Asperger's on the Inside

These questions were collected from multiple Internet sources, most notably RDOS.^[49]

I frequently get so strongly absorbed in one thing that I lose sight of other things.
I tend to have very strong interests, and I feel upset if I can’t pursue them.
Have you felt different from others for most of your life?
Do you or others think that you have unconventional ways of solving problems?
Do you have values and views that are either very old fashioned or way ahead of their time?
Do people see you as eccentric?
Do you have a strong eye for detail?
As a child, was your play more directed toward, for example, sorting, building, investigating, or taking things apart than toward social games with other kids?
In a social group, it can be difficult to keep track of several different people’s conversations.
Do you need periods of contemplation?
People sometimes tell me that I keep going on and on about the same thing.
Do you have an avid perseverance in gathering and cataloguing information on a topic of interest?
Do you have strong sense of ethics and a tendency to stand up for your ideals and beliefs?
Do you tend to do everything worth doing more perfect than really needed?
Do you have one or a few special talents which you have emphasized and worked on?
Do you consider yourself a very logical person?
If there’s an interruption, it takes me time to switch back to what I was doing.
Are your thoughts persistent?
Do you like to get lost in thought?
Do you often work through lunch or breaks to fix mistakes and get things done on time?
I would rather go to a library than to a party.
Are you very logical and get surprised or impatient when others aren’t?
Do you enjoy figuring out how things work?
Do you have excellent long-term memory in subjects that interest you?
Do you have extraordinary abilities and deficits?
Do you prefer to try to find your own niche in work/life?
Are you determined to seek the truth?
I tend to notice details that others do not.
Are you irritated by inefficiency and do you find it easy to see how things can be done in better ways?
Are you a complex person?
Do you often feel out of sync with others?
Do you avoid crowds?
Are you disinterested in what is currently in vogue?
Do you more often get things because you need them than because others have them?
Is your sense of humor different from mainstream or considered odd?
Do you see your own activities as more important than other people’s?
Do your feelings cycle regularly between hopelessness and extremely high confidence?
Do you find it easier to understand & communicate with computers, animals, and/or Aspies than with “ordinary” people?
Do you have a tendency to become stuck when asked questions in social situations?
Do you have more difficulties than others of the same age when it comes to making friendships and getting into relationships?
Do you find yourself more attracted to things, ideas, music, computers, animals, buildings, or vehicles than to people and social exchange?
Do you tend to feel nervous, shy, confused, or left out in social situations?
Do you avoid talking face-to-face with someone you don’t know very well?
Do you prefer to avoid eye-contact?
Do you get very tired after socializing and need to regenerate alone?
Do people think you are aloof and distant?
Are you more of an observer than one who participates in life?
Do you mostly prefer to play/work/do things on your own—in your own way and at your own pace?
Do you prefer animals to people?
Do you prefer to be alone?
Do you mostly talk when you have something concrete to say?
Do you often have lots of thoughts that you find hard to verbalize?
In conversations, do you need extra time to carefully think out your reply, so there may be a pause before you answer?
Do you often not know where to put your arms?
Do you tend to talk either too softly or too loudly?
Do you prefer to do things the same way over and over again?
Have you been accused of staring?
Do you rehearse inside your head?
Do you have a habit of repeating your own or others’ last words, internally or out loud (echolalia)?
People occasionally comment that my conversation is confusing.
I don’t usually notice small changes in a situation or a person’s appearance.
Do others often misunderstand you when you act naturally?
Do you find it difficult to figure out how to behave in various situations?
Do you have problems with timing in conversations?
When I talk on the phone, I’m not sure when it’s my turn to speak.
Other people frequently tell me that what I’ve said is impolite, even though I think it is polite.
Do you sometimes not feel anything at all, even though other people expect you to?
In conversations, do you tend to focus on your own thoughts rather than on what your listener might be thinking?
I find myself drawn more strongly to things than people.
Is being honest so natural to you that you often don’t notice—or care—if others may find your remarks inappropriate, hurtful, or rude?
People often tell me that I went too far in driving my point home in a discussion.
Do you have a fascination with flowing water?
Are you easily overexcited, stressed, and overwhelmed by things like noise, crowds, clutter, patterns, flicker, and movement?
I sometimes find that I don’t know how to keep a conversation going.
Do you have difficulties filtering out background noise when talking to someone?
Do you dislike when people walk behind you?
When I was young, I wasn’t very interested in games involving pretending with other children.
Has it been harder for you than for others to keep friends?
Do you find it stressful to go to a new place alone for the first time?
Do you have difficulty accepting criticism, correction, and direction?
I usually notice car number plates or similar strings of information.
Are you sometimes afraid in safe situations, yet fearless in situations
which may actually be dangerous?
Do you easily get frustrated and upset when you’re stressed, tired, hungry, interrupted, questioned, over-stimulated, or when things don’t go as you had anticipated?
Have you had a tendency to prefer the company of those who are older or younger than yourself?
I often notice small sounds when others do not.
Have you had the feeling of playing a game, pretending to be like people around you?
Do you feel that people are watching you?
Do you dislike discussing a topic that may not be of primary interest?
I like to carefully plan any activities I participate in.