Am I Autistic?

Post Reply New Topic

Hey, hello.
I don't really know how often this gets asked in here, and I apologise if it's annoying, but I really need help.
I've been recently evaluated for Autism and the response was that actually I had ADHD, which, honestly, I already thought I had. The thing, is I've also thought I might be Autistic, but every professional I ask just shrugs it off as nothing. The therapist that evaluated me said I don't have it, and generally dismissed pretty much every question I had.

I've always had a huge difficulty talking to other people and socializing, specially with people around my age. I had few friends, none of which I continue to have. People just naturally drifted alway and didn't care all that much. I've always had little specific things in my life that had to be a certain way, and always had a HUGE sensory sensibility. As kid (and now too, but less) I was really into things that the others my age couldn't care for (Once my art teacher taught us about pointillism, and I painted an entire colouring book with it). I get worked up about a lot of stuff people don't care for. I hate losing and breaking things, and I feel like I treat things as people sometimes. Empathy is pretty weird and I don't really know how it works, I just know I feel sad for other people for things they don't care about (eg. if someone tells me they losing and earring they're mother gave to them a long time ago, I get more upset than them, which leads to some confusion). I usually very sincere, at times not knowing if something is actually polite or acceptable.

I've been doing research about various psychological and neurological disorders ever since I was 14, and I've related a lot with autistic people (along with some other stuff). Only recently I've been able to bring it up with professionals and been getting help with some of this things. So far I've been diagnosed with social anxiety, depression, ADHD, and mild OCD, all of which I had previously suspected.

I've taken some of the most popular Autism tests on the internet, like AQ and the Aspie Quiz, all of which I sb=cored really high.
Probably not really that important, but several people have asked me if I was autistic or pointed that I "looked like it" (whatever that means), some of them in mockery, of course (which I didn't really realise at the time).

I honestly don't know what to think anymore. I'm afraid I may be only disappointed with the fact that I'm wrong about it, when I've been right about everything else, but I just can't let go. I don't really feel comfortable discussing it with people in real life anymore, so I hope I can get some clarification in here.

I'm really sorry about the length of this, I tried my best to make it short.
And sorry to bother if this all irrelevant.

We're just a bunch of rank amateurs here, and can only give you out unqualified opinions on the subject -- not one of us can give you a valid diagnosis.

The only thing we can suggest is speak to a specialist who is focused on ASD.

Hi, welcome to WrongPlanet! I hope you find us helpful. We're not quite as active as we used to be.

If in some final analysis, you're merely "near-Spectrum," or "Spectrum-friendly," or "Spectrum-overlap," (phrases I invented) instead of full-color Autism Spectrum, I think that's perfectly okay, too. The concept of the Autism Spectrum might help you figure out some stuff about your life, might give you some "moves" so to speak, and then you can see how well a couple of new things work in your life.

We on this board talk about sensory issues a fair amount. Professionals often don't, because they're on the outside looking in, rather than living on the inside and looking out. In my judgment, professionals overly fixate on a diagnosis, and after they've made their first good-faith effort, they really don't want to re-visit and question that decision.

In short, if you have significant sensory issues, I think there's an excellent chance you're on the spectrum.

Reading biographies, and especially autobiographies, about all kinds of people have helped me a lot. It's helped me release that quote-unquote "normal" people have all kinds of social deficits, too. It's also helped me understand that someone needs to reciprocate and be friend. (I myself sometimes mistake an acquaintance for a friend and yes, it hurts)

In my mid-50s, maybe I have the average social skills of a guy in his 20s, and my skills are patchy, so be it! I guess being young at heart is not the worse thing.

Hi, thanks for your response!
That is exactly why I came here to ask about this, no one seemed to actually be listening to what I was saying :^/


Opinions are exactly what I'm looking for

I have kind of a different opinion than those that posted above. Psychologists are the only ones who could officially diagnose you, yes, but they, the system, and the criteria for diagnosing which box you get put into are imperfect. You are the only expert of you. Sometimes the labels help if you didn't have a clue and they are a starting point for understanding yourself, but you seem knowledgeable about yourself. If it really matters to you which labels apply to you, like if you need disability assistance, then you might have to see several doctors to get it right. Or, you can trust yourself. ASD and ADHD are very similar and people often have both.

Today I found a statistically significant correlation between having ADHD and self-diagnosing (but not official-diagnosing) as autistic. That makes me think professionals might be mistaking ASD for ADHD.

I do agree so much with this.

And when somebody posts here saying that they are suspecting they might be on the spectrum, it is obvious that they are not expecting to receive an official diagnosis from the members here. Rather, they are hoping for opinions, for advice and for support, from a community of people who have much to share, and very likely many experiences in common. It does not strike me as very helpful, or very kind, if they receive a slap in the face from someone telling them that only a medically certified professional can give them a diagnosis, etc., etc.

There is a huge accumulation of experience and wisdom available from the people on this forum, and I think it can often be very helpful for someone who is exploring in their own mind the possibility that they might be on the spectrum to hear the thoughts and opinions of this community.

There are a great many similarities between ADHD and autism. I've been flagged for ADHD several times in my life, but only once for autism (which I strongly suspect), and never tested for either yet. Something many people don't know is that sensory issues are a very common symptom of ADHD - we tend to associate it with autism most often, but it's actually a significant aspect of various neurological disorders.
Did the person who tested you explain why you didn't qualify for a diagnosis, specifically? They might think that the overlapping traits of your multiple other disorders are a better answer, as the combination you describe could easily appear to be autism if certain facets were picked apart from them overall. I think you should meet with them again, if possible, to go over your diagnoses in greater detail. From what I've heard, that particular issue seems to be a common complaint - doctors dismiss the possibility without being willing to give a clear answer. Some diagnose (or don't) based primarily on "autistic vibes," which can lead to misdiagnoses in either direction. My mom once asked a counselor if I could have Aspergers, which she denied based on the fact that I'm "not weird"!
In any case, you're very welcome here. I'm only diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, but the experiences of many here have helped me to work with my traits and push my boundaries. Pretty much everyone with a neurological disorder can find common points within the spectrum, which makes this a useful site for many, regardless of their specific diagnosis.

I wouldn't worry too much about an official diagnosis. There are allot of issues with the medical system and diagnosing professionals. Plus all the criteria and labels change over time. I started suspecting I was Autistic when my wife (at the time) and I were exploring difficulties with my son. All signs pointed to me also being autistic. I looked into it and asked my mom and it turns out I was diagnosed with ADD (no H back then) and Autism. My mom never told me and I just continued on in regular school. The diagnosis was probably around 1985. If I was examined about ten years later I probably would have been given the label Asperger syndrome (they did not really diagnose that in the US until the early 90's). Now with the latest changes to the criteria and labeling I am autism spectrum disorder. Plus after living almost 40 years trying to be "normal" I have become pretty good at hiding things when I want to. So much so that I have to stop and really examine the truth when answering questions in an online autism test. I have programmed my mind to use the "normal people answer" so much so I can fit the way I am "supposed" to think. You, at 20, have already developed quite a bit of this "think like a normal person" stuff so you can fit at least to some extent in normal society.

All I am saying is, if you can manage on your own and don't need special care, I wouldn't spend a fortune on doctors, trying to find one who understands and can give you the diagnosis you believe is accurate. You know yourself better than they do. Live and be happy with who you are.

Yep....and nobody needs a card saying they're "autistic" to be welcome on this Site. Nobody needs to fax an official diagnosis to Alex in order to be admitted here.

I would seek an official diagnosis only if it would benefit you in some way (such as getting accommodations in college). Once in a while, you can get one for free by being a research subject---but, mostly, in the US, an adult autism diagnosis can cost quite a bit of money.

Thank you SO much for this. This is exactly what I came here for. I don't really understand why people seemed to believe otherwise.


Not really. They gave me a a very brief explanation of things I already knew, and dismissed quite a lot of my questions. The refusal of a diagnosis basically came down to me not being "strict" enough about things. "I don't like being in place full of people", "Oh, but if you absolutely need to be in one, will you?", "Yes, but with a lot of trouble", "Then you can't possibly be autistic!" and stuff like this.
I'm actually very reluctant to going there again, since I already opened up to them,and insisted the first time, and they don't seem to be convinced or want to be convinced. It took me a LONG time to be able to actually voice this feeling to someone, and being shot down like this doesn't really make me want to do it again :^(

My psychiatrist (someone else) actually said they don't believe even in my ADHD diagnosis! So it's really making me want to give up on any official diagnoses.

Thank you for your responses!
I didn't really have to pay much for this one I went to, but if I had to go to a specialist (that isn't covered by my health plan) it would be indeed a lot of money, which I don't have, so yeah, not happening.
And to be honest, the course I'm taking in college right now is, surprisingly, full on neurodiverse people, so I wouldn't need much "pretending to be normal" in there, which is a big relief. For the first time I actually talk to more than half of my class hahah