Do You Have Asperger’s?

Via my friend CCR comes an interesting online test developed by the Autism Research Centre of Cambridge, UK. Consisting of fifty questions, it “aims to investigate whether normal adults have autistic spectrum symptoms.”

The test reveals your “AQ,” or Autism Spectrum Quotient:

Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre have created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults. In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher.

My friend pulled a Babe Ruth and actually scored a 33, which just goes to show, as you read at the end of the test, that you can be a little very Asperger’s-y and still be quite perfectly normal. (Introverted, cranky and odd, but normal. Personally, I find Asperger’s-y people rather charming.)

I was surprised to score as low as I did, landing an AQ of only 18. Dang. I thought I was Aspergersier than that. I’ll have to work at corroding my social skills. I’m really kind of disappointed.

Here from Wikipedia are the distinguishing characteristics of the syndrome, of which I only can really claim two and four (but oh, how I can claim them):

1. Narrow interests or preoccupation with a subject to the exclusion of other activities
2. Repetitive behaviors or rituals
3. Peculiarities in speech and language
4. Extensive logical/technical patterns of thought
5. Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and interpersonal interaction
6. Problems with nonverbal communication
7. Clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements

If you take the test, leave your score in a comment.