What Do I Do now?

I don’t think you need a stranger who doesn’t know you to say it just to make it official. A lot of adults go through life undiagnosed, but they know inside that they’re different and there’s a reason. There’s too much emphasis placed on having it on a piece of paper and having to ‘prove it’ when it’s really hard to do so as an adult sometimes. 

I wouldn't say that if you believe you are autistic you are, you may very well be, but just because someone believes something doesn't make it so. That being said, if you wish to identify as autistic then you can.

Self diagnosis is always your right, you’re not weird at all. If you believe you’re autistic (you know yourself best) then you are. It’s just unfortunate that you can’t have that officially on paper, but that’s all it is really. 

I wonder about the criteria ,my son had an inconclusive diagnosis saying he may have autistic traits ,2 weeks later he go's to school is suspended ,they say he is adhd and can go mornings with 1 to 1 and no contact with other children .

I think it has a lot to do with who you see,some are better than others.

Yes, basically I just want the validation that I am Autistic to give me peace of mind as Ben said.

What do you want a diagnosis for? I was diagnosed at 59. It gave me validation. I could stand tall. Is this why you want one? Also it stops social bullying you.

Hello BJS,  I was diagnosed last year in my mid-sixties. I am not looking for treatments, but a diagnosis has brought me peace of mind and an understanding of my past struggles. I had thought for decades I was ASD, and even saw some kind of specialist as a child, but this was never mentioned again. I was always told I had chronic anxiety and given endless scripts for valium and the like, which brought addiction to add to my problems. Like you, I count (see my reply to Hookaduckduck today on this thread). I would call this a compulsion / ritual. Maybe you have one or two OCD rituals which you have become so used to you that you accept them as normal.  I've just read on your profile that you like odd numbers, surely that's a trait. I love even numbers, when shopping I can't buy three or five of anything. The only exception is 'one', I'm comfortable to buy a single item, it's only multiples that must be in even numbers.

Autistic? Yes, I am.

Wierd? Well, it has been said, oh boy has it been said, but I'm not really that bothered anymore.

I am Ben.

Hello Duck. I count a lot when I'm stressed, it helps to steady me, kind of anchors me in a comforting way. As a child, I would count lamposts, buses, cars etc, but now it's just numbers in my head. Usually I stop at say, 100, and count backwords to zero. I occasionally do it in French or German which requires a bit more concentration, especially backwords. (I'm not fluent in those languages, I just have a working knowledge)  My psychologist calls this 'arithmomania'. If you search it on the 'net you'll see it's related to OCD, which I seem to have had to varying degrees all my life.

Ben

I don't know, I found the first one to be quite stressful in a way, there are lots of questions about childhood which I can't remember and it almost seemed that if you can't remember it goes against you.  The questions also seemed to be asked in such a way that they expected an answer from a normal point of view and as one of my coping mechanisms is to agree with NT's then I thin k I put on a poor show.  I had to wait for nearly a year to see them and in between I found this site and talked to others who said a diagnosis at my age wouldn't change things really.

Could you go for a 2nd opinion?

I guess I had hoped to get the label, I can get help at work by self identifying but I like to get the official verdict.

My rituals are scratching the mirror-opposite position of an itchy part of my body; after I scratch the itchy part and (TMI Warning) putting my finger in my naval, then sniffing it.

This is something I worry about as I personally don't feel very ritualistic either. Strangely, mine are also about pavements although I like to always cross the same roads at certain places and feel agitated if I can't for any reason. I also do a lot of counting. I count when I fill up my kettle with water for example. I love the soothing counting of stitches when I'm knitting. 

I have my initial assessment on 15th March so I may have the same outcome! 

You say "not much they can do anyway" - what had you hoped for from diagnosis? For me, I hope for support with work because I burn out quite easily.