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I believe my Artist Friend is Autistic

Desmond79

He has a lot of traits; which I notice. Whenever he goes to shops, he has outbursts. Also, he gets confused with white cars; not knowing which one is mine. Plus, his mental health issues could indicate a misdiagnosis of Asperger's. (Poor time management, confusion over time and day, refusal to tidy up)

How may I approach my concerns; to him?

  • just ask him if he is autistic or share your concerns with the gp 

  • You could always broach the subject with him like "you and I are so similar, maybe you're autistic?" And see how he reacts. If it's a positive reaction take it further. My best friend did that with me and she was right, I was autistic. It's thanks to her saying that to me which opened my eyes and made me go for a diagnosis.

    Hope this is some help.

  • I know everyone reacts to these things differently. I made a mistake telling a friend my concerns and it did not go down well. I had the best intentions but it was not the right thing to do. My overwhelming concern for other missed autistic adults after my own diagnosis seemed to affect my judgement. I have had a difficult time trying to stop myself noticing the traits in people I encounter.

    I don't want to suggest anything that may be wrong in this case - except be very careful if you do decide to approach him.

  • I think it's never a good idea to tell someone you think they might be autistic- you never know how they're going to take it. And for those of us who are late diagnosed, it's a journey of discovery that we have to take for ourselves at out own pace.

    What you can do is help them on that path to doscovery by being open about your own autistic experiences, and give them a chance to think, oh, I can relate to that.

  • You could try by simply saying that it is not your intention to cause offense or upset him, and then ask him if he has ever considered that he may be autistic.