I don't think I'm autistic but ...

We're onto something here then. Many changing interests all my life.

The problem with being intelligent when taking the various available tests, is that the 'most autistic' answers are immediately obvious, and being entirely objective in giving answers becomes difficult. Also, I certainly tend to pick apart some of the questions as being badly designed, ambiguous or very situational. I am intrigued by people who know their IQ, largely because I have never taken a test - I had little difficulty answering some questions aimed at an IQ of 159, that I came across. I am intrigued by the logical premise that people who set IQ questions must have an IQ higher than the persons being tested, so how are questions for testing very high IQs set?

Thanks that’s good to know, I’ve learnt a lot about autism which I had no idea about

Thanks for the reply 

I'm the same. I'm actually quite a spontaneous person. Not all autistic people are rigid and inflexible. 'Need for routines and rituals' is only one criteria on the autism assessment and I was diagnosed due to fitting all of the other criteria but not really this one.

I agree, which is why I said I didn't take it seriously. Since you ask, I do have a very high IQ.

I took the AHDH test and got a middling, inconclusive result. My family would find the idea of me taking a test for hyperactivity hilarious.

Gosh, I could have written this post, almost word for word. And I'm 51! Thanks.

Thank you for taking the trouble to write this reply. I'll have a look at those books. I've done a bit of online research as well, there are a surprising number of things in the Venn diagram of my life and that of a diagnosed ASD person which I didn't expect to see, like the fact that I don't like to be touched or am fussy about foods based on texture. It never even occurred to me that such things might be linked, or would have anything to do with autism. But there are a lot of ASD experiences that have no resonance with me at all, so. don't think I am autistic - maybe a scientist could study me and come up with a new disorder, maybe I am my own disorder! But I don't think it's necessary to pathologise my personality and either way, it's not caused me any great problems in my life, I have a very successful career based on a lot of qualities that fall into that Venn diagram. This experience has taught me a lot I didn't know about autism and it's interesting to know that some of my quirks are shared by other people.

lol you did an autistic test on Facebook bru if you were you autistic you'd have the IQ to realise that test means nothing. 

It’s possible that you have ADHD as well, or maybe instead. Have you tried any online tests for that?

yes. I personally care a lot about routines. routines also help me depression as well as i can sink further if i don't. however, there is no set presentation for all autistics

yes v true! was talking to my therapist the other day (only had her for a few sessions) who was saying she wants to look into me being autistic more (im not formally diagnosed but it is suspected by several mh professionals & i fit a lot of traits) & she was saying that there's no blanket set of symptoms that is every1 & every1 is completely different 

I'm untidy and I don't see the point of tidying because it all only gets untidy again.

I also have strong interests in subjects for a while...then completely forget about them and move onto the next thing. That isn't what I thought autistic people did. I thought they fixated on one interest all their life.

So I never thought I was autistic til I was diagnosed aged 52.

I am autistic and quite like routines, but I am by no means fixated on them, however, I find externally enforced change difficult to cope with. I like neatness and order, but my autistic daughter is one of the untidiest people I have ever come across. I consistently score 37 on the AQ50 test, but on the Raad's test, I score 164, when the cut off for probable autism is 65 (and over). The various tests can be useful, but are not infallible.

There are different presentations of autism and everybody is slightly different. As they say, "when you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person". So, autism isn't uniform and effects different aspects of people lives to a greater or lesser extent depending on their presentation. 

Unfortunately, the research that still influences much of the thinking around ASD was based on a small study of teenage white males, and much of the diagnostic criteria extrapolated from there. Which is why many women, girls, LGBTQ+ people and people from different ethnicities are not diagnosed until later in life or missed completely because their autism looks different. 

Clearly your answers to these online tests are highlighting some traits which could indicate autism, though you can't take what they say as a diagnosis. If it is worrying you, then I suggest you start by reading more about other people's autistic experiences and see if you can find out what (if anything) resonates with your own life experiences. 

I found reading memoirs like 'Drama Queen' by Sara Gibbs and 'Odd Girl Out' by Laura James really helpful. I also found listening to interviews with Holly Smale and watching YouTubers like Purple Ella, Yo Sandy Sam, The Aspie World and Hunter Hanson useful too. Their experiences of living with autism made more sense to me and were more relatable than simply reading the academic and highly pathologised criteria listed in the DSM-5. 

Though I can totally relate to being blindsided by an online test - I did one after one of my kids was put forward for an ASD assessment and was stunned by the results, until I sat down and thought about it and realised that it explained so much about my life  - it is also worth remembering that you don't have to follow up on any of this if you don't want to. It's totally your choice.