Couldn't even do the tasks

I think you had an uber-autistic reaction to the tasks. I'm hugely relieved that I did not have to do any of these 'pantomime' tasks, because I mask like a professional and would have appeared entirely neurotypical.

I didn’t have them either. I would have flat out refused to participate. 

I think these tests were designed for the assessment of small children and the NHS has not recognised that small children and adults are different. Adults can give accurate information on their traits, problems and limitations, there is almost zero need for tests of this sort.

I need a lot of 'alone-time' to recover from social exhaustion, which was a little hard on my family when I worked full time. If I knew something particularly stressful was coming up at work, I would book the day after off as a holiday, so I could recover.

Masking is automatic for me too, although it breaks down a bit when I’m tired.

The problem is for the last three years I’ve been chronically exhausted and I am told masking is a big part of the reason for that.

I think that my masking is as much part of me as my autism. If masking is not causing you distress and helps in social situations, then unmasking is not an advantage, and could be disadvantageous. My masking is automatic, it causes me no distress, it just leaves me very tired if I have to keep it up for too long. Therefore, I have made no attempts to unmask. However, my willingness to put up with situations that do cause me distress has diminished hugely following my diagnosis. I now recognise that my distress is genuine and just because a situation causes no problem for neurotypicals, it does not mean that I should attempt to put up with it.

At some airports, if you report to the disability support desk they will loan you a sunflower lanyard, or if you have your own, the people controlling the security queue will recognise the lanyard and shunt you from the long 'general queue' to a shorter faster-transit queue. I found it quite useful as I can get quite agitated when in crowded situations for any length of time.

Ditto. I got a report and was sent on my way. I’m still trying to figure out how to process it or change my life.

What’s this about airport security?

That would include me. I know all the literature and social media influencers keep going on about masking being a girl thing but I began masking in childhood and perfected it in my early 20s.

My assessors told me to try not to mask but I didn’t even know how I would do that!

The idea that autism assessors are gatekeeping a cornucopia of benefits is not convincing to me. I have received exactly zero support of any kind since my diagnosis in 2021. The only practical benefits I have had from my diagnosis is an ability to use disabled toilets without feeling guilty, and access to a speeded up security check at an airport.

But that would tend to exclude the many autistic adults who have a lifetime of perfecting masking behind them, especially females. 

Of course there are the Cute so-and-sos who intentionally act disabled; to claim benefits.

I suppose some people might lie or be mistaken about their traits, hence they need to observe them.

I suppose some people might lie or be mistaken about their traits, hence they need to observe them.

I need a lot of 'alone-time' to recover from social exhaustion, which was a little hard on my family when I worked full time. If I knew something particularly stressful was coming up at work, I would book the day after off as a holiday, so I could recover.

Masking is automatic for me too, although it breaks down a bit when I’m tired.

The problem is for the last three years I’ve been chronically exhausted and I am told masking is a big part of the reason for that.

I think that my masking is as much part of me as my autism. If masking is not causing you distress and helps in social situations, then unmasking is not an advantage, and could be disadvantageous. My masking is automatic, it causes me no distress, it just leaves me very tired if I have to keep it up for too long. Therefore, I have made no attempts to unmask. However, my willingness to put up with situations that do cause me distress has diminished hugely following my diagnosis. I now recognise that my distress is genuine and just because a situation causes no problem for neurotypicals, it does not mean that I should attempt to put up with it.

At some airports, if you report to the disability support desk they will loan you a sunflower lanyard, or if you have your own, the people controlling the security queue will recognise the lanyard and shunt you from the long 'general queue' to a shorter faster-transit queue. I found it quite useful as I can get quite agitated when in crowded situations for any length of time.

Ditto. I got a report and was sent on my way. I’m still trying to figure out how to process it or change my life.

What’s this about airport security?

That would include me. I know all the literature and social media influencers keep going on about masking being a girl thing but I began masking in childhood and perfected it in my early 20s.

My assessors told me to try not to mask but I didn’t even know how I would do that!

The idea that autism assessors are gatekeeping a cornucopia of benefits is not convincing to me. I have received exactly zero support of any kind since my diagnosis in 2021. The only practical benefits I have had from my diagnosis is an ability to use disabled toilets without feeling guilty, and access to a speeded up security check at an airport.

But that would tend to exclude the many autistic adults who have a lifetime of perfecting masking behind them, especially females. 

Of course there are the Cute so-and-sos who intentionally act disabled; to claim benefits.