AuDHDer takes the Monotropism test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2024
- Monotropism, a cognitive theory explaining autism, suggests that autistic individuals intensely focus on singular interests, leading to deep expertise and unique problem-solving skills while often struggling to shift attention to broader, less engaging tasks.
In this video, I take the monotropism test and see if that aligns with my own cognitive style.
Take the test with me: sachscenter.com/monotropism-q...
Original study: osf.io/wpx5g/
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Oh yeah, the dreaded "people tell me that I..."
Dear psychologists who create screening questionnaires, you seem to forget that one of the main features of autism is communication difficulties. Maybe in your experience, people do tell you stuff like that - but as for myself, I don't have any people who would tell me I'm being rude, for example. Maybe because I've been rude and they've stopped talking to me? 😀
Oh, and my monotropism score is 209.
I think the reason people don’t tell me I’m rude or complain to me about no eye contact is because they can tell there’s something “off” about me so they make allowances for my faux pas
(When I was in school, they used to harp on me for those things, but as an adult I’ve not had any complaints in years)
Or they rephrase when they "like" you. The number of times I've heard crap along the lines of "I like your courage to bluntly state what you mean without mincing words", or people giving a forced chuckle when they think I'm joking. Urgh.
I have always felt this way about the “people tell me I am rude” question. Nobody says it to me, though I know I put my foot in it regularly.
Except...crap! I just thought about ALL those discussions I’ve had with my wife, about issues in our relationship. All the times I thought I framed things evenly, fairly, and in reasonable terms...and later she told me that she found what I said hurtful. I’ve certainly reflected on this as an example of my communications difficulties - this way of framing things makes perfect sense to me, why doesn’t it to other people? - but I never once correlated these situations with “people tell me I’m rude.” I suppose because I was looking for the literal use of the word “rude.”
Well, hell. Here I was just feeling like maybe I’m not really that autistic. I cannot believe I never figured that out.
My psychiatrist used the term "Working Diagnosis" as opposed to "Unofficial Diagnosis" for those lacking the Formal Diagnosis (spenny!) but treatment frameworks are based on and informed with the accommodations that such a diagnosis would necessitate.
That's a brilliant term for it, I'm gonna use that from now on!
I find it interesting a the whole point of a diagnosis is that it is tentative decision made to direct clinical treatments/supports. Saying a working/tentative disorder is essential in this view an oxymoron.
Additionally with diagnoses like adhd and autism, you either meet diagnosis or not (from a medical standpoint)
If you meet quite a few symptoms but not all, then it isn’t a tentative or working diagnosis, it’s just l, at that time, not a diagnosis
I’m speaking in generality, not about your situation btw plz don’t feel any rsd based on my comment! :)
@@imthinkingthoughts That's okay! Yes, it's not a diagnosis so it's not named as such on my medical records (even if mentioned). It doesn't get me the full Govt sanctioned Accommodations. But it's use has been great as part of my diagnostic journey! For informing not just myself and those around me but also informing medical staff of my potential and suspected diagnoses. So it's my *Diagnoses in Working* if you will!
On my journey I was unavoidably passed around different mental health workers. But it set a medical understanding and opened up access to different frameworks of treatment which helped narrow down my rather large number of possible diagnoses through access to medication, monitoring, and testing. All without first going through a potentially traumatic (or financially burdening) formal diagnostic procedure 🙌
As I said I don't have full access to the accommodations an Officially Diagnosed individual would have but I'm much more confident in my understanding and advocation of myself; and I know much clearer which diagnostic tests to go for when the opportunity arises.
I think that's a great way of putting it, especially given the time frame of the diagnosis process, in some countries, UK for instance. Self diagnosis is highly regarded by a significant part of the community. The way we're prone to researching things thoroughly. To be in the diagnostic system means you've probably done a number of very accurate scientific tests as well. Many benefits advisors and health care people I meet, accept my asd "working" diagnosis, once they've met me and the fact I have an official adhd diagnosis.
I'm diagnosed AuDHD and I scored a 200 and my neurotypical sister scored a TWO. I was like omg I can't even imagine what being that polytropic would be like.
Picture me shocked. I found majority of the questions for monotropism kind of "obviously I do" similar to how Sam reacted. I thought it's "normal" etc. But I remember doing some questionnaires about masking and I had similar feelings of "isn't it how everyone's behaving?" and then my friend did the questionnaire and her score was absolutely nothing like mine. They are different on such a deep level. I wish there were more videos of autistic - allistic pair doing same test side by side and giving their insight into the topic. That'd be so interesting to watch.
2... How...What? My (undiagnosed but highly like AuDHD) brain is blown.
I have ADHD - I thought I would score a Little higher than normal but my god I got a 204.
This is… information to consider….
2..?? 😱 (I'm 211)
I scored 205. Yep, I’m AuDHD with monotropism. I actually really like this because I have no desire to multitask anymore. Multitasking is soooo stressful for me.
8:42 omg! "my whole life is held together by trying to be aware of whats going on" this clicks with me so much and I think it might be the source of my constant anxiety
Me too. To the extent that I'm hyper alert to things.
@@amandachapman4708 hyper alert and can't forget in my case as well as predictive pattern recognition, so anxiety is if I say too much to strangers, cuz I know I see the world differently (I mean I did work in a morgue after all, so my fears, anxieties are very different that most esp as an intersectional chica)
I think the one about stimming to relax is exactly what you described. “It’s more about reliving anxiety” is exactly what relaxing means, haha!
Cut to me screaming “THANK YOU!” at 20:03. People absolutely do not critique each other in this way! It’s literally part of “politeness” not to do something like that. I lowkey wish people would be more honest with me about myself so I don’t sit here looking shocked Pikachu when they pull away from me. 😅
Man, I wish I didn’t have people saying stuff like that to me all the time growing up 😅 both allistics and other autistics regularly called me “cold”, “bitchy”, “rude”, etc.
Exactly! Especially when you're an adult, people are much more likely to just give you a weird look or something.
It's like you can just "feel" that you've tripped over the conversation, even if you don't quite know why or how.
For instance, if you tell what you believe to be an incredibly relatable anecdote or a funny joke and people just give you a blank look before moving on with the conversation.
@@hannahk1306 This. This is why I don't like family get-togethers like Thanksgiving or Xmas!
Nuerotypicals will lie and lie and never help you improve and then drop you because you aren’t perfect 😅
Happens tooooooo many times
Oh, really? I've tended to experience the opposite - people have been criticising and correcting me ever since I can remember. I'll try and laugh it off with a sarcastic "Oh thanks, none taken..." sort of comment. But people seem to be quite insistent about pressing their point, without any regard for politeness. 🫤
Self-diagnosed AuDHD, and confirmed by numerous diagnosed friends of mine. I got 235, taken it a few times on different occasions, and my score varies at most by 2 points. I'm monotropic af.
Yes, definitly. "Just" 213 here😁
214 Here and diagnosed with ADHD at 11 and autism at 44yo (just last year).
211 here, it's been hard to find other people as monotropic as us. So hi, nice to know you exist 🤭
212 here, not officially diagnosed but I have my suspicions, and would pursue a diagnosis if I could force myself to contact someone about it. (I dread the whole process of making phone calls and sorting appointments so much that I neglect all sorts of healthcare unless I'm in enough acute pain to make it a better option.)
206 here. I have no formal diagnosis, but I'm self diagnosed as Audhder.
What I find interesting is that on many other "autism questionnaires" that focus on behavior my scores tend to be much more borderline. I'm a master masker...
But in monotrpism just everything fits with how my brain works.
I got a 194, which will help keep the imposter syndrome away, at least for a few days.
💯
195. Stuck in loops of thought? My sister criticised me years ago for "thinking too much" and "dwelling on things". Thanks for your workbook, I found it very useful in working my past life experiences out 😺
Would you consider doing a collab with "I'm Autistic, Now What?". I think you would have some really interesting discussions. She also did this test and I think she has a few videos on monotropism, or at least mentions it in several videos. Would be pretty fun to see you comparing notes! ^^
Yes, I saw it there first. And Mike from "autistic_af" also did it.
I second this.
Hyperfocus is not a luxury, it's stressful, because you have other demands but cant get away
Or you can’t focus on most things normally…which is just not a good trade 😂
If you have small children, you are constantly interrupted and just give up a lot and get depressed
Sometimes hyperfocus is fun but if it goes on too long it can become torture for me.
168 and officially diagnosed AuDHD. I think I may be more positively inclined towards a lot of the social questions because I’ve been incredibly lucky to have friends and even many colleagues with well-focused specialist-type brains like ours.
Take the cooperation question: I HATE working on something interesting with someone who just wants to get it done with minimum effort. I find it frustrating beyond words … and I’m pretty good with words 😉 However, I LOVE the process of truly collaborating with someone equally invested. If we both have the goal of exploring the problem, and we both trust and respect each other, then a different point of view is a gift. My luck in finding people like this has absolutely changed my perspective.
I have no time for people who are coasting through jobs and life in general - and made it fairly senior despite my indifference to the normal world - I am a marmite person to many. Some love, some despise me - I tend to focus on the problem ahead, and get on with it.
Well put. It has occurred to me now that this describes the difference between collaboration I enjoy, and “helpful suggestions” made without discussion, which can elicit feelings of rage in me. The first implies that both parties recognize each other’s ability to analyze and problem solve. The second has a tendency to imply that I did what I did because I missed something obvious, which I generally have not. Usually I’ve explored that option and found it wasn’t plausible.
Now, I have learned, after my initial reaction of “oh jeez!!” to take another look and see if the suggestion is as unworkable as I thought. Sometimes I do find a way. This is one reason I prefer email to phone or in person. I can cuss to myself at the getgo, then calm down and decide whether my reply will be “here’s why I can’t make this work” or “okay, I figured out a way.”
@@DS-cf1zc It sounds like you've never had a truly terrible job in retail or food service. 😂
I've had quite a few awful jobs in my 44 years, and learned pretty early on that extra effort doesn't always pay off. In fact, I've been inadvertently punished for being too efficient and good at certain jobs: by being expected to take on more and more work with no increase in pay or benefits.
I've found that the capitalistic system we live under usually doesn't reward the kind of focus and interest that a lot of autistic people have. The exception to this is for those autistic folks who are lucky enough to have jobs that truly interest them. I'm currently a biology professor, and it's my special interest so I'm absolutely an overachiever these days.
I would love to see a neurotypical person take this test and describe why they're choosing their answers the way you did, I'm still figuring out if I'm autistic and I resonate with a lot of your answers but I find it hard to understand how this is different from neurotypical thinking and struggle to wrap my head around the idea that not everyone thinks this way!
Same. I just have a hard time imagining the thought process of someone who _isn't_ monotropic. Like, of _course_ everyone can hyperfocus on their interests, right? 😂
I so much agree with the vast majority of your answers! Including your side-comments about "isn't that what everyone does?" I am still amazed when I find out that it's not the case (and I'm 67).
By the way, your phrase "the fake autism that neurotypicals talk about" made me smile. I'm so stealing that for my own conversations...
Officially AuDHD and scored 178, but my executive function problem is so bad that much of the time I can't do things I really want to do, and I'm so numbed by nearly 7 decades of it that I don't get passionate about anything at the moment. Maybe if/when I can get ADHD medication (only diagnosed with ADHD 5 weeks ago) my score will be different.
Yes, that’s my story too. I could focus so much better when I was younger (63 and my executive function is in the toilet). ADHD meds really help but I have had anxiety and possibly anger issues with them. I believe I got here partly by overusing my adrenals for focus, pre-diagnosis, and it drove up my stress hormones and fear response. I’m hoping to find a way to get back to them because I almost can’t work now.
195 here. I was diagnosed as being ADD, Dyslexic, and having Sensory Integration Disorder back in the 80s while in High School. I'm not sure where I'd fit these days.
It was fun watching you take the test and seeing you ask the same questions I did, even when we got different answers.
Thanks for doing this.
208. Like that was any kind of surprise. Just briefly stuck my head in here after spending the day doing in-depth research on the pets my daughter wants (which I actually tasked her to do, but well...). And now off for some charcoal drawing until they start wondering where I went off to (it's the cellar, don't tell them).
That's what I got as well.
204 for me - I have Autism, ADHD and a few other peculiarities, which have made life kind of funky. Nothing funnier than sitting in a packed office with my Bose headphones on listening to anything that isnt the people in the office, while fixating on problem solving the challenge of the day.
It was fun to watch you to overthink all the questions, because same! Oh, I scored extremely high monotropic on almost every question. Fun video!
I guess that’s one of my “doesn’t everyone do that?” moments. It didn’t seem to me like Sam was overthinking at all, even as she said she was. I was like, “how could you answer any of these questions without thinking about them at least that much?” It would be like closing my eyes and clicking randomly on a radio button. :)
I questioned the questions in just the same way! It was “what?” or “I don’t understand” or “doesn’t everyone do that?” 😂
I appreciate you keeping in some bloopers at the end. Thanks for showing your realness Sam. :)
This is an interesting test. I like that there are clarifications below the questions, though some are still ambiguous. My score was 210.
Gosh, this is so relatable. I dissected every question on all my ADHD questionnaires too.
Though I think “task switching” does refer specifically to juggling multiple tasks, and your “it doesn’t distress me, but I don’t like it” I believe counts as mild distress. Similarly “it’s not difficult but I prefer not to” I believe would qualify as mild difficulty.
I ran into that problem a lot with doctors for 20+ years, where I focused on the severity of their vocab choice instead of taking a more general kind of vibe. I had a lot of medical issues missed as a child, because they expected a child to say “it doesn’t hurt, but it itches” (general discomfort) whereas I just went “no, no pain” and waited to be asked about itching if that was relevant.
I’ve also had doctors ask me _who_ or _where_ I was first prescribed a medicine, even though they really wanted me to tell them _why_ I was on it. I’ve had certain necessary medicines cut off as a result of that.
I kept stopping to ask clarifying questions and then my assessor would say that she can’t say anything, and I just need to answer the questions. I was so distressed, that she tried to stop me before I had finished the test, but then I really panicked and raced to finish it before I would let her take it from me 😅
Don't you hate when doctors, or people in general, communicate so indirectly?
@@chakibleeb it really pisses me off!
@@thesincitymama this is one reason I’m glad I was sent mine in the post. Mixed blessing to the current long waiting lists.
I was able to spend an entire 3 days solidly fretting over this or that wording, with friends, family, and partners; especially with the questions phrased about neurotypical expectations, rather than my own experiences with language like excessive, popping up a lot (this questionnaire was much easier in that respect!).
I also wrote extra explanations or slight modifications to the questions in the margin for almost every single one 😅
Similarly, I’d run into similar issues as you laid-out in interviews long ago, so for my BPD diagnosis pre-pandemic I had already printed off and done a diagnostic questionnaire. The psych was relieved that it’d save her so much time and effort! Then she only had to ask me to elaborate on one or two answers I’d given.
Took the test! Scored 186.. this test was much more clear than others, I felt almost stress-free taking it😅
I did the questionnaire before watching the video and I found that some of the "clarifications" seemed to say the opposite to the actual question...
I agree with you that a slightly agree / disagree option would be helpful.
Also, I had the exact same reaction to the "days" part of question 36. I *wish* that it *was* just days! 😆
To answer your questions about a typical office environment, yes that's exactly what it's like and it's hell!
I paused the video and took the questionnaire. I resumed the video to go along with you on your answers versus mine, they were very similar. I allowed additional pauses to ask my husband his thoughts on any questions that might benefit from an external perspective, and then after you had your final results, I did mine to compare them. I was very surprised. My score: 200.
I am a 60 yr old female, have not been officially diagnosed, as of now, but exploring what has mystified and affected me my whole life. I am nervous to seek official diagnosis as in past have been given other diagnosis that didn’t either fit entirely or didn’t fit at all, so I am hoping to mitigate this before seeking diagnosis by building my profile from childhood to present. I hope it will help me find the answers that I need to find peace after a lifetime of not feeling in sync with the world around me. I am hopeful. Thanks for the wonderful video. ❤
Also, I bought your workbook last year, Sam, and love it. It has been extremely useful and excellent in detail.
Kudos for a great functional tool. ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Sam, enjoyed the video, I always find those kinds of questions difficult to interpret but at least the observation is stressed as an attribute rather than a failing,, thanks again
My score was 198.
That said, many of the questions where people would be self-conscious or concerned with how others view them don't really apply to me.
A long time ago one of my self-preservation strategies ended up being a complete disregard and lack of care about what others think.
I care about people, and want them to be happy and thrive... And I love when they share an interest I have and thus we can gush over it together.
But when it comes to worrying about what they think about me... I don't care, and I don't concern myself with being accepted by anyone other than my spouse.
I know my spouse (and many of our other autistic friends - most of my friends are autistic, because that's who I get along with best) gets concerned about what people think of them, and sometimes of me... But I have no problem being rude directly and intentionally to someone's face.
That questions about saying what I mean... Yup, that nails me perfectly. No one ever has to wonder or question what I think of feel about them because I am very straightforward about all of that, and I don't care about hurting feeling and being nice.
That said, I am not cruel, or seek to be mean... I just don't see a point in trying to say something nice that isn't true...
They might ask, "Do these pants make my ass look big?"
And my answer would be something like, "Nope. Your ass is big in any pants, but those pants stop it from looking droopy."
My friends have all learned that if they want an honest opinion without frills and platitudes, they can ask me, and I will tell them.
People that aren't able to handle the truth when they want to ask questions, tend to drift away and not ask me anything. Which is fine, as I don't generally enjoy spending time with people that feel they need validation by fishing for compliments from people.
Sorry for the ramble...
Opinionated AuDHDer here.
If you know you’re being a dick or being unkind……🙄
Ego so strong
@@andycampbell8622 Can you elaborate please? I have no clue what you are intending to say here.
I'm so glad to see you doing this test as an AuDhDer! Because same, I've wondered how ADHD would affect the results. I haven't gotten through your video yet to see your answers so I'm excited to see how it goes!
Hey, Jenn, nice to see You here in the comments. I did the test too some weeks ago as an AuDHDer and scored quite high (213). But it gives You this score, a quiotient and three underquotients for three segments, so... Just try it out, I had a lot of fun doing it and found it much easier to answer then the "medical test questions". Of cause I asked myself how they mean some questions, but in general I found them much better and easier to answer.
Edit: I am sorry, mixed it up with the Cat-Q with this three subquotients.
It is just one score🙈
@@katzenbekloppt2412 I am an AuDHDer and score 204, my wife is broadly similar, but slightly more Autistic and scores 203.. we are both laughing about it, and we have been married for over 32 years... Our kids are duffed, they are a very interesting mix..
Working diagnosis of ADHD. Scored 192. No autism diagnosis of any kind.
Thank you so much for everything you shared with us. While answering the questions, I observed that you experienced the same little confusion that I experienced at first. That's why I realized that I either overlooked this note at the beginning of the questions or did not pay enough attention.
How to Take the Test: When reading the questions, imagine situations that are stressful, uncomfortable or when you are excited. Often when we are at home and relaxed and calm, it is hard to tell how we feel. If the question is confusing, look underneath it for an explanation of the question.
Taking this explanation into consideration enabled me to answer the questions much more easily. That's why I would like to kindly share that it with you, asking for your forgiveness, in case it might help you answer more comfortably.
One more time thank you so so much Sam. You are doing amazing. And please never change your mind and continue to your channel. You are helping to find my way since the first day when my journey started. I owe you sooo sooo much thing. With my all best and good and beautiful and warm wishes.
Yo Sammy I just wanted to say that your videos has helped me a lot as a new auDHD:er. You are awesome and I love your channel❤️
21:16 Thank you for putting that so eloquently. Whenever I've heard people say that autistic people like to gather as many facts/as much information about a topic as possible, I experience some imposter syndrome because I don't commonly present like that. Hearing you describe a different type of experience is so incredibly validating to me and my autistic experience-especially since it happens to describe how I normally present!
I scored 219. Slightly disappointed it wasn't higher. I'm diagnosed Autistic and suspected inattentive type ADHD. I question the questions in questionnaires very much like you. When I was going through the intense research phase of discovering I am autistic I was surprised and how uncannily similar my experiences are to many autistic content creators, including you, and your videos were very validating and helpful, so thank you!
219 is a very high score though! I'm autistic and I scored 190 :)
@@paunesjourney Yes, it is a high score. Perhaps the difference is between "strong" and "not strong" agree/disagree. I went "strong" in most answers. Black and white thinking perhaps? There could be many reasons, but it's not a competition, we all have our own unique presentation of autism, but I think we think more like each other than we think like allistics.
I got 218 and I am scared of imagining how incapacitated I would be if was scoring higher! It's REALLY hard to maintain relationships and function with this much monotropism!
I got 218, it feels high.
206🎉 What stands out the most to me is the way Sam processes the questions and debates the answer based on the situation/context- that's me! It's been incredibly important for me to see representation of someone I can relate to like this and it makes me so happy. Your channel (and workbook!) has been invaluable for my journey over the last two years.Thanks for being so very relatable! ❤
Listening to you over analyze the questions was wildly entertaining. What made it entertaining was the fact that I did the exact same thing when I took that test. lol
A lot of the questions are spectacularly vague for me. I got a score of 173. Which seems low. On the other hand, I don't get as focused now as I did when I was younger. No idea if that means anything. I don't think I have heard of this before, so glad to know it exists.
AuDHD here and I scored 179. I fell like my ADHD is what doesn’t make the score higher 😅
Also, I don’t think I understood all the questions 😂
i feel exactly like you, i scored 176 or something and also suspect audhd. For a lot of the questions, i felt like, it depends on where i am and with who exactly and so on, so everything was very vague. For example, the do you enjoy collabs question - i hate collabs and i prefer to do stuff alone. UNLESS i know the person very well and we vibe really well and i trust that person, then it's heaven and it can be incredibly exciting and boost creativity. i think if the person also has audhd i would find collabs generally better than with neurotypicals. So IT DEPENDS
😂 It´s so funny seeing you taking this questionaire… so auDHD… recognize myself in the remarks you make about the questions… I hate these kind of questionaires as I never feel that the questions are pricise enought 😂
… so many of these questions would not have caused a neurotypical person to start wondering about all the possible interpretations of the phrasing of each question… ❤ I say this because I can never understand how a NT person can know which one of the 5 possible interpretation I see in each question is the actual question… 😂
Yes, more content on monotropism. I'm still a little shaky on what it means. I'd love one of your academic deep-dives on the topic.
I got SO stressed listening to you try to take this questionnaire, I had to stop. 😂 I get so frustrated with the vagueness of these survey-esque questions SO MUCH, I couldn’t handle it!
187! And Sam, I so appreciated the commentary as you thought through your answers. I paused to answer myself before watching your go, and you were extremely relatable.
Just pausing the vid for a second to say... I love your glasses!!! ... whew, ok, now I can watch the rest :)
I'm pretty sure my psych diagnosed me with adhd after I tried to nail down the definition of 'often' before I did the questionnaire.
9:04 and 13:57 absolutely describes my "day job" that lasted almost 30 years. I 100% hated, loathed, and despised the work I did in my office day job (so much so that I avoid even mentioning my title out loud because of the PTSD it triggers), but I had to "earn a living" and support myself and my child, so yes, I totally got good at doing something I hated and had *zero* interest in, but it (mostly) paid the bills. I'm one of those people who was taught to "Do it right or don't do it at all," and I've always had a strong work ethic to do a good job even if I can't stand what I'm doing. I was there to do a job and do it well, and to be paid for it. But back then I didn't even know I was autistic, so you can imagine how torturous it was. Every day I went to work, I was literally kicking and screaming on the inside. When the "recent worldwide event" shut everything down (I have PTSD over that whole thing, too), it just so happened that the company I worked for was permanently closed for reasons having nothing to do with the "event", and it also turns out my husband makes enough that I don't have to go back to work. I 100% *could not* go back now, as I'm one of those whose autism gets stronger as they get older. It's been almost four years since I worked a day job, and the PTSD is still strong, often bringing on panic attacks and/or meltdowns at the mere thought. So yes, one can absolutely get good at something they have no interest in, and force themselves to do it because they have no other choice. But it can leave massive scars that take years to heal, if ever.
(btw, I took an online monotropism test and scored nearly 100% -- but I, too, hate the way questions/statements are worded, because most of the time I'm not really sure what they're asking, as it could be interpreted multiple ways, or that word "often" throws a monkey wrench into the works)
I took an assessment and am just waiting on my wife to finish the questionaire before watching this.... I took one before and knew I would score high; if I am not Autistic, then I fall in the 3rd percentile; if I am, then I am 47th percentile. edit: one of the amusing things about this whole topic is that I was diagnosed ADHD and self-diagnosed recently autistic; but the monotropic thought style is something I identified in myself decades ago; and have talked with people several times about aspects of it. I have often said that being interrupted from a task I am hyperfocused on is on par with being punched.
edit2: on eye contact: I just say that yes I have issues with it; because its not hard for me but I am very aware that eye contact is something that I picked up very late (in my 20s) and intentionally worked on. At 45 eye contact is pretty easy and I even like it.... but it never stopped being an intentional thing that I consciously think about doing and it never became natural.
I love your commentary of these questions - makes me feel less weird that I pick apart questionnaires too 😅
I felt the struggle with the questions. How I am supposed to answer correctly if the question is not 100% precise?! Also, 180, just like you :O (self diagnosed AuDHD)
So I am an AuDHDer, and scored 204, my wife who is broadly similar but seems to have a stronger Autism part scored 203, whereas most people see my ADHD element - you have to live with me to see the Autism, food, routines, capacity to see the world in a way others dont, and the ability to bend data in ways others are yet to invent.
Thank you so much for this test - we are both laughing about it, and have now sent it to one of our daughters (the strangest one of the two), she has a very high IQ, and has refused to date be assessed - she is considered hyper bright, and can learn almost anything, provide she can self teach herself, and is interested in it. I can do it, but not as well as she can.
Just to provide an update - our youngest daughter hit a return of 214 - far outdoing mum and dad - which was pretty similar when she tried the online Aspie test - which was far higher than mum and dad.
Self-diagnosed AuDHD. I scored 188. My "it depends" is work or private life. In my work life, when things are hectic. I have little problems with switching to a different task at the drop of a hat or being interrupted. My (assumed) ADHD enjoys the rush. But then comes crashing down sometime. In my private life, I to tend to struggle with transitions. Hmm, actually also at work if there is no exciting rush. Oh well.
I have more trouble filtering out noises when I am doing something I'm interested. If I am not doing anything special, I hear the sound and then make a conscious effort to block it out. But if I do something I need to do or am interested in, there is just no energy left do block it out.
My score: 191
Very enjoyable video. Thank you!
I got 207 with a lot of things actually in contrast with Sam's process and results (that's the beauty of autism isn't it?). Task switching, transitions, and interruptions have always been a lifelong struggle (maintaining a job), I definitely go run alone in the mountains, play music or video games to deal with my anxiety, I see that hyperfocusing on something is an antidote to cope with necessary daily stuff where I never feel safe hyperfocusing. Isn't it pretty ironic that my traits are so obvious, yet when I request accommodations it's been an ordeal to prove the struggle is real with extensive research backing up.
It would be so fascinating to see a neurotypical person talk through this test... Unfortunately I don't know any! Haha
I'd love to hear more about monotropism in general :~)
I got 179 and I was diagnosed autistic at a young age. I think some of the things that I have learned to do with time, like eye contact and talking to other people, weren't potentially properly examined in this questionnaire. I don't exactly have special interests anymore but I definitely have passions! Maybe that's just my secret code word for special interests in my head or something. I definitely agreed to the 'does interests against social expectations' one.
For the interrupting thing, at my first job, a guy named Tom had to teach me to say 'hi, how are you going?' or something along those lines before going into whatever question I had for him. It's definitely a thing, people being annoyed when being interrupted! 😂
The only active stimming I find 'relaxing' is similar to you, the hyperactive type of regulating. I like dancing around the house to music, sometimes in an aggressive way. Or eating food.
Great video Sam :)
Perhaps I am so old as a senior that I was unable to track a numerical score. I certainly can’t say that I scored a two as one commenter said of a neurotypical person. But I agreed with many conclusions and scores as Sam did so this would seem to agree with people calling me autistic and often adhd.
But that’s why I am subscribed to this channel.
Also I love how the loop question loops back 😂
1000% interested jn more videos around monotropism!
you sound just like me in dissecting these questions and also interested in everything. You sound so much like me, with slight differences due to environment/age/etc on so many levels.
203 - officially diagnosed as autistic three years ago. I'm really taken with this theory as it seems to pull together many of the seemingly disparate "traits" ascribed to autism (and ADHD?) and provides a unified cause for them rather than just bundling them together without explanation. At last I have a theory that explains why I find myself incapable of shutting up about obscure progressive rock bands regardless of my victim's overall interest level, the sense of joy and comfort I get from designing the perfect spreadsheet and my frequent inability to navigate my body through doorframes in buildings that I've lived and/or worked in for several years.
225 as a high masker. Tough stuff. :(
I scored 195 in that test. I have ADHD officially diagnosed at age 34 and no diagnosis for autism so far, but that's one more test that confirms this for me that I am in fact autistic. Every test I took did confirmed this for me. Kind of makes me happy to know I have my tribe scattered all over the world. 😄
That's so interesting! I got 175 and am autistic without ADHD (as I believe so far). Some of the questions are really hard to answer, as you say. Like this question about the anxiety about things that may come out of a decision. I mean, it's part of the decision making to incorporate the outcomes of the decision, right? So I won't feel anxiety afterwards, I've just taken a calculated risk.
I have had monotropism explained to me by "I'm autistic, now what?" before but it's so interesting that I will gladly listen to other people explaining it again with their words. give me all the angles. I've done the online questionair... and I'm pretty monotropic (194). but officially comletely undiagnosed.
the "wait, other people don't do that." or "hang on... other people do that?" is so strong... how does anyone enjoy or properly focus on something they are not intersted in? even in school my method to be good at whatever was to force myself to be interested. and since I tried to be as good as possible in every clas.... I burned myself out. I really would have needed someone to forbid me to spend more than a certain ammount of time/energy on on more than 2 or 3 core classes. I really would have needed to be forbidden to do that.
192.... no official diagnosis.... but I score nice and highly on everything 😂
I really liked this questionnaire compared to others. Often I would not be sure of what the question means, or I'd think "well not really" but then I'd read the clarification text and be "oh, strongly agree" 😂
Thanks for this video, I like taking these quizzes
Oh dang, I got 209.
Funnily enough I knew exactly what the “physically stuck” and “bad decisionmaking when focused” ones mean.
I had many times where I was torn between 2 or 3 options of equally important importance, and would literally be stood on one spot with my head/arms/feet moving back and forth between those options while I don’t actually go anywhere. Not physical paralysis, but definitely choice paralysis leading to being stuck in one physical place.
As to the second one, I don’t really have it because I’m always anxiously assessing preparedness and consequences anyway. BUT my dad, who I reckon I got my autism from, absolutely does THE most boneheaded and ridiculous things if he tries to multitask.
Even just unwrapping a sweetie or taking a bite of his sandwich is enough to make him mix-up steps, drop or break things. Then he usually swears a bit, puts down whatever else he was doing, and focuses on the important task. Mishaps like pouring drinks all over his legs or a table! Or using the wrong brakes on the bike while talking, throwing him off it. He didn’t really like to drive with the radio on either, only making an exception for the football results, and now gets very overwhelmed with any unfamiliar roads which leads to switching into the wrong gears, indicating the wrong direction, etc. When he takes a second he’s usually very competent, but when he tries to act on instinct while his mind is elsewhere he always forgets some important step or does the wrong one.
As to the “social chaos” one, yeah, I like that chaos about half the time. But I focused more on the rephrase about enjoying social situations reliably.
Similarly, I got hung up on that “quiet and predictable environment” thing, but was able to make myself ignore the “quiet” bit to remind myself my comfort music or aural stims are generally the ADHD equivalent of perfect silence for focus in autism. Which comes back to what you said about stimming for focus and emotional regulation versus pure comfort and relaxation. I do have some of the latter, but ~80% of my stims are the former.
Great video!
11:47 yes, that is what work is like for most people in most office or service businesses. Probably some labor/factory/trades businesses, too. In some positions for most businesses and basically all positions for some businesses, it’s not so much “work is interrupted all the time” as it is “constant interruptions with the occasional work getting done between them”. Some flavors of ADHD thrive with the constant interruptions , but i hear regularly from folks on the autism spectrum who struggle to avoid being fired, let alone to do good work.
I scored 200. I have been told by so many people that I shouldn’t dwell on things so much. I am also very bad at judging how much time has passed, especially when I’m focused on something I enjoy.
AuDHDer Rating Scale Subscore = 162 That explains that I don't get that monotropism thing as that is explained. I feel myself monotropic at lots of different topics at the same time 😇 like PC jumping from one monotropism to another one 200 times in a minute... So it's monotropism meaning 1 thing at a time, but that things constantly switch.
196 with diagnosed AuDHD. First couple questions were a bit weird but the last two thirds were spot on and resonated greatly with me.
Probably in hindsight I could've answered a couple questions more definite, like the looping thoughts one, my thing that keeps coming up for me is that I don't want to bother others, hence why I avoid most social interactions. I don't know how to approach social situations where I have "no reason" to interact, like casual stuff what you'd do with friends.
If it comes from the outside, then it's no problem and I love being approached, because that solves the entire problem of the question of me potentially bothering someone, additionally when I have a reason to approach a person, then I struggle basically not at all.
But without a good reason? Then I tend to just avoid it, because in my head I'm telling myself, I don't want to be perceived as bothersome, even though I know I'm most likely not bothering anyone.
This leads to me being extremely polite (in general, I can be very direct, which many perceive as insulting at times) but also very lonely, because making new friends is pretty hard for me, as going somewhere just casually starting a conversation is a bigger investment than getting my leg cut off (metaphorical speaking, no I don't want to lose my leg).
(me typing this to sort my own thoughts, then considering deleting it and then posting anyways 🤷♂)
"I sometimes accidentally say something others find offensive/ rude when I am focused on a task." When I'm being rude I know I'm being rude. I don't do things accidentally. I could be polite if I wanted to
204 on mono, 174 on RAADS-R, 170 on Aspie quiz… ADD diagnosis in early 90’s, been looking on and off, into ASD the last 4 years, thinking I should take this more seriously and pursue an official diagnosis.
I vacillate between thinking I am probably autistic, and thinking that I am probably not. I score over the threshold on all tests, and for this my score was 202.
168, though I was unsure how to answer a number of the questions as they're pretty vague. Almost every answer would be 'it depends'. It's annoying that they don't tell you what neurotypicals generally score. While I wait for assessment that number's going to add more doubt. I certainly identified with the thought loops questions.
If it helps I scored 162 and I’m diagnosed with autism and adhd
@@stella_lilies Thanks, it does help a little
I find being interrupted when I am doing something to be possibly the most annoying thing on Earth.
6:04 This is where I have to say....I DEFINITELY feel this way 😅
I don't like being forced to disengage with a passion project, or something I enjoy. 😔
Interesting. I generally thought I was answering questions that suggest autism more strongly than Sam, but I just got a score or 174, which is a bit lower than the threshold. Though there are so many questions I’m undecided how to best answer. Yeah, I think “people tell me” is a concept that depends on traveling in social circles where people are prone to hauling you up short for perceived social failings. Mostly I can just tell that people are getting frustrated with me, or I said something inappropriate, but no one says anything most of the time.
Anything related to anxiety I tended to score high, which makes sense for me. Even though Sam is apparently less anxious than I am, I for one really appreciated her answer on stimming; I do it when anxious, and it’s often ticlike. That it’s rarely pleasurable has some to do with a lot of depressive tendencies - I don’t really get happy. I also can sit really still at many times, which doesn’t even track with ADHD, except I’ve come to realize that I’ve spent much of my life in a low-level freeze state. The stims break through when the twitchy anxiety overcomes the fear/overwhelm/psychomotor retardation.
To some degree, my score reflects the terrible state of my ability to focus at age 63. Partly because I’m off ADHD meds and back on an SSRI, I can’t manage to hyperfocus anymore, except maybe for my runaway thoughts and mouth, and admittedly reading and typing comments like this, where I can totally lose track of time. Overall, right now my sense of myself is that GAD and ADHD are most prominent, and overshadowing autism, though it has not always felt thus.
Final note: YES! Ruminate on past events for “days”? I can go years.
Hmmm. Read comments, reflected on some questions, and retook the test in a more engaged mood - I was uncharacteristically laid back first time. 186 this round.
I'm a self diagnosed Audhder (I have no formal diagnosis). I got 206... I tend to get a much more borderline result in many other questionnaires, like AQ, that focus more on behavior than perception and inner workings. Monotropism is a good framework for me.
Regarding question 16 on being interrupted in the middle of an activity: as somebody who was on an office job for almost 3 years with almost 20 people under my charge, YES, it is something that happens quite often, unfortunately.
Strategising and planning for that team wasn't particularly difficult, because I enjoyed it; however, being constantly interrupted during the strategising/planning process by those very same people was irritating and quite jarring, to the point where it made my anxiety spike :(
201
I dont have a diagnosis (because life) so just self diagnosed.
I was afraid I wouldnt score high enough... the relief is palpable 😅😢
would love to learn more about Monotropism and your thoughts on it!
My final score on the questionnaire is 202
It was after I started watching your videos in 2020 that I realized I was autistic. In Oct. of 2022 I was officially diagnosed as autistic. I wanted to get the diagnosis for my own curiosity, not because I felt I had to "legitimize" myself to others.
I now also think that I might be "AuDHD". An example of my autistic side is that I can spend an entire day playing my favorite video game, while the ADHD side of me has to get up and walk around multiple times. Another example, when I was at the grocery store several weeks ago I bought a bag of potatoes, telling my daughter that I wanted to make potato salad with it, but after I got it home the potatoes ended up going bad because I never "got around to" making the potato salad.
My first daughter was diagnosed with ADHD when she was in the 4th grade. I think she is also AuDHD because we share a lot of the same personality traits. For example, I get obsessed with rock stars while she gets obsessed with Disney stars (even though she will be 30 in September, but still had the intellect of a 12 y.o.)
Monotropism also didn't really click with me the first time I heard about it, but I just did the test and I scored 201! (and am currently in the diagnostic process for both autism and ADHD). Also yes to thinking "doesn't everyone have this?" and hating questions with "people tell me" because yup, people don't tell me shit.
I scored 209, way above avarage. I suspect the reason many autistic people score lower is that with only 5 options ranging from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree" is troubling for us, I often wished there was a 7 or a 10 scale so I could more clearly state my dis/agreement. by defaulting to avoid the "Strongly..." option because we can imagine our response could be stronger we lower our average score.
Rating Scale Subscore = 204... Not really a surprise... I'm a diagnosed ADHDer and a self-diagnosed autistic adult on my way to getting a formal diagnosis.
I have been referred for a diagnosis for AUDHD. I have been aware that I do indeed have ADHD and although I’ve supported children with both ASD and AUDHD - it is only in recent years that I’ve realised I have both. As I’m waiting on the NHS, I could be waiting for sometime… it took them 5 years to diagnose my high functioning Son. Anyhoo, I scored 227 😂
That “but if you get me there faster I’ll be forced to make a decision on it” part at the start made me cackle!
Did for myself score:224
Partner answered on my behalf score:207
Ive been meaning to take this and finally did before watching this video, I scored a 206. 😮
196 I have ADHD and go in for an assessment for Autism in a few weeks. Hopefully they use this questionnaire, so I know what to expect 😂
When reading questionnaires like this, I often think they must be very subtle diagnostic instruments, because surely everyone’s going to answer in nearly the same way, aren’t they? And then you reminded me - maybe not! 😊
I did the MQ a little while back (and my score fell within the Autistic range of scores - I’m also an AuDHDer). But listening to the questions again, I’m as confused as you seemed to be by the vagueness of the wording. The version I did just had the original wording (which is presumably the wording that the scores are calibrated against). The clarifications in the version you used seemed very odd. 🤔
Is it bad that I answered 'agree' to almost every question?
Edit: I got 209. Is that good or bad?
Note: I only have a working diagnosis of Autism and ADHD at this point in time.
Same with me, except for questions like "I do not have a problem with eye contact" that's a "Strongly Disagree" because I have a BIG problem with eye contact.
My score was 202
@@elizabethsullivan7176 I also have a problem with eye contact.
(that's the 'almost')🙂
I took the test and most of my answers were on the extreme ends, my score was 203
My Monotropism score was/is 195, with these things as I am older, I answer as I would like to do rather than whai I have been socialised to do, so I have learned with kids and other people to tolerate unteruptions, and not to hyper focus so they get meals and an attentive parent, but left to my own devices I would so hyper focus, or be upset by interruptions or avoid social situations. and FYI - I only discovered recently that I don't make eye contact, I appear to as part of my mask but I cant tell you what eye colour anyone has as I watch their mouth move not their eyes.
I am most definitely extremely monotropic. That is something I have struggled with my entire life. This hit really close to home for me. My Great Uncle is also undiagnosed, but he is also very monotropic. He has been diagnosed as having a low IQ his entire life, but he doesn't. If it is something he is interested in, he has no trouble whatsoever understanding very complex concepts, but it is impossible for him to learn or remember anything if he is not interested in the subject. I picked up on it a few years ago. For instance, stereo systems are one of his special interests. He has no trouble explaining how every type of stereo functions and he can pick up on very subtle differences in sound quality from machine to machine. I worked in a studio for years, and I can't pick up on it as well as he can. On the other hand, I tried to explain how to file taxes to him, and he could not understand it. He is 84 years old, but somehow he fell through the cracks. His cognitive ability is directly related to his interest in a particular subject.
181. I did the test before watching the video because I knew I would struggle with the wording of the questions.
No.17, "Am I open to helpful suggestions?" made me laugh.
If my partner comments while I'm doing something I'm damn good at like baking a cake, for example... let's just say that my reaction is along the lines of the question about others finding you rude. 😂
I LOVE watching you agonise over the questions because I do exactly the same thing. I pull questionnaires apart.
17:30
It’s easy to keep up with what everyone is saying when what they are saying is nothing; neurotypical banter. I think that is one our toughest hurdles as autists is that the typical world has no room for substance. I rarely get to engage in conversation, because I actually have something to say.
19:05
There is thinking, which we autists do, and there is reacting, which allistics do. Mental rumination requires the initial critical thought.
19:15
The question is trying to describe catastrophizing (at which I excel), which is just my brain constantly running simulations about the world around me and the possibilities.
179, and diagnosed autistic at age 60. Several times I felt the need as you did to qualify my responses. or verbally add extra information. I felt like asking "You mean with or without my coping mechanisms in operation? Which is the real me?"🤔
I scored 181. Not bad for a woman nearly 60 years old who has successfully evaded finding a clinician proficient enough to recognize she is clearly on the spectrum. *insert eye roll here*
224. I'm AuDHDer but the high score is still somehow a surprise to me. I do wonder how much my score may shift slight due to my mood/situation when I take the test.
I got 186. I was diagnosed at age 47. I probably would score higher but I don't like clicking the most extreme boxes.
195 🎉 It’s amazing to understand myself better with information like monotropism!