How to pursue an autism evaluation as an adult... in 4 steps.

Step 1:

Read up on how autism is diagnosed.

In the US, practitioners use the DSM as a guide when diagnosing autism. In many other countries, they use something called the ICD. You can find both online for free. Just make sure you're looking for the most current version (DSM 5-TR and ICD 11).

If you're not sure you're autistic and you're trying to understand whether or not you would be diagnosed, this is a really important place to start.

8 reasons I've been called annoying that are all related to my autistic brain wiring...

1. I can be extremely literal and feel the need to correct misinformation... which usually seems minor to others, but never to me 2. I can "overcomplicate" things that others think are simple even though, to me, they aren't simple at all

3. I can be sensitive to jokes and a "buzzkill" when people around me think something is funny and I don't... especially when the "joke" is at someone else's expense

Real talk... my autism impedes my life in ways I can't ignore. It makes life super hard for me. But there are several nifty things it does to my brain that I don't often spend time celebrating. So...

Autism: the positives. At least through my eyes... 1. I can't look past the wrongs I see happening around me. I will call them out if I see them. I will stand up for those who are experiencing mistreatment whenever I can and use my voice to amplify theirs to the best of my ability.

If I describe a common autistic sign or trait and your first reaction is...

"That's not exclusive to autism," or

"Just because a person does that, doesn't mean they're autistic"...

I'd like to explain something to you... No SINGLE sign or trait of autism is exclusive to autism.

Autism is a combination of numerous signs and traits that must exist together and meet a certain threshold in order to be considered autism.

Did you know there's a type of anxiety specific to autism that isn't explained by any of the existing anxiety disorders outlined in the DSM?

Researchers are referring to this type of anxiety as "Distinct anxiety" because it's distinct to autism and tied to autistic traits... I'm sure many of you are wondering what this means, so I'll share a few examples.

- Anxiety tied to unexpected plan changes, changes in routine, or changes to the environment...

It's Autism Awareness Month, so let's bust a pretty common myth about autism.

"Everyone's a little autistic."

No hate if you've ever said this. But if you have, I hope you'll stick around for this. 🙂 If you think about autism as linear, where on one end of the line you have "not autistic at all" and on the other end you have "very autistic," it makes sense that someone who seems to have SOME signs of autism would be "a little" autistic.

But that's not how autism works.

It's Autism Awareness Month, so time to set some things straight about autism...

What people think autism is:

- What it looks like in movies

What autism actually is: - Sensory sensitivities including extreme sensory anxiety when overstimulated

- Social and communication differences

- Social interactions are often challenging and draining

4 facts about autism and ADHD that you probably didn't know...

1. According to research, up to 80% of children with an autism diagnosis also meet the criteria for ADHD and up to 50% of children with an ADHD diagnosis also meet the criteria for autism, BUT... Typically, when a child is diagnosed with one, or even before diagnosis when they are referred for testing for one, they are not automatically tested for the other. (Which seems bonkers to me, given the massively high stats I just referenced.)

Autism & mental health... 3 strategies that have massively improved my life as an autistic person

1. Cutting out coping strategies that were bad for me Example: Alcohol consumption. I used to drink as a coping strategy for what ultimately boiled down to my autism... I would drink to calm my sensory and social anxieties and to get a break from my extremely overactive mind. But all drinking did was deteriorate my mental health.

Autistic people often struggle with decision-making, and I want to talk about why... because discovering the research behind this blew my mind. According to a study (link below) autistic people often struggle with decision-making because we tend to collect and analyze all relevant information in an exhaustive decision-making process in order to identify what we consider to be the best possible outcome.

The autistic masking/friendship pipeline (of a high masking autistic person)...

Autistic kid behaves naturally and is immediately bullied, shunned & ostracized for their behavior because it's considered weird/different/inappropriate/unacceptable, or some other negative thing. Autistic kid adjusts behavior to fit in... unsuccessfully at first... and is still bullied, shunned, and ostracized.

Autistic kid continues adjusting behavior through trial and error...

10 signs you might have SPD*

1. You sleep with a fan every night, even when it's freezing out

2. You flip your pillow 100 times a night because 2 seconds after you flip it, your face feels hot again 3. You struggle with personal hygiene, and you'd probably go a week without bathing if you didn't have to interact with other people

4. You can't tolerate soft gentle touch, or anything gently rubbing against your skin

I’m level 1 autistic and I had a heart attack when I was 34.

Well, technically it was stress-induced cardiomyopathy, but the medical field considers it similar to a heart attack and as dangerous as one if not addressed.

And I want to talk about why I think my autism caused it. Now to be very clear, I’m not suggesting that every autistic person will have this experience. I do however believe that every autistic person who doesn't get their needs met is potentially at risk for something like this. You'll see why I'm saying this by the end of this thread.

My first ever conversation with a practitioner about an autism evaluation (for myself) went like this...

Him: I have some questions before we move forward. First, did you have a speech delay? Me: No... 

Him: Well, that's a requirement for an autism diagnosis.

Me: Really? Because my son was diagnosed and didn't have a speech delay.

This one's for my fellow neurodivergents with rejection sensitivity who have a really hard time dealing with judgment.

Several years ago, I read a book called The Four Agreements. It changed my life. Here's what I learned and what I think might help you too... Agreement 1: If I am always "impeccable with my word," (speak with integrity, use my voice to spread love and support) there is very little a person can say or do to undermine what I say/what I've said.

Autistic people don't lack empathy. But a lot of people mistakenly think we do, so I'm going to explain why it isn't true.

First, I'll start by saying that autistic people CAN lack empathy. It's just not because of their autism.

(A 20 part thread, this topic is highly nuanced) The diagnostic criteria for autism doesn't mention empathy at all. Unlike the diagnostic criteria for NPD, where lacking empathy is included in the definition itself. (Note that I'm not saying either is good or bad, just discussing how the conditions are defined.)

Me: I sometimes do this thing that might be perceived of as rude, but my disability makes it hard for me to avoid doing sometimes.

Them: Well it IS rude. Stop doing it.

Me: 🤦‍♀️ A couple weeks ago I explained that I sometimes cut people off in conversation without meaning to be rude. The number of comments I got telling me that it is in fact rude and that I need to stop doing it tells me that I needed to be clearer on my point. So, here goes...

One of the more confusing things about autism (especially to those who aren't autistic) is that the way an autistic person reacts to things can change from one moment to the next... and I think it's helpful to understand why.

First, a few examples, so you know what I mean... 1. An autistic person might handle a certain task (like laundry) without any trouble one day, but have a complete meltdown when asked to do it another.

2. An autistic person might be perfectly fine being social with strangers one day, but be completely overwhelmed by it another.

Why are there so many undiagnosed adults who are only now discovering that they're either autistic, adhd, or neurodivergent in some way?

I can explain... In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the general understanding of autism/adhd and other neurodivergent conditions revolved around obvious and extreme signs (usually only seen in young boys).

9 reasons people might not believe I'm autistic...

1. I'm friendly and sociable and can be extremely likable

2. I can do eye contact and small talk and show interest in others

3. I'm articulate and can have a "normal" conversation (where I sound like everybody else) 4. Nothing about me stands out in a majorly negative or agregious way

5. No one would look at me and immediately think I'm autistic

6. I have several extremely close friends that I have known for 10-20 years (some longer)

If you're learning about autism for the first time, it's most likely not what you think it is.

Autism can show up in obvious ways, but for a significant number of autistic people, you wouldn't know we're autistic just by looking at us.

Let me explain why this happens... /1 Social skills: From a very young age, we learn to hide (aka mask) our discomfort in social situations. We also learn how to mimic others so we don't stand out. We end up seeming "weird" or "quirky" rather than having a social disability. /2