Do I have Autism or not?

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My parents think I do. I definitely have bad social anxiety, which could explain some of the symptoms. But I know I have something more than just anxiety, but I'm not sure what it is. I also think I have ADD and perhaps OCD.

Symptoms I have (some could just be anxiety):
- Later than usual to learn to speak
- Some sort of hand-flapping/hitting myself as a baby or toddler.
- When I was a baby I hated when people touched me, and I would scream when being picked up or something. I was apparently much more difficult than all my siblings.
- Never have been able to connect to other people or make friends (not even my parents or sisters).
- I recently watched a video of me as a baby, and it stood out to me that I was always staring at certain objects (not sure if that's normal or not). Like my parents would try talking to me but I was always staring at pictures on the walls nonstop even if they called my name.
- I always have a blank face with no expression (which could just be anxiety of course)
- I used to be obsessed with a certain musician (still am but not like before). I watched several different movies about her, and bought a couple books about her life. I would also listen to all her music over and over and over again nonstop (I owned it all too). Would that be considered an obsession like for autism? I don't have any obsessions right now, but I'm also very depressed and have no interest in anything at the moment.
- Bad reading comprehension. Also when people talk to me it's very difficult to remember what they said and my mind drifts off into my own thoughts (it's really really bad). Could be ADD though, or anxiety.
- certain tourette's-like tics, as long as I can remember. for example eye ticks, constantly biting and licking my lips, those seem to be the constant ones. But sometimes others like right now I always need to crack my neck. I've had people ask me if I have tourette's.
- Extreme sensitivity to the sound of nail-biting. It makes me so angry that I've randomly started yelling at family members because of it, and if someone's doing it I can't focus on anything else and I just storm away. It might be a control issue though, because when strangers are doing it I don't really notice. It's really only when my family does it that I get so upset. And it's not just the sound but also the visual action of people biting their nails. Some other stuff too.
- Social difficulties.
- Never know what to do in social situations. I end up just standing around while everyone else looks busy with some sort of job.
- Eye contact is really difficult for me.
- Slurring of my speech, and talking really fast.
- I talk very deeply, and it makes me cringe when I hear myself in recordings. Might even be monotone but i'm not sure.
- Never talk to people. I'm extremely quiet (extremely. never met anyone close to as quiet as me).
- I'm very cold and distant with everyone
- Come across as unemotional and insensitive, although I think I'm very emotional actually, but I just can't express it (could just be social anxiety of course... or could it?). But ask my parents or anyone and they would tell you i'm very insensitive and cold.
- If someone were in pain, emotionally or physically (like if they started crying or something), I would feel very empathetic and sorry for them (might even cry about it afterwards when by myself), but during the moment I would feel awkward and I would still be cold and distant and wouldn't know what to do.
- In the past sometimes people would call my name and I wouldn't hear them because I was in my own thoughts.
- Difficulty explaining anything.
- Difficulty following directions
- Don't smile when smiled at (most likely social anxiety though)
- Often stuck in my own thoughts
- very stiff and robotic when I walk (probably social anxiety though)
-

Symptoms I don't have (I think):
- I don't have any difficulty with recognizing facial expressions or body posture (in fact I believe I'm extremely good at those things and I always notice if someone looks uncomfortable or something.
- no difficulty picking up tone of voice
- I love changes and hate routine, and it seems a classic sign of autism is fixed routines and hating change.
- I'm a creative person, and I hate anything technical like math.
- I think I'm very sensitive to other people's emotions, but they wouldn't know because outwardly i would come across as cold.
- I think i'm very empathetic and other people's pain really disturbs me. They wouldn't know though. Doesn't stop me from being mean/rude to them.
- Always feeling guilt about everything.


I have to go now so I didn't really get to finish but that's much longer than I intended lol. Could I have ASD from what I described? how likely? Ask me any other questions too

The best thing to do is go see a doctor

you can try a screening test online - but it is by no means definitive:

Here is one:

http://aq.server8.org/

You should see a psychologist or psychiatrist who is knowledgeable about autism

If you're under 18, tell your doctor.
If you're over 18, make sure you have about $5000 to spend, then tell your doctor.

Actually I was 59 when I was diagnosed - and because of the right connections it hardly cost me any money at all. If you ask you ask around you may be able to find a psychologist or psychiatrist who is willing to help you for a lot less than these big fees we hear about.

It's possible that you do, but there's no way for us to legitimately speculate because autism is a complex condition and has a lot of overlapping traits with other conditions (as you mentioned in your list).

The best you can do for your own peace of mind is to compare your traits to the diagnostic criteria:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

The ICD-10 ( I think 10 is the most recent edition) also has it's own criteria and might be more relevant if you seek to be diagnosed outside of the U.S. (I don't know where you live). I suggest you get A LOT of input from your parents because autism is something that is considered to be noticeable from a very young age. If your parents say that you haven't had autistic traits since infancy/toddlerhood, or preschool at the latest, it is more likely that you have another condition.

Beyond that, find a doctor (typically a neuropsychologist) who specializes in diagnosing autism to give you an assessment. Your profile says that you are 15 years old; is that correct? If so it might be better for you to try to get it as soon as possible because a diagnosis can help you get accommodations in school and college.

No i'm 17... i don't know why my profile says I'm 15. Are there any other conditions that could cause such social awkwardness other than autism?

I checked out that site, and it says stuff like "Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following". What if I only have one of the symptoms and not two? Would that mean I'm not autistic? I haven't checked yet to see what I have or not but what if I don't have at least two in that section?

And I do live in the US btw

The site also says "Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases)." Would stuff like eye twitching and biting my lips count? That sounds more like OCD or tourette's... didn't realize it was part of autism.

Oops I meant to edit my last post not start a new one, my bad

Yes, depending on precisely what sort of social awkwardness:

Lack of eye contact could be the result of visual processing disorder.

Inability to pay attention to what people say and not responding to one's name can be caused by auditory processing disorder.

Not relating to people could be an attachment disorder.

Coldness and personal distance could be schizoid personality disorder (although doctors might be less likely to consider you to have a PD because you are only 17).

Various traits of social awkwardness could be Nonverbal Learning Disorder.

And of course there are sub-clinical conditions such as extreme introversion, eccentricity, and social isolation during one's formative years.



I can't say; it probably depends on the doctor. The DSM is supposed to be a guide, not the Gospel Truth, so any given doctor may or may not decide to deviate from it and follow her own clinical judgment.

It might count, but they would want to rule out neurological tics, tremors and seizures, like you said, Tourette's and stuff like that. It kind of depends on whether or not you can control it, and, if you can control it, why you are doing it.

yes

You have a lot of traits that seem to fit on the spectrum... A trained professional can better-identify and diagnose than a bunch of internet people who've never met you.

I'm sorry if I'm off-base, but you seem resistant to the label of ASD...Your parents see the traits you mentioned as ASD, but you keep qualifying that it could be OCD or it could be ADHD or it could be Anxiety... Can I ask where that comes from?

You most likely have autism.

A real case and not just pseudo autism. The sensitivity issues you have (sensory issues/internalized emotion) is a real indicator.

I see no indication of OCD or ADHD symptoms. I have real (clinical OCD)