“That’s right…. my son’s paediatrician says that my autistic way of parenting supports my son too well for him to be traumatised enough for a diagnosis, so we should let school traumatise him and come back later…

…Which brings me to thinking about how we identify autism in the children who are now being raised by autistic parents in a respectful and supportive way. The children who have experienced acceptance of their autistic neurology from birth and who have never been exposed to harmful therapies.

Autistic children raised by accepting parents, often autistic themselves.”

It’s true. The current clinical model for Autism is based on traumatized Autistic children. The experiences of happy, well-nurtured, thriving Autistic people have been hugely excluded from the clinical literature. That needs to change.

on the converse i got undiagnosed by a misogynistic psychologist because the specific ways i was traumatized (especially as a girl) led to me constantly masking to the point where he said i outwardly didn’t seem autistic enough for him to think i counted as autistic, despite my brother there to put in word for how i used to be and despite me saying the amount of constant effort i put in to masking my autistic traits in everyday life leads me to periodic breakdowns, to which he took no concern and dismissed it as me being irrational and exaggerating my struggle, despite only meeting me 4 hours earlier.

the fact that both of these experiences are common goes to show that the mental health field under capitalism neither cares about ameliorating people’s suffering nor genuinely creating a world inclusive of neurodiversity

for me and for many in the community, the label “autistic” is a convenient shorthand for certain patterns/commonalities in the way we/our brains function, and can give us space to communicate with others like us about what that means for our experiences in our current society

for them, it is a way to pathologize certain outwardly exhibiting traits that are seen as a burden or a drag on resources or that are seen as refusal to neatly integrate into structures capitalism uses to perpetuate itself. so whatever people’s needs are, they’ll be happy to switch between denying agency and denying need for help/resources whenever is most convenient

It’s because neurodivergence means nothing to neurotypical society, outside of how it affects them.

I’ve asked this question before:

What do you call an autistic that meets every single criteria except the whole, “it interferes with their life,” thing because they manage to cope well enough to get by?

In someone who is already diagnosed, we call them autistic. In someone who hasn’t been diagnosed, we call them subclinical.

But if we recognize that learning the skills for coping after diagnosis still means a person is a life long autistic, how come we don’t recognize this same thing in autistics who figure it out before they are diagnosed autistic?

This is literally the reason it is so very hard to get a diagnosis as an adult. A lot of the times we do have enough coping skills to get by, even if we don’t understand what those coping skills are being used for.

The entire premise of autism as it is understood by the broader medical community is that if you are autistic, it is impossible for you to learn to cope with the world and that’s how you know you are autistic, then turning around and saying, “Here’s how you cope with autism,” after you are diagnosed.

This is 1.) why anyone who says clinical diagnosis is required or the only real diagnosis needs to just eff right off and 2.) why a strictly medical model is a shit idea, and 3.) why we absolutely neeeeeeeeed to listen to late diagnosed adults about their experiences and 4,) fix gaps in clinical diagnosis for people who want or need it.

At the end of the day, the answer to, “What do you call an autistic who can cope,” needs to be, “autistic,” full stop.

What gets me about the anti self-DX crowd is the consistent argument that the professionals spend years learning about this stuff, which is why they know more.

Except… they don’t.

Do you really think that every doctor spends years learning about every single disease, disorder, or whatever? They would literally never graduate. Ask any psych student how much time they spent actually learning about something like autism. Like, the actual number of concrete hours they spent studying autism.

I promise you by the time I am done with my psych degree, I will have spent way, way, more time on understanding autism on my own then I ever did in class, and that’s if I take a class specifically for developmental disorder. And way, way, way, more time understanding my autism in particular than I ever did learning about it in school.

Developmental psychology, by the way, is an elective at my school. I don’t actually have to take the class about autism to get a degree. I don’t actually have to take the class about autism to get the degree that lets me get a clinical license. I don’t actually have to take the class about autism to legally diagnose autism.

What I do have to do is take the core requirements, which include general psych classes that might give me two full days of note taking in a lecture. Maybe double that if you include developmental disorders in general. Maybe double that again if you include all the therapies commonly used on autistics - ABA, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.

So maybe 32-48 hours total time? On all things autistic? Because that is going to give me such a good over view of a complex neurology. Yep, yep.

I’m pretty sure I spent that much time in the first week of my self-acceptance learning about autism.

Never mind that you don’t actually have to be taught by a professor in order to learn something. There is such a thing as directed self-study and self-study. Which, by the way, is actually a required part of my degree. Just saying.

My psychiatrist before he resigned literally told me that he thought he knew everything he needed to know about autism, and then I came along and taught him more than he could have ever learned in medical school.

A similar thing also happens in education where people think teachers (especially special education teachers) have so much training in disabilities (particularly autism). Your general education teachers, depending on their state, may be required to take one class on disabilities (New York only requires 1 class and it has some of the strictest teacher certification requirements in the US). And that is the most basic crash course type class because not only do we have to cover the developmental disabilities (including autism, ADHD, and the learning disabilities), but also mental illnesses, and your most common physical disabilities as well as info on deaf and blind students, if you’re lucky. I got exempt from this class because my advisor didn’t see the point of me taking it when I am disabled myself and my on campus job was tutoring fellow disabled students in French and Arabic. Plus I got experience during practicum and student teaching. The most people typically learn in this class is that people first language is the only thing that should ever be used along with other things I like to call “fluff language”. Often I find the abled bodied/neurotypical teacher candidates say that the class was “enlightening”. These are the people with little to no previous exposure to actual disabled people.

Things literally aren’t much better for those getting certified in students with disabilities/special education. In New York, those getting the students with disabilities cert have to take a state mandated workshop on autism. Given I have already sat through 3 state mandated workshops, I can’t imagine the autism one would be more than 1-2 hours long. So the idea that professionals in either mental health or education know better than autistics about autism is absurd.

echoing this 100%

i have 3, count them THREE master’s degrees in education, two of which focused entirely on disability, and all from super legit programs.  95% of what i know about Autism came from research i did on my own, fostered by you lovely bloggers, leading up to and centering around my self diagnosis. i have the privilege of knowing for a fact that my research methods are super legit because i’m both a trained professional in disability related stuff and a hardcore and published scholar IN AUTISM AND DISABILITY …..but you absolutely don’t need my kind of credentials to feel valid in your self-diagnosis. i’m telling you straight up i would honor anyone’s self-diagnosis in spite of my over-education….because i know first hand you all are just as capable, because you are your own experts in yourselves. I have that institutional “proof” that my self-diagnosis is golden, but because of my experience i can also vouch for the fact that that institutional “proof” is in no way necessary for a good self diagnosis. it’s just symbolic capital (see Bourdieu)

 so if anyone is being shitty to you about it, think of me if it helps, and that i would have your back. in fact send them to me! i will give them a serious talk. 

I hate that this is the way it is, but if you’re questioning “is this an ‘everyone does this’ thing or is it an autism thing?” this rule is pretty much ironclad:

If you got bullied for it, it is NOT an “everyone does this” thing. “Everyone does this” things are, by definition, things that people don’t get bullied for.

Might have these out of order but just a good thread to share.

[link to the original thread on twitter for screenreaders]

on one hand this thread makes me want to cry a lot and on the other I’m like, well, my brain is a complex system and now I have a sort of entry point to figure out how it works, so that’s good

oops, i think i’m autistic

this is a text for people who have just realized, or are beginning to wonder that they might be autistic. i will try to give you some keywords and language to describe and understand your experiences.

this will not be about pursuing a diagnosis or getting external help. these can also be very important steps, but in this text i will only try to shed some light on experiences that are often silenced by the neurotypical mainstream.

autistic burnout

being autistic is as wonderful as it is hard.

the fact that you are just now considering that you might be autistic can mean that you are experiencing what we call autistic burnout. it can occur together with or independent from a classical burnout. autistic burnout often includes the loss of abilities and increased visibility of autistic traits.

the long text “help, i am getting more autistic” explains many things that can lead to showing more autistic traits, like increased outside expectations, stress from other sources, autistic burnout and others.

communication

being autistic means that we struggle with neurotypical communication, both verbal and nonverbal.

we may avoid eye contact, we may not be able to read faces. we may not be able to understand or use facial expressions, body language or tone of voice in the same way neurotypical people do.

many of us use scripts to make communication easier. that means we have specific words or sentences that we say in specific situations. like saying “good morning” to your coworkers, we might have a script for “what to say when people ask me how i am doing” or “how to explain my health problems to doctors” or “how to react when someone is feeling scared”. some of us come up with scripts on their own, others use phrases they have heard or read somewhere else (this is also called echolalia).

we may use autistic body language that is very different from neurotypical body language. we may react very differently to any stimuli. many of us laugh or smile when we are distressed. many of us move rapidly when we are happy. these are just some examples - we are all wonderfully different.

our social interactions are markedly different from non-autistic social interactions. many of us prefer to be direct and honest over hiding our points in words that mean something else. we often use parallel conversations were 2 or more people talk to each other, but everyone is talking about something completely different.

social difficulties

those of us who are usually verbal may experience “going nonverbal”, that means losing the ability to speak for an amount of time. many of us struggle at keeping up conversations, finding the right words in the right time and getting other people to understand us.

many of us have a hard time trying to understand concepts that are important to neurotypicals. this can include problems with understanding abstract words or lacking the ability to understand other people’s intentions.

many of us have prosopagnosia, that means being faceblind, which means we cannot remember and recognize faces.

many of us have alexithymia, that means we cannot identify and name our emotions, even though we feel them very clearly.

our social difficulties often makes us susceptible to manipulation and deception. when we try to understand and mimic social rules, we are not always successful.

sensory experiences

many of us have difficulties with sensory processing. we may get overwhelmed by loud noises or bright lights. touch may be very unpleasant or painful to us. we may have sensory hyper- or hyposensitivities. we might struggle to remember images or sounds. we might have trouble interpreting what we are seeing or hearing, even if we do not have vision or hearing impairments. (another keyword is “auditory processing disorder”.)

we might be very sensitive to taste and smell - or we might need intense tastes and smells to feel comfortable.

many of us experience synaesthesia, that means we associate different senses with each other. numbers may have colours, sounds may have shapes or feelings may have directions.

stimming

many of us crave controlled sensory input. the act of giving ourselves this controlled sensory stimulation is called stimming. stimming can be thousands of activities - it can be rocking, pacing, clapping, fidgeting, chewing, touching or looking at good things, there are acoustic stims, vestibular stims, taste and smell and pressure stims, the possibilities are endless! stimming is wonderful and natural.

thought organization

we seem to have a different kind of thought process than non-autistic people do, but there are huge differences between the ways autistic people think as well! some of us think mostly visually. others cannot think in images at all. some of us think in words or echolalia, others don’t use words in their mind. there’s an amazing variety in the ways our minds work.

many of us have executive dysfunction. it can be hard for us to do even simple tasks. we may have to re-learn the same thing over and over again. we may get overwhelmed by tasks that are too big for us. we may have trouble figuring out the single steps that make up a complex task. we may struggle with initiating tasks or switching tasks.

on the other hand, many of us experience hyperfocus, where we just sink into whatever we are doing, completely forgetting about the outside world for hours on end.

routines

one of the ways we deal with both sensory processing difficulties and executive functioning problems are routines. having routines means doing the same thing in the same way always, it means having a reliable reference and a frame that gives our lives shape.

familiar surroundings and reliable planning are important for many of us. we may plan ahead meticulously. many of us react very strongly to change in routines or plans. having things and surroundings stay the same can be very important for our functioning and wellbeing.

special interests

being autistic often also means having one or more special interests. special interests are things that we get very excited about. we collect information on our special interest, or we have the need to do it as much as possible. it’s more than just a hobby - it’s a special and wonderful hobby. we may have the same special interest for all our lives, or we may have many different special interests, each only lasting a few days. we may find ever new things or come back to old favourites or we might be simply too tired to have a special interest again.

emotions and empathy

some of us do not experience empathy at all, others are hyper-empathic, others experience it only partially. empathy has many different aspects: you can “feel what others feel”, you can try to “put yourself in their shoes” to imagine what you would feel in their situation, you can react to their emotions with your own emotional response. however, all of this requires you to read their emotional state first, which can be very hard for us.

one of the misconceptions about autism is that we are supposedly “emotionless”. the truth is, many of us are extremely sensitive. we can develop ptsd from experiences that others would not even classify as traumatic.

another myth is that we are unable to lie or understand irony and sarcasm at all. while it is true that we often struggle with detecting irony and sarcasm, most of us can still understand the concept and use it.

it is also untrue that we lack “theory of mind”. we are well aware that other people have different thoughts than we do, which is exactly the reason why it is hard for us to guess what other people may be thinking or feeling.

stress reactions

many of us respond to sensory overload, emotional overload, routine changes or other stress factors with shutdowns or meltdowns.

meltdowns are an explosive stress reaction that can range anywhere from “i am upset” to “i am endangering myself and/or others” or “i am destroying objects”. meltdowns can be internalised or externalised.

shutdowns is when we go silent and become very calm. we may freeze or drop on the floor. we may dissociate.

sensory overload, shutdowns and meltdowns can happen several times per day or once every couple of years. severity and frequency can change for any given person over the cause of their life.

there is no one way to be autistic

autism is just the way our brains are wired. we still have unique personalities.

we come in all shapes and sizes, in all genders and sexual orientations, we exist in all races and cultures. we don’t grow out of autism. we are autistic from before we are born and stay autistic for all our lives.

our autistic traits are also influenced by other neurodivergences. personality disorders, ptsd, adhd, ocd, schizophrenia, and everything else can influence the way we experience or display our autism.

it is important to recognize that there is no hierarchy between different “types” of autism. people who were diagnosed in childhood are not generally better or worse off than people who were never diagnosed. we experience different kinds of ableism: dehumanization and dismissiveness.

functioning labels - that is, labelling autistic people as “high functioning” or “low functioning” - harm everyone. they are being used to deny “high functioning” people the help they need and to deny “low functioning” people their independence and humanity.

while it is true that some of us need more support than others, this does not mean we “function” at a different level. this classification is based on ableist notions about what abilities a human being must have in order to be seen as fully human.

autistic people often have very asymmetric skill development. only very few of us have real splinter skills, but many of us are far better in some areas of competence than in others.

if it just so happens that the things we are bad at are the things required for everyday living, we may get labelled “low functioning” - regardless of what we are actually able to do.

autism is not a one dimensional condition. there are hundreds of things we can be very good or very bad at. some of us have intense sensory sensitivities, others have strong social difficulties, yet others cannot cope with the slightest change in their routine. some of us are very musical, others excel at maths and science, yet others prefer to play volleyball.

autistic culture and identity

autistic culture has been existing probably as long as any kind of human culture has, long before the term autism had been invented.

we have always been a part of society. with our contributions we enrich humanity. we are teachers, artists, engineers, nurses, cleaners, designers, professors, bus drivers, activists, politicians, parents, doctors or therapists. capitalism likes to exploit our special skills while at the same time refusing to meet our special needs.

we are friends, we are family members and neighbours, we care and we help and we work in our own ways. not everyone of us can work in a way that is rewarded financially.

while it is true that being autistic can be a severe disability, or that this anti-autistic society can be very disabling for us, many autistic communities are seeking to establish Autistic identity outside of pathologizing medical definitions.

Autism Self-Diagnosis Masterpost

Questioning if you might be autistic? Have you always known you were different and are trying to figure out why? Is professional diagnosis not an option for you (cost/stigma/bias/etc)? Then here is a list of resources to help you figure out if you are autistic.

This post is broken up into categories of resources based on subject matter. Some links may contain ableism and medicalized language but if they do they also have useful information which is why they were posted. 

Self-diagnosis is a long process of reading and researching and self-reflection. A decision should not be made overnight. However, it is completely valid to self-diagnose as autistic (see the second to last section for more on this). If you are self-diagnosing, read as much as you can written by autistic people. Read their blogs and their tumblrs. Read about the autistic experience. Talk to autistic people if you are able to. 

If you have questions, feel free to submit them to @askaboutautism, a blog run by autistics to answer questions about autism. 

About Autism

General Autism Criteria

Stimming

Sensory Processing Differences

Shutdowns and Meltdowns

Special Interests

Executive Dysfunction

Alexithymia

On Self-Diagnosis

Blogs By Autistics

(This is certainly not a comprehensive list of autistic bloggers. If you have any suggestions of blogs that should be added, feel free to message me)

ASD Traits Checklist

So, I’ve been researching ASD for nearly two and a half years for self-diagnosis purposes, and I’ve decided to make a checklist for ASD traits. I included as much as I could find from several different sources, including “atypical” and lesser-known traits. 

These are traits, not symptoms, but they are associated with autism when enough of them are present. If you find that you display a lot of these traits, it’s likely that you are on the autism spectrum. I grouped them into categories for easier reading. 

I hope this helps people who are suspecting they are on the autism spectrum or are in the journey of self-diagnosis. 

School/Learning/Thinking/Executive Functioning:

○ Average to high intelligence, may have high grades

○ May have low grades due to executive dysfunction

○ Difficulty with executive functioning, i.e. remembering chores/assignments, beginning or finishing tasks, trouble multitasking or switching between two tasks, etc.

○ Has symptoms of AD(H)D such as forgetfulness, restlessness, impulsivity, and trouble focusing

○ Has symptoms of OCD such as anxiety, paranoia, delusions, and odd habits or routines that stem from anxiety (compulsions)

○ Has been (correctly or incorrectly) diagnosed with co-morbid disorders such as depression, anxiety, AD(H)D and OCD

○ A “teacher’s pet” and tells on students for breaking rules, may be a “tattler”

○ Seen as odd, shy, eccentric, and/or annoying by peers and classmates

○ Uses “formal” or “pedantic” language rather than casual/conversational language

○ Exceptional vocabulary since childhood

○ Skills tend to be far above or far below those of peers

○ Considered “gifted” or a “savant” in areas such as math, physics, science, vocabulary, reading comprehension, art, and/or music

○ Superior skills in mathematics or physics

○ Poor understanding of mathematics

○ Has or has symptoms of dyscalculia, a learning disorder characterized by:

    ○ Difficulty with mathematics (including basic concepts such as addition and subtraction)

    ○ Difficulty identifying patterns

    ○ Difficulty telling left from right

    ○ Poor navigational skills and sense of direction

    ○ Difficulty remembering long sequences of numbers such as phone numbers

    ○ Difficulty reading clocks and telling time

    ○ Difficulty with applying math concepts to real-life situations

    ○ Difficulty with measurements

    ○ Difficulty applying previously-learned skills to new concepts in math

    ○ Difficulty finding different approaches to the same problem

    ○ Difficulty reading charts and graphs

    ○ Poor spatial awareness, difficulty estimating distances and have poor depth perception

○ Has or has symptoms of dyslexia, a learning disorder characterized by:

    ○ Difficulty recognized letters

    ○ Difficulty matching letters and words to sounds (i.e. pronunciation errors, not knowing what sound a “B” or an “H” makes)

    ○ Limited vocabulary

    ○ Difficulty with word sequences such as counting or the days of the week

    ○ Confuses the order of letters, makes frequent mistakes in spelling and grammar

    ○ Difficulty remembering facts

    ○ Difficulty understanding the rules of grammar

    ○ Difficulty learning and retaining information, relies on memorization without complete understanding of concept

    ○ Difficulty with word problems in math

    ○ Difficulty following a sequence of directions

    ○ Difficulty understanding jokes, idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech

    ○ Difficulty learning a foreign language

○ Obsessions with particular topics, known as “special interests” in the autistic community

○ Talking about a special interest brings comfort and happiness, conversation is limited to or focused on a special interest

○ Not interested in talking about topics besides a special interest

○ Spends long periods of time researching a special interest and categorizing information on a special interest

○ Has a “comfort item” such as a toy, blanket, or stone, may take item everywhere and refuse to part with it, doing so causes anxiety, sadness, and/or a meltdown

○ Superior long-term memory

○ Weaker short-term memory

○ Prefers to be self-taught and direct learning

○ Intense interest in literature and writing, may have taught self how to read before formal education, may be hyperlexic

○ Prolific writer

○ Deep thinker, curious

○ Drawn to philosophy, may have shown interest and curiosity in subjects such as death and the meaning of life since childhood

○ Prefers visual and kinetic learning, needs to get hands-on to understand topics

○ Highly creative and imaginative, drawn to art and writing

○ Art and writing relieve anxiety

○ Enjoys music, may be interested in songs and lyrics

○ Tasks with several steps can be troublesome

○ Difficulty remembering and following verbal instructions, needs written instructions to complete a task

○ Difficulty locating objects

○ The thought of having to leave the house for an event causes anxiety, may avoid leaving the house, talking to people, or confronting people

○ Upcoming events cause a feeling of dread of anxiety

○ Easily irritated and/or frustrated, avoids and/or gives up on tasks that are not easily overcome or mastered

○ Difficulty lying, may appear to be naïve, gullible, trusting, or a “pushover”

○ Tendency to be logical and see things at “face value” and take figures of speech, jokes, sarcasm, metaphors, etc. literally

○ Odd combination of strengths and weaknesses in regards to memory, executive functioning, motor skills, academics, intelligence, and interests

Motor Skills/Physical/Sensory/Routine:

○ Poor motor skills, may be clumsy or cumbersome, difficulty holding a pencil, kicking a ball, writing/drawing by hand, etc.

○ Auditory processing difficulties, may take a moment to process and interpret words, speech, and noises, may have auditory processing disorder (APD)

○ Odd gait or posture, may walk on toes or drag/shuffle feet, may sit in a crouching or perching position

○ Learning to ride a bike or drive a car can be difficult due to a lack of necessary skills

○ Becomes non- or semi-verbal when stressed, overwhelmed, or tired (i.e. being unable to speak, speaking takes a lot of effort and is tiring/exhausting, words feel “stuck”)

○ Experiences meltdowns/shutdowns when stressed, overwhelmed, or tired, may cry, scream, become snappy/irritated/impatient, or become withdrawn (may appear to be a “temper tantrum”)

○ Thumb-sucking lasts past childhood into adolescence

○ Bed-wetting lasts past childhood into adolescence

○ Experiences insomnia

○ Not a “morning person”

○ Has a co-morbid chronic illness, such as IBS, gluten intolerance, allergies, asthma, fibromyalgia, seizures, epilepsy, etc.

○ Resistance to and/or inability to cope with change, which causes anxiety

○ Adheres to a daily routine, straying from routine causes anxiety

○ Likes to sit in the same seat in the car or at meals, wear the same outfit, or eat the same food

○ Sensory issues, sensitive to textures, touch, sound, taste, smells, light, etc.

○ Avoids loud or harsh noises, bright light, certain tastes/textures/smells

○ Experiences “sensory overload,” may experience a meltdown or shutdown if sensory input is too much to handle

○ Dislikes physical contact with people, resists hugs/kissing

○ Engages in self-stimulating behavior to soothe, cope with sensory input, and/or express emotion, known as “stimming” by autistic community

○ Visual stimming includes watching moving objects such as water, leaves, or cars, and waving or fluttering fingers in front of eyes

○ Physical stimming includes spinning, jumping, waving arms, flapping hands, swinging, waving or fluttering fingers, flicking or rubbing fingernails, rubbing hands against a surface or texture, bouncing legs, rocking, chewing or sucking on objects, fidgeting with toys, and petting/stroking/twirling hair

○ Vocal stimming includes shrieking, laughing, singing, humming, repeating sounds or words (echolalia), and clicking tongue

○ Auditory stimming includes listening to music, blocking out noise, and listening to sounds

○ Prefers comfortable clothes over stylish clothes, may have a favorite shirt or outfit, may cut tags off of clothes due to sensory issues

○ Has or has symptoms of sensory processing disorder (SPD)

○ Has a “sixth sense,” notices the presence of people, may dislike standing close to people or standing in front of people

○ Has an odd tone of voice, may speak with an odd inflection, in a monotone voice, with an accent, or too loudly/softly for a situation

Social/Behavioral

○ Difficulty understanding “social rules,” may be unaware of boundaries and personal space

○ Difficulty understanding the “social hierarchy” and roles within a family or classroom, may act as a teacher to their peers

○ Shy and quiet in social situations, may be an introvert

○ Loud and aggressive in social situations, may cross boundaries

○ Clings to one or two friends, prefers to have a small friend group

○ No interest in socializing or making friends

○ Prefers to interact with people who are younger or older, little interest in peers of the same age

○ Has trouble keeping up a conversation, whether face-to-face or online, may abandon conversations due to anxiety or boredom

○ As a child, preferred to talk to teachers than peers, may view peers as “boring” or “stupid”

○ Dislikes and avoids eye contact, eyes may wander during conversation

○ Appears rude due to lack of understanding of “social rules,” not making eye contact or using “appropriate” body language, or dominating discussion/reverting discussion back to self

○ Dislikes “small talk,” prefers to have “intelligent” discussion, talk about self, or talk about a special interest

○ Difficulty understanding social cues such as body language, gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions, may not be able to read emotion

○ Taught self how to act “properly” in social situations and/or read emotion, may mimic people in real life or on television

○ Conversation and socializing is anxiety-inducing and exhausting, may need a lot of rest and “de-stressing” after socializing

○ Tendency to be bullied, shunned, mocked, teased, or ostracized by peers

○ Tendency to over-share

○ Difficulty understanding what is and isn’t considered “socially acceptable,” may be blunt and considered “offensive” or “rude”

○ Difficulty knowing when to speak, may interrupt

○ Considered annoying by peers, “unable to take a hint”

○ Sense of humor is “quirky” or “odd,” may not understand typical humor used by peers

○ Excess apologizing

○ Difficulty knowing when a mistake has been made, may not apologize

Imagination/Empathy:

○ Escapes through imagination, may have maladaptive daydreaming disorder (MDD)

○ Intense, overwhelming emotions

○ Hyper- or hypoempathetic

○ Highly imaginative and creative

○ May have had imaginary friends as a child

○ Easily distracted, gets “lost in thoughts”

○ Fantasy brings comfort and relief

○ May not be interested in fantasy

○ Prefers to play with toys in an “unusual” manner, may spend time setting up scenes with toys without acting out a scene, may line up or organize toys, etc.

○ Prefers fantasy over reality

Sources:

Warning for gendering, mild ableism/stereotyping, and mentions of functioning labels/Asperger’s.

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/understanding-dyslexia

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/understanding-dyscalculia

https://taniaannmarshall.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/first-signs-of-asperger-syndrome-in-young-girls-pre-school/

http://help4aspergers.com/pb/wp_a58d4f6a/wp_a58d4f6a.html

https://everydayaspergers.com/2012/03/31/day-62-females-with-aspergers-syndrome-nonofficial-checklist/

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2013/04/list-of-symptoms-for-high-functioning.html

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/aspergers_disorder_signs_and_symptoms.html

autism self-assessment resources

the adult repetitive behavior questionnaire is a new test that was developed to help adults assess whether they fit into the “restricted and repetitive behavior” part of the dsm-v autism criteria. or i guess you could say it’s like a measure of how much and in how many ways do you stim, if you like that term

you can take it here

information on scoring is here (it shows what the average non-autistic vs the average autistic score was - the median non-autistic score was 1.20 and the median autistic score was 1.90. lowest possible score is 1, highest is 3. i got a 2.03.)

for the parts where there are 3 answer choices you would give yourself 1 point for “never or rarely,” 2 points for “mild or occasional,” 3 points for “marked or notable”

for the parts where there are 4 answer choices the study authors said they collapsed it into a 3-point scale, which i think would mean it’s scored something like this:

so then you add up all your points and divide that number by 20 for your score!

and it doesn’t mean you absolutely aren’t autistic if you get a low score or you absolutely are if you got a high one. other conditions like ocd, tourette’s syndrome etc. could also cause you to score highly, or you might just not have anything

and you could also be autistic but maybe not have this really capture your RRBs

but yeah maybe this will help someone also if i’ve made any errors please lmk

Self-Diagnosis Resources

(or, Self-Diagnosis Is Relevant, Necessary, and Valid)

[This post is available publicly at Candidly Autistic’s Self-Diagnosis Resources page, with a permanent link available at the top of the web front to Candidly Autistic.]

So, you think you may be autistic. What do you do next? Here are some of the resources that I find helpful in figuring out if you might be autistic as well as a little bit of information about the flaws in professional diagnosis that make self-diagnosis relevant, necessary, and valid.

Self-Diagnosis Tests:

These tests will help you figure out if you are autistic and will help build a body of evidence if you choose to seek professional diagnosis. Some of these tests are standard tests used to help diagnose you by professionals, some have been slightly modified to be more accurate based on how diagnosed autistics have answered, and some are not professional diagnostic tools, but rather tools developed by autistics that have been peer reviewed. You can click the test names next to the bullets to open a new window to the associated test, which all have automatic scoring.

About Self Diagnosis:

There is a lot more to self-diagnosis than whether or it is valid or invalid; we’re talking about something that is very complicated and has a lot of nuance. It has been noted, for example, that there is a very limited body of works studying the difference of autism in boys and girls; as of 2003, only 2% of studies examined gender differences in autism (2). As a result there are large numbers of under- and misdiagnosed women and non-binaries.

Cost is another common barrier to professional diagnosis, with some neuropsychologists charging multiple thousands of dollars. Diagnosis becomes unavailable to the uninsured in places like the United States. In places where healthcare is free, like the UK, there is often an extremely long waiting list to be seen by the appropriate professions. In the meantime, self-diagnosis is the only means available to gain access to necessary support.

There is also a lot of diagnostic bias within the medical community. Even professionals can have preconceived notions about race and gender, and that can affect their ability to properly diagnose individuals that do not fit their expectations. Using gender as an example again, the body of work on autism largely studies males and it inherently weights against the diagnosis of women who display a different phenotype. Professionals simply may not consider the differences because that is how they are trained (3).

Whatever the reason for self-diagnosis, when it is done in good faith it does not harm the autistic community and gives people access to the support they need, when they need it, and it often provides a path to professional diagnosis.

Sources:

(1) Ekblad, L. (2013). Autism, Personality, and Human Diversity: Defining Neurodiversity in an Iterative Process Using Aspie Quiz. SAGE Open, 3(3).

(2) Thompson, T., Caruso, M., & Ellerbeck, K. (2003). Sex matters in autism and other developmental disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 7(4), 345–362.

(3) Goldman, S. (2013). Opinion: Sex, gender and the diagnosis of autism—A biosocial view of the male preponderance. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7(6), 675–679.

A lot of people disagree with self-diagnosis when the person in question has been denied a professional diagnosis.

What you’re forgetting is that autism assessments are overwhelmingly performed by allistic people, and 100% of the time performed by people who are not inside our heads.

Most autistic people develop coping mechanisms to appear neurotypical in order to escape the abuses we are subjected to for displaying autistic behaviours (these abuses, which range from exclusion to violence, are suffered by autistic people regardless of diagnostic status because autistic traits are rejected by neurotypical society regardless of whether or not they are named as such). Professional diagnosis is based on an outside observation of an inside condition.

Many of us suppress autistic behaviours most of all in stressful situations, and many of us consider an assessment to be a stressful situation. We are not known for being good at communicating with allistic people, which further complicates matters.

Stop thinking of medical professionals as all-knowing, infallible creatures who can assess how our minds work without dropping the ball. That isn’t how it works, and self-diagnosed autistics who have been denied formal diagnosis are still valid.

Autism Self Diagnosis Tools

Quizzes:

Quiz1  (this is similar to what my psychiatrist made me take for my diagnosis, also pardon the mention of Asperger’s) Quiz 2

Traits:

Asan’s list A good chart of traits (pardon unnecessary gendering/aspergers) More traits (pardon asperger’s) List #1 I created List #2 I created List #3 I created Dsm-5 Criteria Alternate Criteria Atypical Traits (warning super gendered) Resource Page Asan Resource Page

Videos: 

This channel has amazing videos on all autism topics! (neurowonderful’s channel)

Autism Tumblrs:

Actuallyautistic tag @autismproblems @askanautistic @autisticliving @neurowonderful @piggyschuyler @butterflyinthewell

Autism Merchandise:

Masterpost

Self-Diagnosis Survey Results (Dear Anti Self-Dxers...)

Okay. So, as some of you may already know, I created a couple of surveys about self-diagnosis on Google Docs.

One is about those who were formerly self-diagnosed with specific mental conditions, but later had those self-diagnoses confirmed to be correct by a professional.

The other is simply collecting some general information on those with currently self-diagnosed mental conditions.

(The surveys are still open if you’d like to contribute!)

I wanted to talk a bit about some of the results. And I particularly want anti self-dxers to read this very carefully.

Let’s first discuss the former survey.

Currently, this survey has 97 responses. In comparison, the latter survey has 153 responses. We can thus infer that a good amount of people have had their self-diagnosed conditions confirmed in comparison to those who are currently self-diagnosed. My main goal here was to collect information on how many people I could find who have had conditions confirmed by professionals, and which conditions had been confirmed.

While there were a lot of responses limited to depression and/or anxiety, I was surprised by how many people have correctly self-diagnosed more “complicated” and stigmatized conditions as well. These included but were not limited to personality disorders (mostly BPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, autism, dissociative identity disorder, PTSD, and schizophrenia.

My point, here, is that self-diagnosis isn’t just for shits and giggles. A good deal of people do seek professional help, and a good deal of people are correct when they self-diagnose. Even when they’re self-diagnosing something “incredibly complicated” that “only professionals would be able to accurately pinpoint”, such as schizophrenia or DID. Think about this the next time you decide to criticize self-diagnosers as merely attention-seeking or attempting to wear a label as a “fashion statement”.

The second survey had some interesting results as well.

First, let’s talk about the length of time it takes to self-diagnose.

A vast majority of those who took the survey seem to have taken several months to be comfortable with stating to have their specific condition(s). That’s months of research. Quite a few also said that it took them a year or longer, some said several weeks, and few said several days. I too often see anti self-dxers claim that, when we self-diagnose, we simply read a single list of symptoms on WebMD or something, then say, “Yep! I have that.” What they can’t seem to understand is that we are very careful and thorough in our research, and I think this outlines that fact quite well.

Next, the benefits of self-diagnosis.

Some people did admit that self-diagnosis has not benefited them in any way, and that’s perfectly okay. But most people mentioned that self-diagnosis has helped them to validate themselves, better understand themselves, and know that they have a community and they aren’t alone in their struggles. Many mentioned that self-diagnosis has actually helped them to learn coping strategies and that they’re now better at recognizing and stopping their dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors. Keep this in mind, anti self-dxers. Self-diagnosis is more often than not a very helpful tool used to feel better about ourselves and to aid us in our path to recovery.

When asked if they planned on seeking professional diagnosis and what was keeping them from doing so, they gave rather mixed answers. Those who did plan on ultimately seeking professional help said that they wanted to do so in order to feel validated and to help better control their symptoms via therapy and/or medication. The majority of these people said that the reason they currently have no access to professional help is either due to an unsupportive family or financial struggles. Which is exactly what we’ve been trying to tell anti self-dxers all this time. Both of these things make it impossible to see a professional, leaving a lot of people with no choice but to try to help themselves.

Many people also mentioned the fear of stigma and/or opening up to doctors. This was the main reason that some did not want to be professionally diagnosed. And if you ask me, this is something that needs more recognition. Fear, anxiety, paranoia – these are all incredibly valid feelings to have when presented with the notion of speaking to a medical professional, especially when it’s one’s mental illness that is causing the anxiety or paranoia. Telling people to “get over it” (even just by telling them to see a professional anyway) is actively dismissing their disabilities and failing to acknowledge the very real fear that they experience. Honestly, anti self-dxers, how would you like it if someone told you to get over your mental illness and force yourself to do something that scares the living shit out of you? I’m certain a lot of you with anxiety can understand just how difficult it is to do that.

Going back to the fear of stigma, this is a perfectly valid concern as well. Stigmatized diagnoses like autism and borderline personality disorder can actually interfere with a person’s life, such as with being able to medically transition as a trans person, and being able to adopt children.

Really, the point here is that it’s entirely up to the individual whether or not they want professional treatment. I see many anti self-dxers claim that people who self-diagnose but do not wish to seek treatment are somehow just “faking for attention”. What they fail to also acknowledge is that many professionally diagnosed people do not want treatment either. Some people are only professionally diagnosed because they’ve been forced into it. Or maybe some people willingly sought professional treatment at some point, but now want out for their own reasons. This is no more or less valid than people not wanting treatment to begin with. It can be scary. People can have a lot of reservations regarding professional help.

These are about the only points I wanted to touch upon, but if anyone else has any questions about the results, feel absolutely free to contact me, and I’ll try my best to answer. I made all of the questions on these surveys completely open for people to answer as freely as they liked (save for the question about age, which was multiple choice), so it’s difficult for me to make exact statements about the results. Everything’s a little everywhere right now! But I have read each response individually, and I can scroll through the summary in order to grasp a general idea of the replies I’ve received. So, as I said, I’ll try my best to answer any further questions.

TL;DR – People who self-diagnose are often correct, do loads of research prior to self-diagnosing, are usually positively affected by self-diagnosis, and have perfectly valid reasons for why they self-diagnose and why they may or may not wish to seek professional help.

hey! i just wanted to remind all of you that if you self-diagnose yourself with something and in the future you decide that the label doesn’t fit you, it’s okay! it’s okay to make mistakes and it’s honestly something that should be talked about more.

FAQ regarding “atypical autism traits”

I closed my ask-box, because I was getting overwhelmed by all the asks I was getting due to this post. So, here’s an FAQ.

Keep reading

so we decided having a comprehensive, in-depth explanation of why we’re pro-self diagnosis & why you should be too would be good, so we have something to refer back to when needed.

tl;dr: self-diagnosis is a result of the professional diagnostic system being broken & ableist, & society being ableist in general. the problem isn’t self-diagnosis; the problem is the ableism & other bigotry making self-diagnosis necessary.

so, in order to get professionally diagnosed as autistic, several things have to happen:

Keep reading