The Aspergers Questionnaire
The following questionnaire is designed to identify behaviors and abilities indicative of Aspergers (high functioning autism) during the child’s primary school years. This is the age at which the unusual pattern of behavior and abilities is most conspicuous.
Answer the following with ‘yes’ or ‘no’:
1. Does the youngster appear unaware of social conventions or codes of conduct and make inappropriate actions and comments (e.g., making a personal comment to someone but the youngster seems unaware of how the comment could offend)?
2. Does the youngster become unduly upset by changes in routine or expectation (e.g., is distressed by going to school by a different route)?
3. Does the youngster develop elaborate routines or rituals that must be completed (e.g., lining up toys before going to bed)?
4. Does the youngster have a lack of sensitivity to low levels of pain?
5. Does the youngster have a tendency to flap or rock when excited or distressed?
6. Does the youngster have an exceptional long-term memory for events and facts (e.g., remembering the neighbor's car registration of several years ago, or clearly recalling scenes that happened many years ago)?
7. Does the youngster have an odd gait when running?
8. Does the youngster have an unusual tone of voice (e.g., seems to have a "foreign" accent or monotone that lacks emphasis on key words)?
9. Does the youngster have poor motor coordination (e.g., is not skilled at catching a ball)?
10. Does the youngster have problems repairing a conversation (e.g., when he is confused, he does not ask for clarification but simply switches to a familiar topic, or takes a very long time to think of a reply)?
11. Does the youngster have unusual facial grimaces or tics?
12. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to light touch on skin or scalp?
13. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to noisy crowded places (e.g., supermarkets)?
14. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to ordinary sounds (e.g., electrical appliances)?
15. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to seeing certain objects?
16. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to unexpected noises?
17. Does the youngster have unusual fear or distress due to wearing particular items of clothing?
18. Does the youngster lack an understanding of how to play with other kids (e.g., unaware of the unwritten rules of social play)?
19. Does the youngster lack the intuitive understanding of another person's feelings (e.g., not realizing an apology would help the other person feel better)?
20. Does the youngster lack precision in his or her expression of emotion (e.g., not understanding the levels of emotional expression appropriate for different people)?
21. Does the youngster lack social imaginative play (e.g., other kids are not included in the youngster's imaginary games, or the youngster is confused by the pretend games of other kids)?
22. Does the youngster lack subtlety in his or her expression of emotion (e.g., the youngster shows distress or affection out of proportion to the situation)?
23. Does the youngster need an excessive amount of reassurance, especially if things are changed or go wrong?
24. Does the youngster read books primarily for information, not seeming to be interested in fictional works (e.g., being an avid reader of encyclopedias and science books, but not keen on adventure stories)?
25. Does the youngster seem to expect other people to know his thoughts, experiences and opinions?
26. Does the youngster take a literal interpretation of comments (e.g., is confused by phrases such as "pull your socks up," "looks can kill" or "hop on the scales")?
27. Have you had a ‘gut feeling’ that your youngster’s behavior was “different” compared to other kids?
28. Is the youngster fascinated by a particular topic and avidly collects information or statistics on that interest (e.g., becomes a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on vehicles, maps or league tables)?
29. Is the youngster indifferent to peer pressure (e.g., does not follow the latest craze in toys or clothes)?
30. Is the youngster not interested in participating in competitive sports, games and activities?
31. Is the youngster's speech over-precise or pedantic (e.g., talks in a formal way or like a walking dictionary)?
32. Was the youngster late in acquiring speech?
33. When free to play with other kids at school, does the youngster avoid social contact with them (e.g., finds a secluded place or goes to the library)?
34. When in a conversation, does the youngster tend to use less eye contact than you would expect?
35. When taking to the youngster, does he or she appear uninterested in your side of the conversation (e.g., not asking about or commenting on your thoughts or opinions on the topic)?
If the answer is yes to the majority of the questions above, it does not automatically suggest your youngster has Aspergers; however, it is a possibility – and a referral for a diagnostic assessment is warranted.
Comments
If it is important to get a "diagnosis," where is the first place to begin? Who does the diagnosis and what type of therapy and outcome would we be expecting?
Leonie seemed to increasingly enjoy spending time with her father - or her father and I together -rather than with me; I was the one with the rules and her dad had more of a peer to peer relationship with her (my perspective). Leonie and I have moved house three times, remaining very much in the same area, due to her dad and school roots etc.
Her dad was found to be seriously ill two years ago, sent through a bone marrow transplant which failed; the disease went to untreatable acute leukaemia and he died at home last September. I had been very much involved throughout and Leonie and I moved back in three months before his death.
I have seen a bereavement counsellor, as has Leonie. She refused to go after two sessions; I wish I had trusted my gut instincts which were that the counsellor was probably unlikely to gel with Leonie.
Leonie is an only and somewhat particular child. At nursery, she only really communicated/played with one child whom she had become close to beforehand; they were always chalk and cheese different but remained best mates at First School; Leonie was obsessive about her, being lost at school if she was absent and deeply upset by her playing with other children.
It has been suggested to me that she might have Aspergers or something similar. She does not seem to communicate in the same way as her peers, appearing not to use or pick up on the signals given out by others or respond to them, and genuinely seems to have difficulty comprehending what it must be like for another person. One friend of mine described her as always being on the periphery, Both my peers and hers have found some of the things she comes out with as odd, uncaring and discordant.
Maths is her best subject, she is good with computers and gets very into the way she presents work done on them, being more concerned with the look than the content. She does not find it easy to organise herself, which has been noted by some of her teachers.
The arguments -usually about really mundane issues, refusal to comply with what I ask her to do, telling me she hasn't heard or that I didn't say X, arguing black is white etc. have increased since her dad's death (whether due to it or not, I don't know0. She would rather him alive and myself dead and thinks she is angry with me because I'm the one who is alive. She would rather become a teen spy and go to Cherub (Robert Muchmore book series) and is unconvinced that it is fiction. She sometimes thinks I am not her real mother and that she can go off and find her.
She has not wished to talk to anybody else but me about our problems; she does not want to talk to friends or school. It is only in the last week that she has said she does need help (she wants to she a psychiatrist (helped someone in one of the Cherub books), a hypnotist (helped someone in another "adopted-girI-book") or a psychic). am aware that there is a lot in the mix, but am becoming increasingly desperate.
Although she is twelve, she has not started visibly developing physically.
It maybe only a questionnaire and may not have all the answers but its certainly helped me, just to know that there are parents/children who are going through the same as me knowing that im not the only one is a big relief.
There is help out there whether you have a diagnosis or not.
Unfortunatley we have been battling my sons behavioural issues amongst other things for many years and not getting anywhere ,
untill recently we had a first meeting with a new professional few months ago ,he was just asking questions on my son to get a little bit of background on him if you like ,
he said from what we were telling him it sounded like aspergers,
as we hadnt heard about this before we have looked it up and came across this site,
I have found out a little information about aspergers now and had a reasonable insight due to the questionnaire.
My son has got a appointment through for a consultation very soon, not really sure what to expect because it has been a really long process, trying to get to this stage since he was a baby to nearly 10 its taken forever.
Docters, social workers behavioural support, counselling, parenting courses, had to change his school as he was permently expelled from main stream school, I had leave my job to Home tutor him,and hes now finally settled at a special school because of all the problems,
From his tics to facial expressions, his eye for details, numbers, cars and regestration plates, makes model dates times and he absolutley crackers about the world he can name all the populations etc. But ill stop now before i bore you with any more details (i would litterally be here for days).
It certainly been a rollercoaster ride for us all not just for the family but my son aswell, all the problems we have to deal with day to day but its gotta be hard on him. if we dont understand what is goin on how is he supposed to ?
:(
It would be really helpfull if someone could give me some advice on what i can expect to happen at these consulations etc please??
whether we get a diagnosis or not,if it turns out not be anything wonderfull.
But if it turns out there is something wrong what happens next where do you go from there?
any advice greatly recieved thanks for reading this.
.