So as some of you are aware, earlier this year I was diagnosed with autism level 1.
I thought I'd make this thread to talk about late diagnosis in adults and traits that might point to having autism. Also, it's a nice break from heavier stuff. And I just find this sort of thing fascinating to talk about anyways.
Autism is a disorder that is primarily defined by social differences that affect the ability to function, as well as four broad categories of other traits.
Some of us only struggle mildly in the social area and we are often able to eventually learn enough social skills so that we appear almost normal when interacting socially. I fall in this category. I used to be extremely awkward and while I wasn't aware, people could tell I was different. But working in a customer facing job has taught me to adapt. I do have some hiccups in areas, for example I often do not understand jokes and this can lead to misunderstandings. I also often take things literally, and this causes frustration from others. If you give me instructions, I tend to assume you mean exactly what you say and nothing more - or less. Either that, or I ask a bunch of questions to be sure I understand, which also frustrates people.
The area that is most difficult for me, is sensory processing. I am hypersensitive to noise and sometimes light, and even as a 30 year old fully grown adult this can cause me to have meltdowns. I had explosive outbursts when I was in school as a child, when I was overwhelmed. As an adult, meltdowns are almost entirely internal.
Meltdowns and tantrums are not the same: tantrums are intentional and goal driven. Meltdowns are an emotional breakdown when you can no longer handle the environment you're in, either due to sensory overload or overwhelming emotions. (Emotional dysregulation is another common facet of autism.)
Other traits I have include unusually intense interests. I was so obsessed with dogs when I was younger that I scarcely had a thought for anything else. It was so intense that my parents were quite worried about me.
I also have a lot of "repetitive movements", which is part of the diagnostic criteria. I fidget all the time, at least 200% more than other people. These things are primarily pleasant, but also they help us autistics to regulate ourselves when overwhelmed or overstimulated. Having something to fiddle with when I'm overwhelmed by noise helps to take my mind off the overwhelm.
Autism has a whole ton of traits associated with it, and ever since more mild cases have been recognized, many older adults are being recognized as autistic who couldn't have been in previous decades. I had so many signs as a child, but my parents either scratched their heads or assumed my stuff was a trauma thing from the divorce.
Being autistic doesn't absolve me of responsibility. The fact that I'm prone to overwhelm is an explanation, not an excuse. If I hurt someone in some way while overwhelmed, it behooves me to apologize to them and try to make it better.
I thought I'd make this thread to talk about late diagnosis in adults and traits that might point to having autism. Also, it's a nice break from heavier stuff. And I just find this sort of thing fascinating to talk about anyways.
Autism is a disorder that is primarily defined by social differences that affect the ability to function, as well as four broad categories of other traits.
Some of us only struggle mildly in the social area and we are often able to eventually learn enough social skills so that we appear almost normal when interacting socially. I fall in this category. I used to be extremely awkward and while I wasn't aware, people could tell I was different. But working in a customer facing job has taught me to adapt. I do have some hiccups in areas, for example I often do not understand jokes and this can lead to misunderstandings. I also often take things literally, and this causes frustration from others. If you give me instructions, I tend to assume you mean exactly what you say and nothing more - or less. Either that, or I ask a bunch of questions to be sure I understand, which also frustrates people.
The area that is most difficult for me, is sensory processing. I am hypersensitive to noise and sometimes light, and even as a 30 year old fully grown adult this can cause me to have meltdowns. I had explosive outbursts when I was in school as a child, when I was overwhelmed. As an adult, meltdowns are almost entirely internal.
Meltdowns and tantrums are not the same: tantrums are intentional and goal driven. Meltdowns are an emotional breakdown when you can no longer handle the environment you're in, either due to sensory overload or overwhelming emotions. (Emotional dysregulation is another common facet of autism.)
Other traits I have include unusually intense interests. I was so obsessed with dogs when I was younger that I scarcely had a thought for anything else. It was so intense that my parents were quite worried about me.
I also have a lot of "repetitive movements", which is part of the diagnostic criteria. I fidget all the time, at least 200% more than other people. These things are primarily pleasant, but also they help us autistics to regulate ourselves when overwhelmed or overstimulated. Having something to fiddle with when I'm overwhelmed by noise helps to take my mind off the overwhelm.
Autism has a whole ton of traits associated with it, and ever since more mild cases have been recognized, many older adults are being recognized as autistic who couldn't have been in previous decades. I had so many signs as a child, but my parents either scratched their heads or assumed my stuff was a trauma thing from the divorce.
Being autistic doesn't absolve me of responsibility. The fact that I'm prone to overwhelm is an explanation, not an excuse. If I hurt someone in some way while overwhelmed, it behooves me to apologize to them and try to make it better.
