Not meeting the criteria...

Post Reply New Topic

i know that i would not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of autism but i'm fairly certain that i'm on the spectrum. I was officially diagnosed with ADHD years ago and all the tests calculated to a 99.9+ percentile. i've never fit into any group that i have been around.

i'm a 69 year old heterosexual, monogamous male but have a decidedly feminine aesthetic/sensibility i hide for the most part. i love being a dude but i also love being an atypical dude. all the typical dude stuff is lost on me. i maintain a certain persona for the benefit of those i love. left to myself i'd be a dude in a dress regularly.

i've taken a few online autism questionnaires and most showed that i would likely be on the spectrum but i've also looked at the criteria for an official diagnosis and i don't "qualify". just one more group that i don't fully fit into. that's written mostly in jest as i'm more comfortable on the fringe than i'd be in middle of the crowd.

Not sure if any of that makes sense to anyone.

It makes sense to me.

Welcome to Wrong Planet! Whether you are diagnosed as being on the Spectrum, or not, it sounds like you belong here.

If the online questionnaires, such as AQ, say you are likely Autistic then I suspect you likely are. However, a couple of things we should remember:
1. You can have Autistic traits without being on the Spectrum. With some Autism traits, but not enough to qualify for a diagnosis of "Autistic", some folk would be considered Broad Autism Phenotype (loosely speaking, almost on the Spectrum).
2. Alternatively, it is worth remembering that many of the traits of Autism are not unique to Autism. My bride, for instance, observed that she has many traits of Autism but she is not Autistic. She is ADHD and high level ADHD shares many traits with mild Autism.

But, be that as it may, ADHD alone would qualify you as Neurodiverse (ND). Wrong Planet targets the Neurodiverse and also those interested in Neurodiversity.

So, welcome to WP! I hope you like it here.

Double Retired
thank you for the welcome. I had taken the test in your link before but took it again just now. I scored a 31 which suggested "Scores in the 26-32 range indicate some Autistic traits (Asperger's Syndrome)".

after the last three years in therapy i've come to understand just how my ADHD has impacted my life but I'm thinking it's comorbid with some strong autistic traits, mostly in verbal communications. i am most definitely neurodivergent.

thanks again,
rat_

I was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disoder NOS for having Asperger traits, which is in the DSM 4 used by psychologists. PDD -NOS is not in the DSM 5 but was included under ASD instead. I hope that information is helpful to you on your journey.