Question about criteria for diagnosis

Post Reply New Topic

I've booked an appointment with my Doctor for a much delayed assessment for autism. My only doubt would be that although from birth to 3 years old where I didn't learn to talk I was fine, I was quite popular from then until I was about 18 and had no issues to speak of. When I was about 19 a girl who I was deeply in love with who I had an on off relationship was came to an end and also I fell out with some friends both unrelated. The split came because I started to act a bit strange after I fell out other friends over some money. After that I became completely mute for about a year hardly saying a word. Since then I don't feel like i reached the potential I had specifically socially speaking. I do talk now but lack of confidence and Im not a huge talker which means I struggle in job interviews and making and keeping friends. Love life isnt there. But I am coping to live independently but it just feels like I lost my personality from my teen years. Is it possible that I could be autistic if I was fine after 3 years up until 19 years old where my life stalled and I don't really feel the same. I have been diagnosed with bipolar because I have had those episodes of acting strange that I mentioned. But my lack of sociability is my main concern. I AVE been told I seem out of it on occasions and a lot of people have straight out asked me if I was autistic too. Any input would be much appreciated

I would say that you wouldn't be autistic. The main problem autistic people have is social skills, and from what you have said it seems you didn't have a problem with that. It is uncommon(but not rare) for a baby to have developmental delays, yours might have just lasted a little longer. Another thing, autistic people tend to go through things like meltdowns, sensory issues, etc. Now maybe if you did have problems like that through out life and just didn't tell us then maybe.

Also you say that you lost a girl you were deeply in love with and you lost some of your friends as well, to me it sounds like you could be depressed, which wouldn't be too far fetched considering the circumstances. Bipolar people have moments when they are in a really good mood and moments when they feel the world is crashing down on them(which from what I got from you would be the latter. My sister has bipolar so I have experienced some of the problems with bipolar. I will say the being mute is a little weird for bipolar but that's it.)

Lack of confidence after all of that would be expected to happen. Many people when they grow up aren't as active and social as they use to be when they were in their teen years, that's a pretty common thing. It does sound like you might have bipolar though.(albeit it seems to be mild.)

I actually forgot to answer the question, I say to me, it would be a miracle if you had autism and did not experience any problems from age 3 all the way up to 19! Someone must have a had a really good life or some kick a** parents!

I'm not undermining you in anyway but I just come across this article and it seems that I would fit this quite well. Even if I was generally ok imo from 3-19. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/musingso ... mp/#xxri=0

The reason I said that you probably didn't have it is because autism is a lifelong condition, your problems wouldn't just stop for a long period of time(especially 16 years!) and then suddenly just appear! I could see maybe a few months to a year or two but 16 years is just too long for an autistic person to go without a single problem I mean no meltdowns, no issues with sensory, no problem making friends, those are the common problems with autism.

With a mental disorder you would have to have like one or two of the common problems of said disorder through out life. Even in the article it said autism is a lifelong condition, so at multiple points in life you would have to experience the problems.

If you didn't have any issues before the age of 19, I would be very surprised if it was autism.

Most people very much have problems of one kind of another from very often their earliest memories and throughout childhood, even if they didn't get diagnosed in childhood it would already be clear to them and to others around them that "something" is going on, via sensory issues, meltdowns, shutdowns, social impairments, rigid thinking and other issues. Not everyone has all the same symptoms and traits but at least some of the main ones will have been a problem in your life even in childhood.

If you feel like you were problem-free for your entire childhood and most of your teen years, I wouldn't think you are on the autism spectrum; stuff has to be happening from a very very young age for it to be autism spectrum.

This is tricky, because part of the DSM-5 criteria is that symptoms may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities. However, I personally think you probably don't have autism if you only remember experiencing any traits until now. That being said, a person could have coped well for most of their life and then experienced symptoms worsening at certain times (especially when under stress). I would recommend going back through old photos/videos from your later childhood to see if there were any obvious traits that may have been overlooked. However, if you know you haven't experienced any symptoms until now, then no, that is not autism.

Have you done any of the tests in this thread?
viewtopic.php?t=113459

In particular, I suggest you do the AQ (Autism Quotient) test. Generally, a higher score indicates a higher likelihood of having autism/aspergers.

It's definitely not any kind of substitute for talking to a psychologist about it - it's still possible to have all the traits that the test is looking for and still be completely neurotical, but it is still a good tool for judging likelihoods.

I think it's easy to take something out of context and misinterpret it. Autism is a lifelong condition and not something that just appears in you adulthood. What the author is saying in it is they get worse when they hit puberty or reach adulthood or adolescence. That could be something my mom should read so she would understand I was not trying to be Asperger's in my teens or 6th grade. I of course told her that wouldn't be possible because I knew nothing about it in junior high or in 6th grade. Then she changed her answer to whenever I met Frankie was when I started to get worse. Uh I remember that time I was trying to not be an aspie and found it exhausting so I decided "ah screw it, I just want to be happy again and I was happier before I even knew about it." But she is NT so she wouldn't understand so I am not sure how she would interpret this article.

But back on topic, if you didn't have any symptoms in your childhood and you were "normal," then it's not autism. I think what the author is saying, they get more autistic. IMO I think it's just hormones and stress so it makes it worse. Plus being a teen is tough for all children so even NT teens act worse too but I think it's harder for those who are on the spectrum and autism just makes it even harder.


Also my dad has gotten worse too and he has ADHD so his social skills have declined. But I think even Nts get worse too as they age because they come to a point when they don't give a s**t and quit conforming to society so it's not surprising when I can tell an elderly is wearing an adult diaper and everyone acts like I was looking for one when in fact it;s so obvious you can't miss it. It's like expecting me to not notice someone had on their glasses or had their hair in a pony tail or to not see a McDonalds as we go by it. If it's in my eye sight, I will see it.