Published on 12, July, 2020
I have a close friend who is under the process of an ASC assements. They definitely struggle socially and openly admit they do,, probably do have intense interests but I get the impression they maybe don’t see this as a trait. Sensory wise I’ve never heard them mention any differences to a Neurotypical person so maybe they don’t have sensory differences. Is this all part of the spectrum?
Most have similar traits but in differing degrees, for example some hypersensitive, others hypo.
Autism really is a spectrum, rather than a scale or binary "yes or no" , it's a cocktail of traits that form it and affect all in different degrees. Have a look for info on spikey profiles, that will help you understand that side of it.
I never realised I had obsessive interests until diagnosed, then looked back and thought, "well that explains a lot" , I had been 300% on some things and not stopped thinking, doing, talking about them , but hadn't realised. Self awareness was an issue at times too
"You meet one autistic and you've met one" is a phrase you'll hear a lot.
It's really great that you're there to support your friend and they feel safe around you so they can talk about their issues. It's one of the most important and much needed things for anyone to have.
Is it possible they’ll be diagnosed with Atypical Autism or simply they’ll be diagnosed with Autism or they won’t?
You can find information about the diagnostic criteria here:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/diagnostic-criteria
https://www.beyondautism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Diagnosis.pdf