Skip to main content
Close Button
Donate
  • Replies 42 replies
  • Subscribers 101 subscribers
  • Views 7570 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

ASD traits or ASD?

Piki86
over 4 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm 33 (and female, in case this is relevant) and currently waiting for my assessment, which I'm told will be in about 18 months. But I don't want to wait that long to try and move forward and work on myself (both to try and change what I can to have less anxiety, but also to accept some of my traits and not give myself such a hard time about them anymore).

Obviously until I have my assessment I won't know for sure whether or not I have ASD, but I was wondering, is it possible to have ASD traits without actually having ASD? I feel like despite not recognising myself in absolutely all the traits I've seen listed, I do recognise myself in a lot of them, and in a way that affects my life, my emotions, my anxiety and how I interact with people. So in a way I hope they'll say I have ASD as it would explain a lot, and I hope that it would help me feel better about myself, knowing that there is a reason why I am the way I am.

If they say I do not have ASD on the other hand, what does that mean in terms of the various traits that I do have? Is anyone else in the same situation, or was, until they had their assessment?

Thanks a lot for any advice.

Parents
  • over 4 years ago

    Hi Piki, you seem to be in a similar situation to me. I am in my mid 30's and waiting for my assessment, but mine is much closer, it's in about a fortnight.

    I go through phases where I think I have ASD and at other times I think I don't. Some aspects of ASD I can relate to, but not all of the typical traits, and not always to a level where they would seem to pass a threshold that would mean ASD was probable.

    I've been waiting about 18 months for my assessment and it has been difficult for me to get on with my life in the meantime. I could definitely do with some support in certain areas of my life so it seems a positive diagnosis would help in that respect, but obviously don't want to get too involved in case the outcome is negative. In theory people should be able to get help and support because of their needs regardless of whether they tick a specific diagnostic box or not, but in practice I'm not sure that is the case.

    There is nothing to stop us working on ourselves in terms of dealing with anxiety and accepting ourselves in the meantime, but for some reason it is difficult being in a kind of limbo, waiting. 

  • over 4 years ago in reply to Richie83

    Fingers crossed you get the outcome you want!

    For me, I'm finding it difficult to work on myself or accept certain of my traits without knowing for sure whether I do have ASD or not. Because if ASD is the cause, I can approach things a certain way, but if it's not, I might have to approach them a different way and right now I don't know which way. If you see what I mean.

  • over 4 years ago in reply to Piki86

    Thank you. Yeah that makes total sense. For me other problems such as mental health problems will still exist whether I have ASD or not, but if ASD is an underlying cause then I would think that would change the approach and treatment slightly.

Reply
  • over 4 years ago in reply to Piki86

    Thank you. Yeah that makes total sense. For me other problems such as mental health problems will still exist whether I have ASD or not, but if ASD is an underlying cause then I would think that would change the approach and treatment slightly.

Children