Can you be diagnosed without "classical" obsessions & routines?

It's kind of a strange one, but I think you become more aware of things after diagnosis. I found it the case anyway!

I was pretty much in the dark about a lot of the things that autism encompassed. I knew bits here, and there, but not that much compared to now. I was referred by my GP after he suggested that he'd seen traits, and he got me to take the AQ test. I didn't know much about traits, stimming, or the sensory challenges. I answered the questions, and didn't know how they related to anything too much. I have a few friends with autistic chlidren, and I just knew how to act around them. I'd also had a girlfriend with AS when I was younger, but again I just knew what she liked, didn't like, or had challenges with.

As with regards of how it all related to me, I didn't have a clue. I chose to not look into it before the test, just in case it influenced the assessment.

I was told to take a parent, or someone I'd known for a long period of time. So they had some other input to analyse. I took my mom, and my ex of over 10 years. The lady doing the assessment asked my mom about things like if I used to rock or spin around as a child, if I liked to be held, lots of things that I didn't have a clue about. They were both asked about eye contact, if I started a task, or job, did it consume my attention. I was asked about my senses, and I gave them the answers (I knew that something was seriously different there!). Some other questions about relationships, memory, IQ, and interests. I do have a few interests that border on obsessive, but I thought that most people I knew do, so what of it.

I got my diagnosis, and a list of contacts at the next appoimtment. That's where things really started to make sense. I was told how certain things related to me, and that I should contact someone to find out more.

I met up with a lady at my local autism charity, and we got talking about it all. Then I started to notice all of the routines I have. I have had bouts of serious OCD at different times in my life, which all tied into my autism, when it was all explained to me. Even my substance problems too, they were part of a routine.

Sometimes our traits make us form routines, and we don't notice!

Here are some of the things I've noticed since I've been diagnosed!

I have a serious sensory problem with having a dry mouth. I have a pint glass full of water around me at all times, or a bottle. If I eat savoury food I drink water, if it's sweet I drink milk. I tend to like mushy food because it doesn't dry my mouth out, if it will I drink after every bite.

I have only eaten food with the same plate, mug, cup, and cutlery. All of them are black because I can see any residue after they are washed.

I wear the same colours, they are ones that don't make me feel uncomfortable, or don't distract me because of the sensory problems I have. I also wear a T-shirt with the label cut out under almost everything I wear.

I wear the same 3 types of shoes, always have, always will. I have serious sensory problems with my feet. If someone touches my feet I can fly off the handle. I can touch them myself, but I still don't like it, so sometimes my toenails are pretty long. 

Every room in my house is decorated with colours that don't interfere with my head too much.

I don't keep anything with chlorine in the house, because the smell of things that contain it make me feel what is akin to pain.

I do far much more in Winter, because the heat is another challenge. I would avoid days out in Summer, mostly.

I don't like my head being touched by people, so I have either had long hair, or a buzzcut (because I can do it myself) all my life.

I have to shower every morning, because I feel sick if I don't. It makes me nervous if I don't.

I can start something, if it falls into something I can obsess over, I can, and will stay awake for days until it is done right, or to my satsfaction. It sometimes makes me hesitate to start something because I know I will drive myself to the edge, if I start to get tunnel vision, or as I now understand it "autistic hyperfocus"!

And so on, and so on! I could write lots more, but I think you get it. The more you start to understand, the more you will notice. The best advice I can give is, if you are diagnosed, don't get too lost in it all though. You will still be the same old you, but just with more understanding.

If you are autistic, trust me, from my experience, they will know. I went in blind, and the lady picked up so much stuff that was detailed in my diagnosis it was spooky!

If you can try not to worry. I know you want answers, and you should get them.

All the best, and best of luck!

It's kind of a strange one, but I think you become more aware of things after diagnosis. I found it the case anyway!

I was pretty much in the dark about a lot of the things that autism encompassed. I knew bits here, and there, but not that much compared to now. I was referred by my GP after he suggested that he'd seen traits, and he got me to take the AQ test. I didn't know much about traits, stimming, or the sensory challenges. I answered the questions, and didn't know how they related to anything too much. I have a few friends with autistic chlidren, and I just knew how to act around them. I'd also had a girlfriend with AS when I was younger, but again I just knew what she liked, didn't like, or had challenges with.

As with regards of how it all related to me, I didn't have a clue. I chose to not look into it before the test, just in case it influenced the assessment.

I was told to take a parent, or someone I'd known for a long period of time. So they had some other input to analyse. I took my mom, and my ex of over 10 years. The lady doing the assessment asked my mom about things like if I used to rock or spin around as a child, if I liked to be held, lots of things that I didn't have a clue about. They were both asked about eye contact, if I started a task, or job, did it consume my attention. I was asked about my senses, and I gave them the answers (I knew that something was seriously different there!). Some other questions about relationships, memory, IQ, and interests. I do have a few interests that border on obsessive, but I thought that most people I knew do, so what of it.

I got my diagnosis, and a list of contacts at the next appoimtment. That's where things really started to make sense. I was told how certain things related to me, and that I should contact someone to find out more.

I met up with a lady at my local autism charity, and we got talking about it all. Then I started to notice all of the routines I have. I have had bouts of serious OCD at different times in my life, which all tied into my autism, when it was all explained to me. Even my substance problems too, they were part of a routine.

Sometimes our traits make us form routines, and we don't notice!

Here are some of the things I've noticed since I've been diagnosed!

I have a serious sensory problem with having a dry mouth. I have a pint glass full of water around me at all times, or a bottle. If I eat savoury food I drink water, if it's sweet I drink milk. I tend to like mushy food because it doesn't dry my mouth out, if it will I drink after every bite.

I have only eaten food with the same plate, mug, cup, and cutlery. All of them are black because I can see any residue after they are washed.

I wear the same colours, they are ones that don't make me feel uncomfortable, or don't distract me because of the sensory problems I have. I also wear a T-shirt with the label cut out under almost everything I wear.

I wear the same 3 types of shoes, always have, always will. I have serious sensory problems with my feet. If someone touches my feet I can fly off the handle. I can touch them myself, but I still don't like it, so sometimes my toenails are pretty long. 

Every room in my house is decorated with colours that don't interfere with my head too much.

I don't keep anything with chlorine in the house, because the smell of things that contain it make me feel what is akin to pain.

I do far much more in Winter, because the heat is another challenge. I would avoid days out in Summer, mostly.

I don't like my head being touched by people, so I have either had long hair, or a buzzcut (because I can do it myself) all my life.

I have to shower every morning, because I feel sick if I don't. It makes me nervous if I don't.

I can start something, if it falls into something I can obsess over, I can, and will stay awake for days until it is done right, or to my satsfaction. It sometimes makes me hesitate to start something because I know I will drive myself to the edge, if I start to get tunnel vision, or as I now understand it "autistic hyperfocus"!

And so on, and so on! I could write lots more, but I think you get it. The more you start to understand, the more you will notice. The best advice I can give is, if you are diagnosed, don't get too lost in it all though. You will still be the same old you, but just with more understanding.

If you are autistic, trust me, from my experience, they will know. I went in blind, and the lady picked up so much stuff that was detailed in my diagnosis it was spooky!

If you can try not to worry. I know you want answers, and you should get them.

All the best, and best of luck!