keeps changing the more aware I become. It's neat to see everyone else's scores and reactions...it's nice to finally find people like me that understand the struggle!
So glad to hear this! Id love to get to know you more in a community group. If you’re interested you can check availability here: MomOnTheSpectrum.Life/coaching
@@MomontheSpectrum Yes! I'd love to join! I've been keeping an eye on them and trying to find a time that works. I'm also a parent, so it can be difficult to find the time, but I'm hoping I can join soon!
Thank you for this information. I scored 46. I'm 34 years and a mom of a 4 year old daughter with diagnosed autism and a 2 year old son. 6 december I will get my first conversation with someone from a autism diagnoses centre. The waiting list was 15 weeks here in the Netherlands. I am excited to see if they will give me the diagnoses or not.
I am 37 years old. And I am a male. And I am on the Autism spectrum I have PDD-NOS. And I live in the united states of America. I live in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. I live on the east coast. And I was diagnosed with being on the Autism spectrum when I was a child. It was Hershey Hospital in Hershey Pennsylvania. that diagnosed me with being on the Autism spectrum. I had to go to Hershey hospital every month for breathing treatments for my Asthma. And I also had to go to easter seals for physical therapy as a child.
@@PraveenSrJ01 oh okay and that is cool that you where originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. And that is cool that you live in Carry, North Carolina. With your elderly parents.
@@PraveenSrJ01 Wow! Hi 👋 I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, relocated to Raleigh when I was 21 and never looked back, Best of both worlds if you ask me being a Gen-Xr. Hello to Western Pennsylvania!! Hello to Cary (I'm at Oak Island now)
I scored 42 on this test, and highly on other tests on Embrace Autism, which really opened my eyes to things I was not aware about before, and understanding what autism is. My results have given me the courage to get an autism assessment which is tomorrow :)
Hi, Taylor! Let me just say that you have been such a source of support and encouragement for me. I'm 31 and I've suspected for some time now that I am on the autism spectrum. The concept of masking absolutely resonates with me tenfold. I took the AQ a few months ago and scored a 43 too!!! I'd love to seek a professional diagnosis, but I will have to see what my options are where I live. Just here to say you rock and thank you for the work you are doing. It makes a difference ❤
Thank you so much for your kind comment! There may be some helpful resources for providers in your area in the BARG (you can download for free on my website - momonthespectrum.life)
just took it and scored 36. If I took it 20 years ago I'd definitely be in the upper 40s. I was initially diagnosed ADHD as a very young child and needed a ton of support into my teens. it was very upsetting and I tried my absolute hardest to improve my social communication. The talking on the telephone really resonated with me and I had absolutely no clue how back and forth conversations worked when I couldn't see the person.
Yeah, I have trouble knowing when it's my turn to speak anytime, but it's really bad on the phone. In general, I constantly interrupt people without meaning to.
@@summermazur3064 For me it was the opposite. there would be a long silence and the other person would say "hello?" and/or "are you still there?", and I would respond with "oh, its my turn to talk?". This is landline days when dropped calls weren't a thing. Dad used to sit next to me and listen with a cordless receiver and cue me in. Also had me write down a script of things to say which I still do sometimes today. I'm better today, but would much rather text.
I also scored 36 and I also definitely think I'd have scored MUCH higher when I was younger. I did a lot less camouflaging then and hadn't yet figured a lot of social things out. Also your brain keeps developing until somewhere between age 25 and age 30 depending what source you look at, so I think sometimes maybe symptoms can improve a bit as you get older? Not sure about that. I'm not really basing that on any studies or anything. But right now I'm undiagnosed. I just seem to score above the ranges in every autism test I've taken so far. I also wonder how the ADHD part influences your score on autism tests because it can be directly contradictory to autism. So sometimes I think I'm trying to parse out in autism tests whether I should answer with the autistic version or the ADHD version 🤣
using google maps to plan out your trip. YES. I will do research on where the parking is, what the adjoining streets look like. The interior of the restaurant. Is it cramped? Are there booths? I feel seen
when I am here on your channel is the ONLY TIME I feel "safe around others" (oddly enough bc I am actually still alone). I find myself completely closing off to people around me bc of how they mistreat me, talk to me or misinterpret me and then belittle me for their misunderstanding of what I'm trying to say/do. I just want to hide away and stay away from everyone these days.... I wasn't quite like this before 'I found out' but I've stopped trying to fight for respect and have the fantasy of moving to a cave to be away from everyone. I feel so alone. Thank you for being here despite the personal challenges of trying to show up, to which I can completely relate to ofc
@Michelle I can really relate to what you said. My brain never lets me feel safe, and dealing with people has become so hard that I think of a cabin in the woods -- except for the loneliness I feel already. I'm grateful for communities like this. I'm at least doing better than I was; I've always been prone to depression, but in 2020-21 I lapsed into Major Depressive Disorder. I would not have made it out without help (I'm still on SSRIs, TBH). If you think you feel seriously depressed, I'd encourage you to reach out for help. Depression can be triggered by "learned helplessness" -- feelings of "whatever I try, I always fail." I needed help overcoming the depression before I could begin to cope with my other problems. I don't mean to make unwanted suggestions, but I've been where it sounds like you might be, and I am now aware that depression is a real, physical condition. Please take care, I am thinking of you.
For the past 4 years I’ve been questioning wether or not I was autistic. I’ve taken both the RAADS-R (185 score) and AQ (45 score) multiple times. I’ve spent countless hours researching autism and ‘symptoms’ that I have. I’m hoping to finally get my diagnosis soon so that I can feel like my authentic self. Your channel is great!
took this test about a year ago when I was starting to suspect I was autistic, with the thought that if I scored low I could forget about it: scored 39. Thought I should do some of my own verification, so made my sister take it, she got 8 😅 still waiting for assessment, and enjoying your videos in the meantime!
An 8, wow! That's a very neurotypical person. My husband (who probably has ADHD) scored 15. We are very different in the way we process things. I first started to suspect ASD last year, got a 39 on the AQ, and did end up receiving a diagnosis.
haha i did this with my friends too. I was like, will you take this test? Thinking they would score high too but they didn't! That was really shocking to me.
@@MomontheSpectrum when I asked my friends to take tests I’d taken “to check the validity of these approved tests for my own scientific method” some did comment that this was a pretty autistic way of looking at things 😅 they may have been right!
33! I'm very proud of finally having some kind of confirmation because my neuro evaluator was so bad that she wouldnt even test me for ASD even though I requested it. Also, I'm totally signing up for every community group event offered because I'm so excited to hear about this! Thank you so much for doing this because I'm thrilled to get to meet other people and learn more about ASD life.
You are definitely in a mood….but thanks for going thru the test. I scored 34 the first time I took it and mor😊e recently 38. It’s a good starting point towards getting a diagnosis.
I took that test but I definitely agree I had questions I needed a sometimes option. I am not sure if I’m on the spectrum. My youngest daughter is and was diagnosed at 5. I’m certain of adhd though. I’m 47 and if I am I’ve definitely gotten good at masking. I recognize traits however in myself.
Undiagnosed, but scored 30 as a female. I realllllly hope that I'll have an appointment with psychiatrist just to make sure if I'm on the spectrum or not
I just found you here on this corner of the internet, and I LOVE your content! I'm a 35 yr old Mom of 3 (all autistic) kids, and only just realized that I was autistic after coming to the realization my older two kids were too.... I was also diagnosed in 2021 a few days after my (then 12) yr old daughter was diagnosed. We then wondered about my oldest, he's alot like me, very very ADHD, and very good at masking... We did a full Psych-Ed assessment along with an ASD assessment, and he was also diagnosed. My daughter went through a full Psych-Ed assessment a year later, and was found to also be ADHD - which I didn't see at first due to HER masking, and the fact that she's ADHD-Inattentive, where as myself and my oldest are Combined Type (lots of Impulsivity, etc)
Haha ok. I think I answered that I didn't have trouble imagining fictional worlds but your explanation made me second guess that. I just don't know what constitutes having trouble with it. How do I know if I have more trouble than average? 🤣 But actually if I think about it, that's why I read mostly non-fiction. I often found fiction to be frustrating. It wasn't realistic enough for me and it required a lot of energy to conjure up these worlds in my mind so I'd get tired very quickly reading fiction. It reminded me of that when you said your Barbie games were more just like... Realistic scenarios. It was the same for me lmao. And I used to hate when my siblings would butt into a game that I was playing by myself. I wanted to control the entire scenario. I wasn't happy when my siblings went "off script" 🤣 I did an awful lot of playing *in the same room* as other kids, but not directly interacting with them. I think they call that parallel play and it's quite common in autism. Most other children will grow out of parallel play after their toddler years. I still say that my boyfriend and I engage in "parallel play" in the way that we will both be engaging in our own special interests, but we want to be in the same room at least lol. We just can't handle direct interaction for too long.
Also I generally disliked dolls, but preferred animal toys. I only had one barbie I liked because she was dark skinned and dressed in basically rainbow clothing so I thought she was cooler than the regular classic Barbie with her blonde hair, blue eyes and pink clothes. I found blonde barbie unrelatable and cold or something. I associated her with traits that I didn't share with other girls.
I love reading fiction, but I started to realize that while other people imagine what people look like in books, they have always been shapeless for me. Just characteristics without an image in my head. I love to write but I realized I might not be able to write fiction for that reason. I'm waiting to find my purpose in writing, I know there is one.
@@MomontheSpectrum Oh masking - having been diagnosed with ADHD at 40 last year and currently awaiting my ASD assessment (AQ50 = 39) I’ve literally no idea what is masking and what isn’t for me. I’m sure I’ll work it out in time. Having not long come out of a 20 year relationship where I tried my best to be the person that my partner wanted me to be, I do feel like I’ve been somewhat oppressed 🤷♂️ I’ve just today had my barber cut me a Mohawk, so maybe that’s a start to my unmasking 😂 Glad you’re slowly being able to unmask :-) Your channel and Purple Ella’s are by far the best for neurodivergent content on TH-cam! Thank you for spreading awareness :-)
Thank you so very much for all you do for the Autism community! I am halfway through my formal assessment (exhausting). I feel you about wanting to rip the paper in half with the question about being bothered if your daily routine is upset!
I scored 36 and am in the process of getting assessed for autism. I don't know what I will do if I am not diagnosed with autism, because the more I research on it, the more I am convinced that I am on the spectrum.
I'm 43, was just professionally evaluated on October 17th. I hate that it takes 4-6 weeks for results, but I am VERY certain I am autistic. I answered very similarly to Taylor, except the fiction part. I love fiction stories. However, my 2 daughters always wanted me to play dolls/make believe w/ them and I just... can't. I've tried, but can't. They also talk to me at the same time and my brain breaks. It's like my mind stops processing auditory information. I wish I would have known more about Autism sooner in my life. Pretty sure my oldest daughter is also has ASD. Thanks for all the information in your channel.
Have just taken the test at age 73, got so fed up of all the different labels that have been assigned tome since a very young age. However this diagnosis was never suggested. I scored 45. I did the other tests on the website and had high scores on all of them!
I scored 42. I have not been diagnosed. My daughters, one of whom is an RN, keep telling me they think I'm on the spectrum, so I took the AQ and discovered your channel.
When I was starting to really look into the idea that I could be autistic this test was for me OK I'm not imagining that I am seeing something here, some of the questions I had to go well I did when I was younger as things like phone numbers no one remembers anymore and as Tay said if I have an interest in it then it is remembered. No matter how many times people try to explain English grammar rules (verb, noun etc) it doesn't stick and I don't get poetry at all especially when you have to breakdown and analyse it
Hi, Im writing from sweden. I just found your videos and im going through the ones im sorting. I just want to say how glad I was to hear you say you needed more information and context on some of the activities in the form! I kept asking my doctor for context and they got a bit caught off guard 😅 we started discussing context on so many of the questions, but got through them in the end. So glad im not the only one with these questions. Clarity people! Thank you!
I've got a professional diagnosis earlier this year. Before watching the video I scored 37. While watching the video, 43 or 44. Question 28 is difficult. I do focus on the details, but that's because I want the bigger picture to be correct.
Thx for doing this, it was interesting to see your responses to these questions, for comparison. I took this test a while back and scored 45. All of the questions where you gave a reformulation of it, I already agreed w/ those questions, but your reworking of it I agreed with even more. Thx again!
Don’t have an official diagnosis but scored 39. I’ve taken this test several times and the scores are always similar. But I agree. Some of the statements are pretty ambiguous.
HAD to watch this because the title - it had to be fun. If I had a secret daughter, you could fit the bill. If I could initiate and go look up my notes on my score… I can’t recall at the moment if it was 43 or 47. That low because I’ve learned to do some of the normalness a little. But it isn’t your score that makes you look like “yep.” It’s you’re response to the imprecise questions… Fun video, glad I watched: it made perfect sense; therefore, it was relaxing.
As a 43 year old male I scored 38 on the test. We believe that one of our daughters may be Autistic, and preliminary spectrum tests seem to indicate so as well. This is the second test that I have taken in the past year, and both placed me on the spectrum. Since I was in Junior High School I knew that I was very different from other kids. I still do not understand people, how they think, or their emotions, but if this makes any sense.. I can read them; like I can tell pretty quickly if someone is fake or insincere. The biggest social group that I can contribute in is three, any more than that and I clam up, and if there are many people and multiple conversations going then I get anxiety. The funny thing about Autism is since I started researching Autism in the past year I am finding that Autistic people are normal. I want to teach my daughter not to be ashamed or embarrassed about being Autistic, that we just see the world a little differently than other people but that we can still live a normal life.
You are so relatable ❤ I've taken this on and off over the past year and still score as likely autistic. Can't remember my scores...AuDHD here most likely.
Hi Taylor! I ordered my earbuds ( Calmer PRO) some weeks ago and its amazing in loud places, during transportation, its a life-saver for me, as I am very sensitive to sounds! Thank you so much for your recommendation, I absolutely love them! On the test I scored 35 and I am undiagnozed, but im aware of my condition at least.
i google places too, the parking lot, how it looks inside, if it's a restaurant i will look for the online menu so when I get there i know exactly what to do 😂
I did something similar but on an oral interview (due to the distance and the logistic problems of meeting the expert) and she basically told me I scored like 154 points... and that the minimum score to obtain to be diagnosed on the autistic spectrum was 70. Cooool, at least nobody will accuse me of pretending to be what I'm not or that the expert misdiagnosed me, I guess. XDD
I am not diagnosed with anything on the spectrum but I’ve been resonating with your videos lately. I took this test and I was so frustrated by the lack of clarity you’re talking about! I didn’t know how to answer some of the questions and then felt like I was cheating and didn’t know if I could trust the results.
Yeah... sigh. First time I took the AQ was a few days after my wife and I separated. I'm 37. My kid was diagnosed autistic approximately 1 year before. Anyways, we were discussing some of the communication issues that my wife and I had been having lately and their actual response was "Dad.. you are autistic as sh*t you know that right?" It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been to all of their appointments and thought several times "yeah I do that too" but did not recognize the magnitude of the impacts. Took AQ, 44. I've started counseling and will be persuing a psychologist consult as things develop. In the meantime I am learning about myself.. You and orion kelly have been saviors. Now i'm figuring out how this has (greatly) impacted my life over the years and how I can work with my traits instead of against them.
I've taken this several times and find it so hard to understand the questions. But I took the British version somewhere and thought it was much better written. I don't know if I'm autistic, but I've struggled with friendships and feeling different my whole life. I scored 144 on the Aspie quiz referenced in another video, but I don't know if I skewed the results. Edited to add: i just took it again with a clearer understanding of what the questions were meant to mean and scored 39. I also took the RAADS-R and scored 109, even though I hated that there was no neutral answer to fall back on when I wasn't sure.
Perhaps the way you see yourself isn’t what the test is trying to assess. Or autism overlaps with so many things, there might be a diagnosis that fits you more precisely. So, you probably could see a qualified evaluator to help you unravel your threads?
I’d say don’t take it as being definitive, It’s only a tool. Whenever I take it I wonder if my social anxiety could be from other sources, and the number of questions about that might be giving me a “false positive.” And I always have this vague sense that the right autistic traits could lead someone to interpret the questions in a way that could give a “false negative,” because ironically I think you have to read between the lines on some of the questions. If I answered literally I don’t think much of anyone ever told me I was rude, but I think that’s because I avoided the kind of social group where someone would say that to me. And there’s lot of diversity in autism. The quiz is too old to really touch on sensory issues, and maybe because it’s for adults, they don’t get into meltdowns either. As I learn more, I notice that a lot of the questions are pretty dated and limited. I actually liked the Aspie quiz better, it was not so vague and felt more nuanced. I can’t say if you are or you aren’t autistic, I still struggle with that in myself, but I wouldn’t rule it out just on the basis of this test.
You still could be or it could be something else. A different channel that I saw this test on a couple of years ago said that at a score of 32 it captures 80% of autistic people and has a false positive rate of 2%. That means that 20% of people who are autistic don't flag as such on that test. That is why it is one of a range of tests as well as talking to you that they base the assessment on. If you go to a site that has the AQ test they will quite often have other tests too (one site had one test I scored really low on while I tested high on all the others). There are also a couple of different pages that I have found that list traits of autistic females so they could also be a place to look for more clarity.
I've got my official diagnosis a few days ago (I still don't have it on paper but the result told to me was "you pass autism criteria" so I believe I DO pass...) and I had 24 in this test today. Even after all this months of thinking and also listening to different people taking this test and realizing that maybe I don't understan all the questions well. So... It's only a test. Sometimes when you answer an official test during a diagnosis process it turns out you didn't uderstand the question in the way it's purpose is. What's more funny - sometimes it's because you are autistic.
I scored a 45 on the assessment. I was never diagnosed as a child, and even now I only have an “informal” diagnosis by my psychiatrist. But I KNOW I’m autistic, and I’ve known for a long time. I love your channel, and I would really love if you would make more videos like this with some of the other assessments on the site. I also have ADHD, and I found it so helpful to take it kind of alongside you and have you read out Dr. Engelbrecht’s notes as we went along. I love reading and digesting information, but when I don’t take my ADHD medicine or I’m experiencing burnout towards the end of the day, it feels impossible to take in so many words with my eyes, but ears can do it 😅 I hope that makes a little bit of sense
I think these quizzes would mean a LOT more if I was allowed to say which questions feel stupid & irrelevant and which ones are a resounding “Yes! OMG, totally this is me right here!”
I have done others similar to this and have a pretty good handle on the scores I have gotten fall in the highly suspected ASD category. This popped up, though, and I figured why not? I ended up with a 41, so definitely is an extra confirmation. Motivates me that much more on working towards the official diagnosis someday.
I got a 42. I didn't understand that question about being a diplomat though. I think i answered that incorrectly, so maybe a 40. This is mind blowing! I have ADHD, but I had no idea, until recently, that I could have autism too. Your channel is very helpful! I have basically been living in a constant panic attack, have been for a few years and haven't gotten a grip on it. Maybe a diagnosis and your ideas could help me get better with this.
I scored 39. Can we talk about how some AuDHDers, like myself, AFAB, can spot microexpressions at a much higher rate than the general neurotypical/allistic population, due to trauma? I'm not saying every or even a majority can recognize and identify the emotion another person is expressing, but I have found myself being told I "overthink/analyze/pathologize" every little thing, but I had to as a survival mechanism, due to being AuDHD, and being expected to adhere to societal norms because I'm a woman/AFAB/cis-het, and had a very chaotic childhood/home-life. I'm curious how many self diagnosed/late diagnosed AFAB autistic people can relate? It's not necessarily something I can/could name, but my body interprets micro-expressions automatically (or so it seems), and it's more of a vibe, than an over-assumption. (Did that make sense?)
(I keep trying to stop spamming the comments and failing, sorry folks!) I’m not AFAB but this makes me think of a Purple Ella video on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria that you might find interesting. RSD is more about misreading vibes, or at least assuming that negative vibes are aimed at you (which I do), but it feels like parts of the dynamic might be the same. Ella is great and is non-binary and AuDHD.
@@jimwilliams3816 I get what you’re saying, I have struggled with that in the past. But I’m talking about something entirely different. There were studies done (on embrace-autism website) that autistic people can see further, more vibrantly, etc, than an allistic person can (not every single autistic person will have better eyesight, just saying some autistic people do see more vibrantly, some see less, etc). I’m talking more about pattern recognition than assumptions. As in patterned behavior I’ve observed in people in general. Often times I have been able to pick up on a person’s feelings before they even know what they’re feeling. Problem is I can’t always name my own feelings. 🫠
@@ahlome0856 Sorry, I was trying to figure out how to mention some of what I've encountered without implying anything, just making (maybe unhelpful) associations...seeing patterns everywhere is something I certainly do. I can't say much about sorting out trauma vs. other biological influences, because it's something I struggle with myself. I don't have any serious trauma in my life...I don't think. My therapist is big on the whole "trauma can be whatever you make it" kind of thing, but I struggle with that idea, not least because it feels like I'm creating false equivalencies with people who do have clear trauma...like the "isn't everybody a little autistic?" canard. At the same time I recognize that one reason this all gets so confusing is that various biological responses do have common roots, and that's all I was trying to communicate. I do struggle with the ADHD impulse to stick my nose everywhere. I am interested in what you said about microexpressions, as it may be a way of analyzing triggers I can't seem to thwart, so thank you for that. I know that the sense that someone is unhappy with me is a massive trigger, and largely visually triggered. I honestly can't say what percentage of the time I'm right. I know I'm not always wrong, but I took Baron-Cohen's eye expression reading test at one point, and apart from struggling with it, I noticed that I tended to interpret all ambiguous-to-me expressions as hostile. I was listening to another autistic vlogger who commented on having trouble picking up "welcome" or go away" signals, and I swear to god that at age 61, I honestly thought "you mean there are welcome signals?" (All of which is me talking about me.) And yes, I have trouble identifying my emotions too. Everything is arrived at through what I guess is overthinking, but it's the only tool that works for me. Maybe I have alexithymia, still not sure. Robert Sapolsky says that the amygdala can store fear-related memories that are not accessible by the rest of the brain, which I'm sure explains some things for me. Anyway, probably the main reason I stuck my non-AFAB nose here is that I really like Purple Ella's work and tend to want to share that. Do feel free to disregard any or all of what I said. I appreciate you taking the time to engage with me, and I certainly respect your insights. And sorry for the length of this. Impulse control problems.
@@jimwilliams3816 no worries, I also follow purple Ella so I understand. I do recognize I have had issues with perceived threats in the past, but that was when I still lived with a lot of biases (wrong ones) that I was raised with (my parents weren’t great parents). So, I do have legit trauma, but I have done the work for that, and I am so much more focused in on human behavior than perceived behavior. I play devil’s advocate a lot, so when I do find a negative pattern, I make sure and check to see if it’s a learned thought, or an observed behavior.
@@ahlome0856 Thanks, yep, I've been trying to learn that too, but I think I'm nowhere near as far along as you are. For one thing, I'm just starting to really connect with the things that have stressed me as a child and in some cases also an adult. I thought I had not really experienced the sense of "otherness" that neurodivergent people tend to experience, but it looks now like I was but was filtering that through some curious systems of logic. Most of my triggers do seem to relate to being sensitive about my differences. I get the devil's advocate part, I do the same. It helps my PFC mediate my amygdala/emotional dysregulation's tendency to jump to conclusions, but I'm struggling now with the fact that if I always find two or more explanations, I don't know how to choose one...sometimes it's like almost like pathological second guessing. It doesn't help that a new idea gives me a big dopamine hit. (My mother had that too.) I have some luck leaning on what I think are my autistic analytic skills. I'm at a point where I am pretty at home with my autistic traits, and feeling like it's the ADHD traits that make me miserable. (Maybe!)
Fun fact but I can't remember where I found it: When building the AQ test, there were no NTs who scored 36 or higher. This particular test is much better at measuring if someone is autistic than it is at ruling out the possibility that someone is autistic ETA: I scored 41
I scored a 48 watching this video and thinking "im probably not autistic" as im spinning in circles in my kitchen 😂😂😂 i have a formal appointment for evaluation possibly adhd and asd, im already having conversations with the doctors in my head on the daily 5 months isnt going to seem like 500 years.
Part of my masking is that I'm good at making small talk. I can even pretend to be interested convincingly. Sometimes I even get interested in it. That does not mean I LIKE it. I do not.
Having to do this test for diagnosis and the questions about Planning activities I thought "nah I don't plan much, mostly I just wing it" so answered slightly disagree. Then realised I literally do all of the things you talked about - checking menus, google street view, looking at photos etc. But it says "carefully" plan "any" activities. And if I'm going to my friends house to play board games I might just grab some snacks from the cupboard, make sure I look clean and tidy, and go. Maybe I'm taking the questions way too literally? I'm still confused by most of them. Anyway I scored a 29 and 31 but took everything very literally.
yeah my husband is also autistic, I'm sure of it and when we started talking about those aspects he said he is very spontaneous😆 until I proved him wrong.
I took the AQ test about a month ago and yeah some of the questions I didn't fully get as they were kinda ambiguous, yet i got a 36🤷🏻♀️. which makes sense to me as everything i have been learning about autism over the last two or so months really matches up to my life and issues i have alwaya been dealing with but never queationed until now at 33 years old😅.
Well…my therapist who specializes in autism thinks I’m autistic…my partner does…but my assessment came back as having significant autistic traits but I’m not autistic because I have been on a long term relationship (I’ve been sleeping on the couch for 9+ years because I can’t stand too much touching) and I make eye contact (it’s uncomfortable but I know that’s what you’re supposed to do). Anyway - I scored a 42. I still feel like an imposter being self-diagnosed but it just makes sense to me. I was assessed officially with ADHD, OCD, SPD, major depressive disorder and social anxiety. I’m a 48 year old female.
Not being assessed as ASD because you are in s long term relationship makes me seriously doubt the assessor. I’ve been in a lt relationship but in the last few months I realized that is mostly due to my wife sticking it out. Most people would have bailed on me ages ago.
Oh, and making eye contact as a disqualifier seems to be a common red flag for a really off base assessor...for the exact reason you cited. I saw an ADHD expert complaining that to pass the DSM criteria for that, an adult would have to present as an untreated elementary school student. Same here. Adults learn coping skills, and a good assessor should be able to factor that in.
ADHD as well plus also aphantasic. Meaning I don't form or store brain pictures. So ... read energy, don't recognize faces. It is sooo hard, especially since I've only been aware of the aphantasia and autism this year...
I just took the AQ test and the Aspie test. I scored 40 on the AQ and 130 on the Aspie. I also am 36 and haven't been diagnosed. Have had to mask and work around a ton so far. My parents also weren't the most understanding and was forced to be as normal as could be and constantly be in uncomfortable situations🤦🏻♂️
My score was in the upper 30s I think. LOL All my doubts have been blown away. I'm really good with fiction. I write fiction. It's my number one escape. Everything else I'm pretty much in lockstep. I prefer fiction but I read a LOT of nonfiction, especially geopolitics. (One of my special interests.)
All my tests I was given online and did on my own time, I have heard of some people they do them with them on site and they get a good idea just because of how many clarifying questions a person asks.
@@MomontheSpectrum Really liked that website you gave, though. The other screening questionnaire (RAADS) is a lot better, in my opinion. Resonated with me a lot more. I almost scored in the "very strong evidence of autism" category, but I guess that isn't much of a surprise. 🤣
I love the Embrace Autism website 💜 Im not sure if you'll still read the comments, but i have a question about your sessions. What are they for? Do you schedule a session with someone who only realized that they they may be autistic back in Dec? Or are they mainly for those who definitely are. Anyway, thanks for everything you do
Every time I take these tests every question feels like:
In general, I tend to feel that I consider myself to be a person who, at times, may often be at risk of being indecisive.
_Probably agree
_Vaguely agree
_Don't not disagree
_Violently disagree
Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank Sparknotes for my English degree.
Yes!! Thank you, beautifully put!
Also, very often i's like "do I want to put the neutral option because it represents how I feel or should I move it towards the one which gets me desirable score" 🤔
@@lidu6363 What you should be doing is answering as you would have felt inside during your late teen years or so. That's when you can get the best balance of self-awareness and your likely-weakest masking. If you answer based on what you feel and can do today, you don't know what your true score is, because that's going to include a lot of (un)conscious masking. Go back in time and remember it as it was.
Scored 35. Some questions were definitely ambiguous. I self identify as autistic. I figured it out this past May at 53 yrs old. Just thought I was an empathetic introvert with social anxiety and trauma issues.🙄 Watching videos like yours give me so many "Ah... that's why that happened that way." moments. Definitely helps things click into place. Thanks, Tay!
You’re welcome kat! Thanks for your comment.
I totally resonate with your comment. It totally encompasses how I think of myself. I scored 35 also. I’m 43 years old and live in Syracuse, New York State. I am not diagnosed and looking for somewhere I might be able to go to get a professional opinion. Any ideas? The place locally has a waiting list.
Hey, fellow 53 yo! I was diagnosed with ADHD at 39 and I figured I just was introverted and traumatized as well, but lately some problems I've had in a group work situation have opened my eyes to the probability that I'm on the spectrum. I scored 36. Will be pursuing an official diagnosis.
Fun fact: the last few years I have been working in special education, and I always wondered why my students with autism were so easy to read. 😳😂
Wow that's how I describe myself.
Fellow 38 year old female. Toe walker. Sensitive to light. Also thought I was an anxious introvert. I scored a 35
I took the AQ a month ago & scored 44/50. At age 78 I am now learning - through this & quite a few other tests, as well as many YT videos - that I am definitely on the spectrum. This answers many, many of the questions that have beleaguered me for decades! It's an enormous relief, & I have so very much to learn. Thank you, thank you! (LTB, Grandma on the spectrum)
Ok fun fact but I scored very high on this one when I had OCD tendencies, depression, anxiety and had to be constantly dependent on some kind of obsessive structure to get me through the day. Not to mention that I would completely isolate myself from society to the point where I believed that I needed no human contact. That led to me being misdiagnosed as autistic, even though at first another doctor diagnosed me with ADHD. Now after a few years of therapy, feeling relatively healthy and like myself again, I took this test with you and I got 13. Which to me says that these tests are helpful but only as an additional tool, as they can reflect someone's mental state at a certain time and not their permanent tendencies. I also had dissociative disorder and basically constructed this new personality for me, which was everything that I initially was not. I now realize that my obsession with structure was due to anxiety because of being unable to do well due to my ADHD. Now that was a long journey to get here!
Excellent point, thanks for sharing.
I scored a 45. Just realized at 60 that I’m on the spectrum. So many lifelong questions are being answered for me, now.
Oh my god I loved your mood! It’s what I used to call acerbic. I’d forgotten. I think I stopped being that way because the things I said confused people. I miss it.
I usually seem to score about 38, but yes those imprecise questions! 😤
Ooo acerbic is a great word.
@@MomontheSpectrum Honestly, seeing you post a video while feeling this way was nice because it was validating and felt very "unmasked" if that makes sense. Also people being acerbic/sassy is funny to me and the bluntness/directness is refreshing. :) (I do hope you are feeling more balanced now or soon, tho!)
I definately agree on reading peoples' energy.
🌈 🌟 🌙
Yes, so do I. I definitely feel it!!
I scored 35 but thought too some of the questions were too ambiguous. Embrace-autism is such a great website and the other tests helped confirm it - as did my therapist. I’m 55 and it explains so much. Thanks for going through this test.
You’re welcome! Thanks for your comment.
I was also diagnosed at age 55 (last year). My therapist suggested the possibility and sent me the AQ test. I scored 39 and went on to receive a diagnosis. Sure explains a lot, doesn't it?
I scored a 37
Scared me to death. My name is Angela W too! Thought I took the test and had abs no memory of it, but I am 67. Thanks for listing your age. Lol. I scored a 24.
@Angela W I’ve never agreed more with your bundle of self-assessments-that’s been me my entire life! I was also born clairvoyant and was so misunderstood I realize I’d been wearing two masks ‘til my 40s! @Mom on the Spectrum I even have an autistic son, but I’m always last to notice when it relates to myself! ❤
Depending on the day, I score anywhere in the range of 41 to 43. I was always confused about that question about whether or not one is "fascinated by dates." I always understood it had to do with whether or not I like history and enjoy memorizing dates (definitely agree). But I think I was really off on that (can't remember what Dr Englebrecht's suggestion was).
Also, YES, that museum-or-theater question makes me INSANE, too. I always interpreted it as "do you like quiet or noise" but even then, the question makes no sense. Museums can be quiet or they can be echoey and crowded; theaters are not especially noisy once everyone has sat down and shut up and the performance has begun. I like going to both. But I always tell the AQ that I prefer the museum because I do prefer quiet as a rule. But it depends on the day and the event. I will be willing to put up with a lot of noise for an activity related to a special interest. It's frustrating.
I feel you for both, I am interested in dates for when things happen but don't retain any of them (loved history at school but barely passed because I could tell you what happened but couldn't' tell you when, don't know if that relates to having time blindness).
For the museum or theatre question I struggled with that too and ended up picking museum for the same reason though I love going to musicals and the last time I went to a museum I needed my loops in because they had tvs on the walls in different rooms that were part of the instillations, they were really loud and it was noticeable because there weren't many people there when I was there.
your share makes total sense to me. there is too much nuance to be encapsulated in an either/or question!!
Yes SueAnne!! You put it into words SO nicely.
@@amandamandamands Oh that's me as well! I also love history and would memorize dates if I could...I just can't retain them. I think it is because of my ADHD. I have to be able to attach the date to another related piece of information that is pattern based in order to remember it. But in terms of my personal life timeline of what year something happened in my life...I can remember it because there were other events that would have happened the same year. So I can usually deduce what year something happened if it was important enough to me. If it was REALLY reall significant to me, I never forget. But for history, I wish I could easily remember specific dates but I'm stuck giving generalities which is extremely frustrating!
@@carolynmacdonald7024 Yep the joys of time blindness, I explain it to people that for most things I will be like the way that events are described in the Bible, this happened in the time of that.
I love that you didn't "get ready" for this video. Sometimes I have to just make a video in my pj's for the sake of getting it done. Thanks for helping me feel less alone in that.
glad i'm not the only one! Thanks for your comment.
I'm so glad you mentioned the energy thing! I'm undiagnosed but definitely think I am on the spectrum. The only thing is that I pick up on energy easily. So much so that a person's energy, if it's negative, can make it really difficult for me to interact with them because I can't get past that uneasy feeling I'm getting from them. Anyways that made me think maybe I'm not on the spectrum.. I'm happy to know it's "normal" lol
I scored 39. I’ve done a lot of therapy for anxiety and depression and feel fairly confident in my ability to self-evaluate. It was this initial score (in addition to scoring very high on every other ASD-related screening test available) that led me to meticulously watching so many TH-cam videos about the subject. I’m fairly confident that I’m AuDHD and it has been a massively healing revelation for me at 40+ years of age. I thank these videos for all they do to support and educate!
My score was 41. I am going to request an evaluation at my therapy appointment at the beginning of the month. The results of the self-assessments do not surprise me, I have suspected it for about a decade but never said anything until the past couple of months. When I first brought it up to a long time friend, she said she always suspected it but was too scared to say anything. Having an official diagnosis will actually be a relief to me because I always knew I was not "normal" and no amount of masking could change that fact.
Weird weird weird I am an "energy" person too. Sometimes I get a bad energy from someone, but the person is smiling and acting nice. So confusing 😆
Yes this happens to me too!
U might be onto something
I'm chiming in without knowing the context of this observation, but to me that is intuition.... And something we probably do better than most.
I like that the embrace autism website includes multiple assessments, including the RAADS-R and the CAT-Q. I scored a 39 on the AQ, then I scored a whopping 152 on the CAT-Q. I think taking as many reliable assessments as possible has been really helpful to make sense of the range of asd symptoms and their varying presentations.
Sidenote: something i find interesting about this assessment is that non-autistic males tend to score higher than non-autistic females (the gender discrepancy is not present, however, among people on the spectrum). I think this speaks to how males and females are socialized, and it also demonstrates why clicians identify males with asd at higher rates than females: they exhibit more "classic" asd symptoms while females are still forced to mask far more. Hopefully we see this gender gap close increasingly over time as we learn more about autism & neurodivergence, but I just thought that was interesting.
Great point! 💡
This is such an important point about having to take all the results of multiple assessments and everything in totality. The AQ was the first test I found out about; I took it twice and scored in the mid-20s, like a 24 or something. It left me with more questions than answers, bc I was pretty sure already that I’m autistic, but that borderline result was confusing, inconclusive, and invalidating! A lot of the issue comes from things Taylor touched on in this video, like the fact that some questions are way too vague or the answer depends on so many contextual factors that I can’t possibly choose a response. Later, I came across the rest of the battery… my RAADS score initially was 71, so over the threshold but just barely. Then I took the CAT-Q and scored a 155. Also, my SQ score was a staggering 88. At some point I also started a list in a note app on my phone of all the reasons I believe I’m autistic, and I’ve also been trying to notice more and lift the mask a bit. I’ve learned a lot about myself and realized some of the answers I’d provided on the questionnaires at first aren’t actually true! Like I previously didn’t think I engaged in stimming, but then I started actually noticing what my body was doing throughout the day and realized my mask was so sophisticated it even hid my autistic traits from me! I also put that I didn’t mind being interrupted in the middle of doing something, which is hilarious because I actually become filled with rage whenever that happens 😅 But I completely had myself fooled on so many things! I re-took the RAADS a short time later, and my score increased to an 82. I’m still in the beginning of my journey of self-discovery so I’m sure there are still lots of things I need to figure out and unravel, but I at least have clarity in my own mind now that I am autistic. And this has brought me a lot of peace, understanding, and healing ❤️🩹
I love hearing other peoples answers on these. It’s fascinating how alike yet also so different we are.
As for jokes, my son and I both usually get the meaning or the “humor” but we just genuinely think they’re stupid. We would never laugh like the joke tellers do. We much prefer jokes that are plays on words.
Me too!
I scored 43. My psychologist started screening me for asd but she's basically said if she did decide there was enough information to go ahead with an assessment then in order to give a diagnosis she would require enough information from others who knew me well between age 3 and 10. I'm about to turn 44 years old. I still have my parents, but life was hard,for family reasons i won't go into, when i was young. I feel like my life has started to make sense since looking more into asd. I'm so glad i found this channel. It has helped me so much xx
💓
Oh wow my score was 43 also! Self diagnosed… not surprised! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your comment Sara.
I just did the test and I got 45. Just fire some context I’m not officially diagnosed but I have been self diagnosed fire a year or so now ☺️. This channel has been really helpful and the resources and people have been so nice, thankyou ☺️.
You’re welcome! Thanks for your comment Imogen.
As I said to someone else, I don't think you should answer the questions on this test with masking engaged. If you do, you're masking your real score as well. Answer it the way you feel inside. I usually suggest that people answer as if they were still a clueless late teen, aware of how they feel but not good at masking. That gives you your true AQ, but then you can take it again with full masking engaged and see how much difference your masking might be making. 🙂
Edit: For example, I'm 39 without masking, but because I have the benefit of ty years of learning to mask, more and more of them after learning I had autism, my score _with_ masking is just 26. Knowing that, I can cut myself some slack if I get exhausted in a social setting, because that's a lot of masking. I'm masking like 1/3 of my score away these days. Good job, me, but still, it's _tiring_ to do it.
Thank you! I’m 46 and always felt that I was on the spectrum once I was introduced to what it was 20 years ago
My score was 37 this time. I've taken this test (or some like it) several times over that last few years (because taking tests is fun!), and it seems like my score keeps changing the more aware I become. It's neat to see everyone else's scores and reactions...it's nice to finally find people like me that understand the struggle!
So glad to hear this! Id love to get to know you more in a community group. If you’re interested you can check availability here: MomOnTheSpectrum.Life/coaching
@@MomontheSpectrum Yes! I'd love to join! I've been keeping an eye on them and trying to find a time that works. I'm also a parent, so it can be difficult to find the time, but I'm hoping I can join soon!
Thank you for this information. I scored 46. I'm 34 years and a mom of a 4 year old daughter with diagnosed autism and a 2 year old son. 6 december I will get my first conversation with someone from a autism diagnoses centre. The waiting list was 15 weeks here in the Netherlands. I am excited to see if they will give me the diagnoses or not.
Ooh sounds like you’ve got a lot going on! Sending good vibes.
I am 37 years old. And I am a male. And I am on the Autism spectrum I have PDD-NOS. And I live in the united states of America. I live in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. I live on the east coast. And I was diagnosed with being on the Autism spectrum when I was a child. It was Hershey Hospital in Hershey Pennsylvania. that diagnosed me with being on the Autism spectrum. I had to go to Hershey hospital every month for breathing treatments for my Asthma. And I also had to go to easter seals for physical therapy as a child.
I’m only 2 years older than you and am from Pitt, Pennsylvania
@@PraveenSrJ01 oh okay and that is cool that you are 2 years older than I am. And that is cool that you live in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
@@JAMESGREGORYKULP1985 I am from Pittsburgh, PA buy currently live in Cary, NC with my aged parents
@@PraveenSrJ01 oh okay and that is cool that you where originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. And that is cool that you live in Carry, North Carolina. With your elderly parents.
@@PraveenSrJ01 Wow! Hi 👋 I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, relocated to Raleigh when I was 21 and never looked back, Best of both worlds if you ask me being a Gen-Xr. Hello to Western Pennsylvania!! Hello to Cary (I'm at Oak Island now)
I scored 42 on this test, and highly on other tests on Embrace Autism, which really opened my eyes to things I was not aware about before, and understanding what autism is. My results have given me the courage to get an autism assessment which is tomorrow :)
Hi, Taylor! Let me just say that you have been such a source of support and encouragement for me. I'm 31 and I've suspected for some time now that I am on the autism spectrum. The concept of masking absolutely resonates with me tenfold. I took the AQ a few months ago and scored a 43 too!!! I'd love to seek a professional diagnosis, but I will have to see what my options are where I live. Just here to say you rock and thank you for the work you are doing. It makes a difference ❤
Thank you so much for your kind comment! There may be some helpful resources for providers in your area in the BARG (you can download for free on my website - momonthespectrum.life)
just took it and scored 36. If I took it 20 years ago I'd definitely be in the upper 40s. I was initially diagnosed ADHD as a very young child and needed a ton of support into my teens. it was very upsetting and I tried my absolute hardest to improve my social communication. The talking on the telephone really resonated with me and I had absolutely no clue how back and forth conversations worked when I couldn't see the person.
Talking on the phone is the worrrrrst
Yeah, I have trouble knowing when it's my turn to speak anytime, but it's really bad on the phone. In general, I constantly interrupt people without meaning to.
@@summermazur3064 For me it was the opposite. there would be a long silence and the other person would say "hello?" and/or "are you still there?", and I would respond with "oh, its my turn to talk?". This is landline days when dropped calls weren't a thing. Dad used to sit next to me and listen with a cordless receiver and cue me in. Also had me write down a script of things to say which I still do sometimes today. I'm better today, but would much rather text.
I also scored 36 and I also definitely think I'd have scored MUCH higher when I was younger. I did a lot less camouflaging then and hadn't yet figured a lot of social things out. Also your brain keeps developing until somewhere between age 25 and age 30 depending what source you look at, so I think sometimes maybe symptoms can improve a bit as you get older? Not sure about that. I'm not really basing that on any studies or anything. But right now I'm undiagnosed. I just seem to score above the ranges in every autism test I've taken so far. I also wonder how the ADHD part influences your score on autism tests because it can be directly contradictory to autism. So sometimes I think I'm trying to parse out in autism tests whether I should answer with the autistic version or the ADHD version 🤣
@@carolynmacdonald7024 well I'm actually officially diagnosed with both. Oddly my appointment with the neuropsych wasn't for an autism assessment.
using google maps to plan out your trip. YES. I will do research on where the parking is, what the adjoining streets look like. The interior of the restaurant. Is it cramped? Are there booths? I feel seen
when I am here on your channel is the ONLY TIME I feel "safe around others" (oddly enough bc I am actually still alone). I find myself completely closing off to people around me bc of how they mistreat me, talk to me or misinterpret me and then belittle me for their misunderstanding of what I'm trying to say/do. I just want to hide away and stay away from everyone these days.... I wasn't quite like this before 'I found out' but I've stopped trying to fight for respect and have the fantasy of moving to a cave to be away from everyone. I feel so alone. Thank you for being here despite the personal challenges of trying to show up, to which I can completely relate to ofc
💞
@Michelle I can really relate to what you said. My brain never lets me feel safe, and dealing with people has become so hard that I think of a cabin in the woods -- except for the loneliness I feel already. I'm grateful for communities like this. I'm at least doing better than I was; I've always been prone to depression, but in 2020-21 I lapsed into Major Depressive Disorder. I would not have made it out without help (I'm still on SSRIs, TBH). If you think you feel seriously depressed, I'd encourage you to reach out for help. Depression can be triggered by "learned helplessness" -- feelings of "whatever I try, I always fail." I needed help overcoming the depression before I could begin to cope with my other problems.
I don't mean to make unwanted suggestions, but I've been where it sounds like you might be, and I am now aware that depression is a real, physical condition. Please take care, I am thinking of you.
For the past 4 years I’ve been questioning wether or not I was autistic. I’ve taken both the RAADS-R (185 score) and AQ (45 score) multiple times. I’ve spent countless hours researching autism and ‘symptoms’ that I have. I’m hoping to finally get my diagnosis soon so that I can feel like my authentic self. Your channel is great!
I'm 40 years old and i scored 40. YAY. My intake appointment to start my evaluation is nexy Wednesday. 🥳
I scored 44, still awaiting my autism assessment which is thankfully coming soon
Love “I need details” … 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 15:03
took this test about a year ago when I was starting to suspect I was autistic, with the thought that if I scored low I could forget about it: scored 39. Thought I should do some of my own verification, so made my sister take it, she got 8 😅 still waiting for assessment, and enjoying your videos in the meantime!
An 8, wow! That's a very neurotypical person. My husband (who probably has ADHD) scored 15. We are very different in the way we process things. I first started to suspect ASD last year, got a 39 on the AQ, and did end up receiving a diagnosis.
haha i did this with my friends too. I was like, will you take this test? Thinking they would score high too but they didn't! That was really shocking to me.
@@MomontheSpectrum when I asked my friends to take tests I’d taken “to check the validity of these approved tests for my own scientific method” some did comment that this was a pretty autistic way of looking at things 😅 they may have been right!
Wow, my score is 48.
33! I'm very proud of finally having some kind of confirmation because my neuro evaluator was so bad that she wouldnt even test me for ASD even though I requested it.
Also, I'm totally signing up for every community group event offered because I'm so excited to hear about this! Thank you so much for doing this because I'm thrilled to get to meet other people and learn more about ASD life.
You are definitely in a mood….but thanks for going thru the test. I scored 34 the first time I took it and mor😊e recently 38. It’s a good starting point towards getting a diagnosis.
🤠
@@MomontheSpectrum hope you have a good day!
Pre-diagnosis 5 years ago I scored 36. As I've become more self-aware I now score 43!
My score has changed over the years too! At first I would answer based off of how I thought I was supposed to answer.
I took that test but I definitely agree I had questions I needed a sometimes option. I am not sure if I’m on the spectrum. My youngest daughter is and was diagnosed at 5. I’m certain of adhd though. I’m 47 and if I am I’ve definitely gotten good at masking. I recognize traits however in myself.
Undiagnosed, but scored 30 as a female. I realllllly hope that I'll have an appointment with psychiatrist just to make sure if I'm on the spectrum or not
I just found you here on this corner of the internet, and I LOVE your content! I'm a 35 yr old Mom of 3 (all autistic) kids, and only just realized that I was autistic after coming to the realization my older two kids were too.... I was also diagnosed in 2021 a few days after my (then 12) yr old daughter was diagnosed. We then wondered about my oldest, he's alot like me, very very ADHD, and very good at masking... We did a full Psych-Ed assessment along with an ASD assessment, and he was also diagnosed. My daughter went through a full Psych-Ed assessment a year later, and was found to also be ADHD - which I didn't see at first due to HER masking, and the fact that she's ADHD-Inattentive, where as myself and my oldest are Combined Type (lots of Impulsivity, etc)
Okay.
Goodluck❤
Haha ok. I think I answered that I didn't have trouble imagining fictional worlds but your explanation made me second guess that. I just don't know what constitutes having trouble with it. How do I know if I have more trouble than average? 🤣 But actually if I think about it, that's why I read mostly non-fiction. I often found fiction to be frustrating. It wasn't realistic enough for me and it required a lot of energy to conjure up these worlds in my mind so I'd get tired very quickly reading fiction. It reminded me of that when you said your Barbie games were more just like... Realistic scenarios. It was the same for me lmao. And I used to hate when my siblings would butt into a game that I was playing by myself. I wanted to control the entire scenario. I wasn't happy when my siblings went "off script" 🤣 I did an awful lot of playing *in the same room* as other kids, but not directly interacting with them. I think they call that parallel play and it's quite common in autism. Most other children will grow out of parallel play after their toddler years. I still say that my boyfriend and I engage in "parallel play" in the way that we will both be engaging in our own special interests, but we want to be in the same room at least lol. We just can't handle direct interaction for too long.
Also I generally disliked dolls, but preferred animal toys. I only had one barbie I liked because she was dark skinned and dressed in basically rainbow clothing so I thought she was cooler than the regular classic Barbie with her blonde hair, blue eyes and pink clothes. I found blonde barbie unrelatable and cold or something. I associated her with traits that I didn't share with other girls.
I love reading fiction, but I started to realize that while other people imagine what people look like in books, they have always been shapeless for me. Just characteristics without an image in my head. I love to write but I realized I might not be able to write fiction for that reason. I'm waiting to find my purpose in writing, I know there is one.
Taylor, you have such a great sense of humour. Obviously this is a serious topic but I’ve watched this twice, purely for the lolz 😂
haha thanks mike. it only gets weirder. slowly allowing myself to unmask the weirdness
@@MomontheSpectrum Oh masking - having been diagnosed with ADHD at 40 last year and currently awaiting my ASD assessment (AQ50 = 39) I’ve literally no idea what is masking and what isn’t for me. I’m sure I’ll work it out in time. Having not long come out of a 20 year relationship where I tried my best to be the person that my partner wanted me to be, I do feel like I’ve been somewhat oppressed 🤷♂️ I’ve just today had my barber cut me a Mohawk, so maybe that’s a start to my unmasking 😂
Glad you’re slowly being able to unmask :-)
Your channel and Purple Ella’s are by far the best for neurodivergent content on TH-cam! Thank you for spreading awareness :-)
Thank you so very much for all you do for the Autism community! I am halfway through my formal assessment (exhausting). I feel you about wanting to rip the paper in half with the question about being bothered if your daily routine is upset!
Thanks for your comment! And you're welcome! So glad you're here.
I scored 36 and am in the process of getting assessed for autism. I don't know what I will do if I am not diagnosed with autism, because the more I research on it, the more I am convinced that I am on the spectrum.
Sounds so similar to my experience!
I'm 43, was just professionally evaluated on October 17th. I hate that it takes 4-6 weeks for results, but I am VERY certain I am autistic. I answered very similarly to Taylor, except the fiction part. I love fiction stories. However, my 2 daughters always wanted me to play dolls/make believe w/ them and I just... can't. I've tried, but can't. They also talk to me at the same time and my brain breaks. It's like my mind stops processing auditory information. I wish I would have known more about Autism sooner in my life. Pretty sure my oldest daughter is also has ASD. Thanks for all the information in your channel.
Have just taken the test at age 73, got so fed up of all the different labels that have been assigned tome since a very young age. However this diagnosis was never suggested. I scored 45. I did the other tests on the website and had high scores on all of them!
I scored 42. I have not been diagnosed. My daughters, one of whom is an RN, keep telling me they think I'm on the spectrum, so I took the AQ and discovered your channel.
When I was starting to really look into the idea that I could be autistic this test was for me OK I'm not imagining that I am seeing something here, some of the questions I had to go well I did when I was younger as things like phone numbers no one remembers anymore and as Tay said if I have an interest in it then it is remembered. No matter how many times people try to explain English grammar rules (verb, noun etc) it doesn't stick and I don't get poetry at all especially when you have to breakdown and analyse it
Wait doesn’t everybody search where they are going, what it is going to look like, the menu, the seating ect.???😂 I do.
Lol not everyone!
Hi, Im writing from sweden. I just found your videos and im going through the ones im sorting. I just want to say how glad I was to hear you say you needed more information and context on some of the activities in the form! I kept asking my doctor for context and they got a bit caught off guard 😅 we started discussing context on so many of the questions, but got through them in the end. So glad im not the only one with these questions. Clarity people! Thank you!
Haha yes! Absolutely
Oh yes!!! SO MANY of my symptoms of ADHD expanded exponentially after after 2+ kids (4 kids + husband).
I've got a professional diagnosis earlier this year. Before watching the video I scored 37. While watching the video, 43 or 44. Question 28 is difficult. I do focus on the details, but that's because I want the bigger picture to be correct.
Thx for doing this, it was interesting to see your responses to these questions, for comparison. I took this test a while back and scored 45. All of the questions where you gave a reformulation of it, I already agreed w/ those questions, but your reworking of it I agreed with even more. Thx again!
You’re welcome!
Don’t have an official diagnosis but scored 39. I’ve taken this test several times and the scores are always similar. But I agree. Some of the statements are pretty ambiguous.
HAD to watch this because the title - it had to be fun. If I had a secret daughter, you could fit the bill. If I could initiate and go look up my notes on my score… I can’t recall at the moment if it was 43 or 47. That low because I’ve learned to do some of the normalness a little. But it isn’t your score that makes you look like “yep.” It’s you’re response to the imprecise questions… Fun video, glad I watched: it made perfect sense; therefore, it was relaxing.
Thanks for watching and for your comment Joseph! Glad you enjoyed it.
As a 43 year old male I scored 38 on the test. We believe that one of our daughters may be Autistic, and preliminary spectrum tests seem to indicate so as well. This is the second test that I have taken in the past year, and both placed me on the spectrum. Since I was in Junior High School I knew that I was very different from other kids. I still do not understand people, how they think, or their emotions, but if this makes any sense.. I can read them; like I can tell pretty quickly if someone is fake or insincere. The biggest social group that I can contribute in is three, any more than that and I clam up, and if there are many people and multiple conversations going then I get anxiety. The funny thing about Autism is since I started researching Autism in the past year I am finding that Autistic people are normal. I want to teach my daughter not to be ashamed or embarrassed about being Autistic, that we just see the world a little differently than other people but that we can still live a normal life.
You are so relatable ❤ I've taken this on and off over the past year and still score as likely autistic. Can't remember my scores...AuDHD here most likely.
I’m 51 years old diagnosed ASD in January this year. Scored 42
Hi Ruth! Thanks for sharing.
@@MomontheSpectrum thank you for replying. I enjoy watching your channel.
I got 43 aswell lol 😆 😂 I'm in the process of getting diagnosed
Hi Taylor! I ordered my earbuds ( Calmer PRO) some weeks ago and its amazing in loud places, during transportation, its a life-saver for me, as I am very sensitive to sounds! Thank you so much for your recommendation, I absolutely love them! On the test I scored 35 and I am undiagnozed, but im aware of my condition at least.
woo hoo!! This is awesome news about the earbuds. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm glad you love them!
I took my aq back in April/ may and my score was 204. My psychologist was like "you've had clear signs that most males have " and I'm 29 years old.
i google places too, the parking lot, how it looks inside, if it's a restaurant i will look for the online menu so when I get there i know exactly what to do 😂
I actually scored 28 on this, and still proceeded to received a diagnosis that considered a combination of other tests, narrative, and interview!
Not formally diagnosed but progressively getting more convinced that I am on the spectrum so I took the AQ and I got a 43 🙃😂
I did something similar but on an oral interview (due to the distance and the logistic problems of meeting the expert) and she basically told me I scored like 154 points... and that the minimum score to obtain to be diagnosed on the autistic spectrum was 70. Cooool, at least nobody will accuse me of pretending to be what I'm not or that the expert misdiagnosed me, I guess. XDD
I am not diagnosed with anything on the spectrum but I’ve been resonating with your videos lately. I took this test and I was so frustrated by the lack of clarity you’re talking about! I didn’t know how to answer some of the questions and then felt like I was cheating and didn’t know if I could trust the results.
Yes! Exactly.
I love your mood in this video! I'm laughing so much! 😂💕
Yeah... sigh.
First time I took the AQ was a few days after my wife and I separated. I'm 37. My kid was diagnosed autistic approximately 1 year before.
Anyways, we were discussing some of the communication issues that my wife and I had been having lately and their actual response was "Dad.. you are autistic as sh*t you know that right?"
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been to all of their appointments and thought several times "yeah I do that too" but did not recognize the magnitude of the impacts. Took AQ, 44. I've started counseling and will be persuing a psychologist consult as things develop. In the meantime I am learning about myself.. You and orion kelly have been saviors. Now i'm figuring out how this has (greatly) impacted my life over the years and how I can work with my traits instead of against them.
I've taken this several times and find it so hard to understand the questions. But I took the British version somewhere and thought it was much better written. I don't know if I'm autistic, but I've struggled with friendships and feeling different my whole life. I scored 144 on the Aspie quiz referenced in another video, but I don't know if I skewed the results. Edited to add: i just took it again with a clearer understanding of what the questions were meant to mean and scored 39. I also took the RAADS-R and scored 109, even though I hated that there was no neutral answer to fall back on when I wasn't sure.
What I find interesting is that it IS a spectrum which means it can differ greatly from person to person. Also I scored a 34🤗
I scored 42 on my professional diagnosis and this one! I’ve only been diagnosed 5 months ago. I thought I was living with OCD all my life
Just took it now and scored 41.
I took the AQ and scored 20.
I'm still pretty sure I'm autistic, so idk what to make of it all.
Perhaps the way you see yourself isn’t what the test is trying to assess. Or autism overlaps with so many things, there might be a diagnosis that fits you more precisely. So, you probably could see a qualified evaluator to help you unravel your threads?
I’d say don’t take it as being definitive, It’s only a tool. Whenever I take it I wonder if my social anxiety could be from other sources, and the number of questions about that might be giving me a “false positive.” And I always have this vague sense that the right autistic traits could lead someone to interpret the questions in a way that could give a “false negative,” because ironically I think you have to read between the lines on some of the questions. If I answered literally I don’t think much of anyone ever told me I was rude, but I think that’s because I avoided the kind of social group where someone would say that to me. And there’s lot of diversity in autism. The quiz is too old to really touch on sensory issues, and maybe because it’s for adults, they don’t get into meltdowns either. As I learn more, I notice that a lot of the questions are pretty dated and limited.
I actually liked the Aspie quiz better, it was not so vague and felt more nuanced. I can’t say if you are or you aren’t autistic, I still struggle with that in myself, but I wouldn’t rule it out just on the basis of this test.
You still could be or it could be something else. A different channel that I saw this test on a couple of years ago said that at a score of 32 it captures 80% of autistic people and has a false positive rate of 2%. That means that 20% of people who are autistic don't flag as such on that test. That is why it is one of a range of tests as well as talking to you that they base the assessment on. If you go to a site that has the AQ test they will quite often have other tests too (one site had one test I scored really low on while I tested high on all the others). There are also a couple of different pages that I have found that list traits of autistic females so they could also be a place to look for more clarity.
Check out the CAT-Q test on the embrace autism website. It helps identify traits that are usually masked over.
I've got my official diagnosis a few days ago (I still don't have it on paper but the result told to me was "you pass autism criteria" so I believe I DO pass...) and I had 24 in this test today. Even after all this months of thinking and also listening to different people taking this test and realizing that maybe I don't understan all the questions well.
So... It's only a test.
Sometimes when you answer an official test during a diagnosis process it turns out you didn't uderstand the question in the way it's purpose is. What's more funny - sometimes it's because you are autistic.
Fun fact - author of this test Simon Baron Cohen is actor Sasha Baron Cohen's brother.
Small world! 🤯
Cousin
I scored a 45 on the assessment. I was never diagnosed as a child, and even now I only have an “informal” diagnosis by my psychiatrist. But I KNOW I’m autistic, and I’ve known for a long time. I love your channel, and I would really love if you would make more videos like this with some of the other assessments on the site. I also have ADHD, and I found it so helpful to take it kind of alongside you and have you read out Dr. Engelbrecht’s notes as we went along. I love reading and digesting information, but when I don’t take my ADHD medicine or I’m experiencing burnout towards the end of the day, it feels impossible to take in so many words with my eyes, but ears can do it 😅 I hope that makes a little bit of sense
Yes it makes sense! Thanks for your comment.
I think these quizzes would mean a LOT more if I was allowed to say which questions feel stupid & irrelevant and which ones are a resounding “Yes! OMG, totally this is me right here!”
I took this test a while ago to help me decide if I should get tested. My score was 47. I just got my diagnosis last month.
Hi Carly! Thanks for your comment.
I have done others similar to this and have a pretty good handle on the scores I have gotten fall in the highly suspected ASD category. This popped up, though, and I figured why not? I ended up with a 41, so definitely is an extra confirmation. Motivates me that much more on working towards the official diagnosis someday.
I scored 40 on this test. I’m nervous but looking forward to my upcoming assessment!
I got a 42. I didn't understand that question about being a diplomat though. I think i answered that incorrectly, so maybe a 40. This is mind blowing!
I have ADHD, but I had no idea, until recently, that I could have autism too.
Your channel is very helpful!
I have basically been living in a constant panic attack, have been for a few years and haven't gotten a grip on it. Maybe a diagnosis and your ideas could help me get better with this.
I scored 39. Can we talk about how some AuDHDers, like myself, AFAB, can spot microexpressions at a much higher rate than the general neurotypical/allistic population, due to trauma? I'm not saying every or even a majority can recognize and identify the emotion another person is expressing, but I have found myself being told I "overthink/analyze/pathologize" every little thing, but I had to as a survival mechanism, due to being AuDHD, and being expected to adhere to societal norms because I'm a woman/AFAB/cis-het, and had a very chaotic childhood/home-life.
I'm curious how many self diagnosed/late diagnosed AFAB autistic people can relate? It's not necessarily something I can/could name, but my body interprets micro-expressions automatically (or so it seems), and it's more of a vibe, than an over-assumption. (Did that make sense?)
(I keep trying to stop spamming the comments and failing, sorry folks!) I’m not AFAB but this makes me think of a Purple Ella video on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria that you might find interesting. RSD is more about misreading vibes, or at least assuming that negative vibes are aimed at you (which I do), but it feels like parts of the dynamic might be the same. Ella is great and is non-binary and AuDHD.
@@jimwilliams3816 I get what you’re saying, I have struggled with that in the past. But I’m talking about something entirely different. There were studies done (on embrace-autism website) that autistic people can see further, more vibrantly, etc, than an allistic person can (not every single autistic person will have better eyesight, just saying some autistic people do see more vibrantly, some see less, etc). I’m talking more about pattern recognition than assumptions. As in patterned behavior I’ve observed in people in general. Often times I have been able to pick up on a person’s feelings before they even know what they’re feeling. Problem is I can’t always name my own feelings. 🫠
@@ahlome0856 Sorry, I was trying to figure out how to mention some of what I've encountered without implying anything, just making (maybe unhelpful) associations...seeing patterns everywhere is something I certainly do. I can't say much about sorting out trauma vs. other biological influences, because it's something I struggle with myself. I don't have any serious trauma in my life...I don't think. My therapist is big on the whole "trauma can be whatever you make it" kind of thing, but I struggle with that idea, not least because it feels like I'm creating false equivalencies with people who do have clear trauma...like the "isn't everybody a little autistic?" canard. At the same time I recognize that one reason this all gets so confusing is that various biological responses do have common roots, and that's all I was trying to communicate. I do struggle with the ADHD impulse to stick my nose everywhere. I am interested in what you said about microexpressions, as it may be a way of analyzing triggers I can't seem to thwart, so thank you for that. I know that the sense that someone is unhappy with me is a massive trigger, and largely visually triggered. I honestly can't say what percentage of the time I'm right. I know I'm not always wrong, but I took Baron-Cohen's eye expression reading test at one point, and apart from struggling with it, I noticed that I tended to interpret all ambiguous-to-me expressions as hostile. I was listening to another autistic vlogger who commented on having trouble picking up "welcome" or go away" signals, and I swear to god that at age 61, I honestly thought "you mean there are welcome signals?" (All of which is me talking about me.)
And yes, I have trouble identifying my emotions too. Everything is arrived at through what I guess is overthinking, but it's the only tool that works for me. Maybe I have alexithymia, still not sure. Robert Sapolsky says that the amygdala can store fear-related memories that are not accessible by the rest of the brain, which I'm sure explains some things for me.
Anyway, probably the main reason I stuck my non-AFAB nose here is that I really like Purple Ella's work and tend to want to share that. Do feel free to disregard any or all of what I said. I appreciate you taking the time to engage with me, and I certainly respect your insights. And sorry for the length of this. Impulse control problems.
@@jimwilliams3816 no worries, I also follow purple Ella so I understand. I do recognize I have had issues with perceived threats in the past, but that was when I still lived with a lot of biases (wrong ones) that I was raised with (my parents weren’t great parents). So, I do have legit trauma, but I have done the work for that, and I am so much more focused in on human behavior than perceived behavior. I play devil’s advocate a lot, so when I do find a negative pattern, I make sure and check to see if it’s a learned thought, or an observed behavior.
@@ahlome0856 Thanks, yep, I've been trying to learn that too, but I think I'm nowhere near as far along as you are. For one thing, I'm just starting to really connect with the things that have stressed me as a child and in some cases also an adult. I thought I had not really experienced the sense of "otherness" that neurodivergent people tend to experience, but it looks now like I was but was filtering that through some curious systems of logic. Most of my triggers do seem to relate to being sensitive about my differences.
I get the devil's advocate part, I do the same. It helps my PFC mediate my amygdala/emotional dysregulation's tendency to jump to conclusions, but I'm struggling now with the fact that if I always find two or more explanations, I don't know how to choose one...sometimes it's like almost like pathological second guessing. It doesn't help that a new idea gives me a big dopamine hit. (My mother had that too.) I have some luck leaning on what I think are my autistic analytic skills. I'm at a point where I am pretty at home with my autistic traits, and feeling like it's the ADHD traits that make me miserable. (Maybe!)
This was a test I took online before seeking a professional diagnosis, scored 40. Have a great weekend! 💞
Me too. Over a 6 month period I took the online test 4 times with different sites, just to make sure I was on the right track. I scored 37.
Me too. I scored 42!
💓
Fun fact but I can't remember where I found it:
When building the AQ test, there were no NTs who scored 36 or higher. This particular test is much better at measuring if someone is autistic than it is at ruling out the possibility that someone is autistic
ETA: I scored 41
I scored a 48 watching this video and thinking "im probably not autistic" as im spinning in circles in my kitchen 😂😂😂 i have a formal appointment for evaluation possibly adhd and asd, im already having conversations with the doctors in my head on the daily 5 months isnt going to seem like 500 years.
Part of my masking is that I'm good at making small talk. I can even pretend to be interested convincingly. Sometimes I even get interested in it. That does not mean I LIKE it. I do not.
Having to do this test for diagnosis and the questions about Planning activities I thought "nah I don't plan much, mostly I just wing it" so answered slightly disagree.
Then realised I literally do all of the things you talked about - checking menus, google street view, looking at photos etc.
But it says "carefully" plan "any" activities.
And if I'm going to my friends house to play board games I might just grab some snacks from the cupboard, make sure I look clean and tidy, and go.
Maybe I'm taking the questions way too literally? I'm still confused by most of them.
Anyway I scored a 29 and 31 but took everything very literally.
your comment made me smile. My score has changed over the years as I've learned how to unmask more and more
yeah my husband is also autistic, I'm sure of it and when we started talking about those aspects he said he is very spontaneous😆 until I proved him wrong.
I took the AQ test about a month ago and yeah some of the questions I didn't fully get as they were kinda ambiguous, yet i got a 36🤷🏻♀️. which makes sense to me as everything i have been learning about autism over the last two or so months really matches up to my life and issues i have alwaya been dealing with but never queationed until now at 33 years old😅.
Well…my therapist who specializes in autism thinks I’m autistic…my partner does…but my assessment came back as having significant autistic traits but I’m not autistic because I have been on a long term relationship (I’ve been sleeping on the couch for 9+ years because I can’t stand too much touching) and I make eye contact (it’s uncomfortable but I know that’s what you’re supposed to do). Anyway - I scored a 42. I still feel like an imposter being self-diagnosed but it just makes sense to me. I was assessed officially with ADHD, OCD, SPD, major depressive disorder and social anxiety. I’m a 48 year old female.
Not being assessed as ASD because you are in s long term relationship makes me seriously doubt the assessor. I’ve been in a lt relationship but in the last few months I realized that is mostly due to my wife sticking it out. Most people would have bailed on me ages ago.
Oh, and making eye contact as a disqualifier seems to be a common red flag for a really off base assessor...for the exact reason you cited. I saw an ADHD expert complaining that to pass the DSM criteria for that, an adult would have to present as an untreated elementary school student. Same here. Adults learn coping skills, and a good assessor should be able to factor that in.
I took this test. Scored 42. Had same kinds of trouble as you in the wording. Hope they clarify things better at some point.
I think it might be helpful to take the test several times, on different days, and see how your scores average out.
37 but I have a problem with some questions either because of "depends" or lifetime masking
ADHD as well plus also aphantasic. Meaning I don't form or store brain pictures. So ... read energy, don't recognize faces. It is sooo hard, especially since I've only been aware of the aphantasia and autism this year...
Thanks for sharing this. Aphantasia is a new term to me! Glad to know more about it. And yes it does sound difficult to live with. 💞
I just took the AQ test and the Aspie test. I scored 40 on the AQ and 130 on the Aspie. I also am 36 and haven't been diagnosed. Have had to mask and work around a ton so far. My parents also weren't the most understanding and was forced to be as normal as could be and constantly be in uncomfortable situations🤦🏻♂️
My score was in the upper 30s I think. LOL All my doubts have been blown away. I'm really good with fiction. I write fiction. It's my number one escape. Everything else I'm pretty much in lockstep. I prefer fiction but I read a LOT of nonfiction, especially geopolitics. (One of my special interests.)
I usually score about 40 or so on the AQ. I don't think it's that great of a measure, though. Some of the questions are vague.
All my tests I was given online and did on my own time, I have heard of some people they do them with them on site and they get a good idea just because of how many clarifying questions a person asks.
Yep agree some are very vague!
@@MomontheSpectrum
Really liked that website you gave, though. The other screening questionnaire (RAADS) is a lot better, in my opinion. Resonated with me a lot more. I almost scored in the "very strong evidence of autism" category, but I guess that isn't much of a surprise. 🤣
I love the Embrace Autism website 💜
Im not sure if you'll still read the comments, but i have a question about your sessions. What are they for? Do you schedule a session with someone who only realized that they they may be autistic back in Dec? Or are they mainly for those who definitely are.
Anyway, thanks for everything you do
I scored a 37 on the AQ test and a 166 on the RAADS test going for my first attempt at an official diagnosis on Sep 12th ( I'm 36 years old )
I scored a 42 🤓
In England it’s edgeways but I believe in the US edgewise is more commonly used in the idiom in question. Edgewise always confuses us over here 😊
Ha ha thanks for the clarification
No probs 😘
I have got my diagnosis few weeks ago. I scored 37.