What are the chances that this person has an ASD(Autism Spectrum Disorder)? ?

Question

-Sensitivity to touch

---doesn't like some fabrics

---doesn't like to be hugged

---doesn't like to be touched unless he initiates it

-Sensitivity to sound

---Has to sleep with earplugs

---doesn't like loud music or sounds

-Extremely intelligent

---memorizes music after playing it once or twice (piano)

---memorizes things very easily

---got into a high profile medical school without much studying

-Doesn't like to be around people

---Hates crowds

---Hates going to public places

---doesn't like working with other people

These are some of the things I have noticed about my husband since I have started to learn about ASD. Our son was recently diagnosed, but I think my husband may have it also. I hate to say anything to him about it, he didn't want to admit our son had it, I know he won't think he does.

Answer 1

When a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder it's common for parents to do a heap of research on the topic and the more they understand about the autism spectrum, the more it looks like a parent or grandparent might be on the spectrum too. Two mums I know with kids who have Asperger's syndrome discovered that their husbands also had sub-clinical Asperger's (sub-clinical basically meaning they've managed to get through life without any specialist treatment or intervention). For some people, discovering they're on the spectrum in adulthood is a massive relief. It answers a lot of questions about why they felt so awkward or different, why certain things were difficult for them. It makes them feel a lot more comfortable in their own skin to know that these things are ok, they're just a part of who you are and you can find situations where you can be comfortable expressing things that would otherwise have been bottled up. For others it is an insult, like being called a "r****d" or told there's something "wrong" with them and unless there is a cure or medication to "fix" it, they'll either not want to know or have an attitude of complete denial. For others again it's an irrelevant label since they're doing ok and everybody's different anyway. If your husband is likely to be angry or upset by the inference that he may be on the spectrum, then it probably isn't helpful to push the issue - even if you're 100% sure. When you have a child with autism there are so many added pressures , stresses and anxieties that it can really make or break a relationship. Both parents deal with the diagnosis in different ways and on different timetables. You may even find that sometime down the track, your husband brings it up himself, asking "Hmmm...do you think I might have some of these traits?" You know him better than anyone here, so if you think he might react badly to the suggestion, like I said, I wouldn't advise pushing it. No-one can truly know what is going on inside another person's mind and as an adult the only way to get a diagnosis or know for sure is with his co-operation. It's not the kind of thing that will kill him if he ignores it.

Answer 2

The beginning of your post sounds more like Sensory Processing Disorder.  Check out spdfoundation.net

Answer 3

   This sounds like classic Asperger's Syndrome, another symptom of which is they deny that anything is different about them.  Give him time to adjust to your son's diagnosis, and then perhaps

he will be receptive to seeing it in himself.  A reason he may be denying it so vehemently is that he feels guilty for 'giving' it to your son.  Remind him that we can not control our genetic structure, which as a medical student he is well aware of.