How "obvious" can Autism be?

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My story started in 2007, when I recognized aspie symptoms in myself, but unfortunately it was during my first huge manic episode.

Then I said "I'm bipolar, not aspie" but I went to a BP support group and after introducing myself a lady asked me if I was autistic too.

A few years down the line, a therapist I never said anything about ASD to suggested it to me, gave me AQ and RAADS tests and said I needed evaluation, but my psychatrist disagreed.

One time I was inpatient in the psych ward. A doctor said she was observing my behavior and she decided to read EVERYTHING about me, even childhood records. She said "your bipolar and autistic, but I'm just putting bipolar down because you need a more through autism eval to make sure."

After moving into this apartment building, I was confronted by a group of little old ladies and a younger aspie woman. They asked me about my "obvious" autism.

I have more examples too, but I'm sabotaging myself, someone even gave me a phone number to call to get a free or reduced priced evaluation and I couldn't do it... And all attempts to explain this to my husband have failed... I've read him plain language descriptions of Asperger's and he says "oh, that's a really smart person like you, nothing wrong with them"

Of course, my problems started as a child and then in my early 20's I thought I was suddenly normal... But I am not, should I just accept something is not typical and move on, or never rest until the complexities of my mind are fully explained.

I keep not accepting or not wanting people to look at me and see a disorder... Especially when my bipolar is invisible on my meds, but people are seeing a neurodiverse woman and thinking I'm messed up just because I have hundreds of plants and animals memorized in my head and I'm not good at socializing and I meltdown sometimes...

Having just gone through my assessment and diagnosis myself (and that of my son, diagnosed 3 days ago), I think ASD is obvious when you know what look for. I went pretty much all my life uneducated about ASD in women, and NEVER suspected I had it up to a couple months ago, when we were starting the process for my son.

Now that I know the symptoms, I’m Like, yes it is a bit obvious for ME and my husband. For most other people, not necessarily, especially if you are in the “high function” zone. They will notice some of your quirks, but autism won’t be in the forefront of their thoughts unless they know what to look for.

I can tell you my experience, and getting my diagnosis allowed me to start a self healing process. To forgive myself for all the negative things I told myself over several decades, allowed me to understand myself more thoroughly. It was actually a relief. Not to say it has been easy. It has not. Especially now with my son’s diagnosis too. Overall, he is my main concern. However, ASD folks are at great risk for developing serious mental health issues, and I need to take care of that and prevent it so I can be there for my son, my family and myself.

I wish you all good things. Hugs!

It is plainly obvious when one is Level 2 or 3—and can be obvious in Level 1 as well.

I am not sure if I am on the spectrum, but the traits I have are more apparent now I have been through a type of burnout a few times. I have found that the masking is falling off me so I am exposed and vunerable, so I tend to try and be more withdrawn to compensate.
In one way I get to the "I don't care" stage and I be myself which is liberating, but then I become self concious again and go back to being a nurvous wreck! The current inbetween stage of not being able to mask but not being free to unmask is making me feel fragile and vunerable.
Unmasking feels like walking around naked. Such freedom but such embarissment!

But going back to how obvious I am or not. No one used to know because I was so good at masking. But now I struggle to mask at all, I am often looked at and I also find that I can't go in certain shops because their security guards pick up on it and assume I am up to no good.
So it is noticeable these days.
Also, over the last ten years I had several people ask me if I was autistic, or come up and tell me that they thought I am. I thought they were playing a prank on me and when semi strangers said it, I would be looking to see who told them to say it to me! (Semi strangers... People who I may see at gatherings, but I don't know them personally).

Since I have learned a lot about myself and others since joining this site, I can somehow spot it in others. A certain young lady who used to be a passenger when I worked on the trains I occasionally see. She walks a bit funny which I assumed to be part of a physical dissability. I instantly know it is the way autism effects her, but I didn't know that before when I was on the trains. She did mention it but I didn't understand what autism was. Now I know how the mind operates things in the body it all makes sense. I have not told her I understand. I hardly know her other then to smile if I pass her while out and about.
A train driver I used to work with I know is autistic. I don't believe he knows and I don't believe the company knows. But I know. Shall I tell him? I really don't know as it could wreck his life. I just don't know what to say.

With some people it's no doubt more obvious than in others. Having said that having a severe mental illness can make it less obvious than it actually is due to not so good mental health staff relating everything to that severe mental illness ...

I find this interesting as I'm level 2 and nobody, absolutely nobody ever mentioned or asked me if I was autistic. And now that I know about it, it seemed pretty obvious if you know what to look for, that I do have it. I think the same is also true with mental illness. I appear well kept together at work, and nobody really suspects a thing, I assume they think I'm extremely introverted and shy, but I actually have numerous mental health issues. (Funny thing is, I work in the mental health sector.)

It seems that perhaps by chance some people in other areas are more aware of what to look for than others, or perhaps people are able to naturally mask more without them knowing it.

I stand corrected. There are more and more Level 2s who seem not so obvious...perhaps for reasons stated previous to this post in this thread.

Mine is pretty obvious. I probably look more like a 3 than a 2. Of course my substantial dyspraxia adds to it.

A couple of level 2 members have posted video of themselves and their autism was plainly obvious to me. However I know that's not true of all.

It's also dependent on GPs/psych docs not turning a blind eye to the signs that are there . Previous MH trust and previous incarnations of it 1975- 2017(with 4 year gap in N/Wales 1984-1988)- autism not considered.

Current MH trust - I raised the question at 1st appointment. Stepdaughter backed that up . Pdoc asked questions . Told me that ASD and sz most probable. Referral letter a few weeks later. Assessment started 4 months later(February 2019) . Diagnosis given May 2019 .

It can be obvious if you have savant abilities that can't be otherwise explained.

The book Autism in Heels describes her case in which she had to diagnose herself despite taking care of autistic children!

I need to ask the people in my apartment building what made them think I was aspie when I didn't say a thing about it to anyone here. It's kinda hard when you can't observe yourself that well, well I've videoed myself and I seem "odd" to myself

Is that why I seem to sound uhmmm. I sould different when I hear my voice recorded but when I am talking in real life I don't notice it?

How can you tell by a video whether or not you have Oppositional-Defiant Disorder?