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TL;DR: I'm an adult who was (preliminarily) diagnosed with ASD yesterday. Hi

So here's the story: my girlfriend had been trying to get me to get tested for ADHD for over a year because I fidget constantly, have trouble paying attention to conversations, am impulsive, etc. I finally broached the subject with the Nurse Practitioner I see for my anxiety and depression and she suggested that we do preliminary diagnostic testing while I am on the wait list for neuropsych testing. Yesterday, we wrapped up the preliminary diagnostic testing and she told me that I meet all the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, but likely only because I am on the spectrum, which was a surprise to me.

Flashback: at various points in my life, I have suspected I might be autistic, but I brushed it off because I have also suspected bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, psychopathy, Munchhausen syndrome (ironic, I know), and all manner of other issues that a rational person likely wouldn't consider. When I was 13, I was struggling with school (and with mental health) and was diagnosed with non-verbal learning disorder (NVLD). But the psychologist who tested me only explained how NVLD affected me in school and she warned my parents not to do any research online about the condition (I'm not sure why she said that). My parents and I kinda forgot about it by the time I was in high school because I was doing much better with my school work. I explained my struggles as a 13-year-old on undiagnosed depression and treated NVLD as a misdiagnosis because I thought it was super shady that the psychologist had told my parents not to look it up.

Present day: for the past 20 hours or so I have been wrapping my head around my new (preliminary) diagnosis. I'm not sure I feel "autistic," but I also don't feel like I'm not on the spectrum. I feel like I don't really understand what autism actually is, even though I keep reading articles online about it. My Nurse Practitioner recommended that I do some reading, but that I steer clear of NT writers, so I thought I would try joining a neurodivergent online community like WP.

Also, I'm being laid off on Friday, so that's fun. I'll probably complain about that here at some point.

So anyway, hi

Welcome to WP! I hope you find it worth frequenting.

You do not need a formal Autism diagnosis to be here. You can even have a formal diagnosis of NOT Autistic and be here. An interest in the topic and some manners are recommended, however.

And, yeah. Many traits associated with Autism are not unique to Autism. A formal diagnosis should clarify things.

Welcome to WP!

Hello there,
I can relate with your experiences getting diagnosed. Growing up people usually thought I was a little odd but as long as I kept my grades up no one paid any attention. It wasn’t till I was actually hospitalized that I got diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. Now I understand why I always felt different than everybody else, and am in a much better place. I hope your diagnosis helps you too. Sorry you are getting laid off. That’s no fun. Do you have any hobbies you can indulge in?

Welcome to Wrong Planet!