Published on 12, July, 2020
Ive been considering the possibly that I may have autism for a few years now, but I’ve never done anything to about it. I’ve just taken a bunch of online assessments and stuff, but until recently I never actually made an effort to seek diagnosis bc I have always felt like an idiot for even considering it. I go online and see people talking about how everyone thinks they have autism bc of tiktok and it’s just made me feel silly for thinking that I do too.
however, recently I’ve been regularly seeing a counselor at my university who has been heavily pushing me to seriously consider seeking a diagnosis. I also have had a second counselor and even a professor tell me that some of the feelings I describe having (i struggle with severe social issues and often feel like I’m not even human bc human connection feels so impossible to me) sound like autism. So, I’m now on a waitlist. I still feel dumb for thinking I might have it and I worry that I’m going to burn $600 on this assessment just to be told I’m not autistic and an idiot for even thinking it.
Your feelings are quite normal, it took me a long time to accept autism into my life. I’m a bit older, my thoughts were, “ I’m nothing like Rainman, I can’t be autistic.” The more I then read about autism made me realise that I am autistic. The masking part of your brain is carrying on with, “nothing to see here.”
I’ve seen some of the TikTok videos, a few are helpful, most seem to make the watcher think that if they have one trait then they are autistic, we all have human traits, you should never feel stupid, I have felt ashamed for being autistic, I realised in the end that it was just other peoples ignorance making me feel that way. Good luck with your assessment.
Hi saccharinedreams,
Our website has a diagnosis hub, this includes information, practical and multimedia resources to support autistic people and their families before during and after diagnosis.
You may want to visit the other resources on our website, we have advice and guidance on a wide range of information about autism, socialising and relationships, communication and education: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance
You can try searching on our Autism Services Directory for diagnostic services in your local area. The Directory also includes listings for support and social groups for autistic people, their families and friends.
Kind Regards,Rosie Mod
Have you taken any autism tests online? The AQ (autism quotient) test was created by a leading autism expert, professor Baron-Cohen and is used in diagnosis, plus there are a few others available online that are also used and can give you a good indication. Here is a website which explains and evaluates them and where you can also take the tests: https://embrace-autism.com/a-summary-of-the-autism-tests-and-scores/
Some of us here do not have a professional diagnosis for various reasons, but anyone is welcome to post here - reading the experiences of others and feeling the same way helped me to accept that I was on the spectrum. Ask us anything you want - you are not an idiot!
Hi, I’m not sure if TikTok is a reliable source of information, I don’t even use it. But if a councillor tells you, then I think it’s worth to look into. Some of us may feel stupid for considering ourselves autistic, maybe because of stereotypes about what autism is. On this site there are really helpful articles about considering getting diagnosis, pre and post diagnosis support. Also I find discussions in this forum helpful. In my case I remember that my teachers told my mom they suspect I’m autistic, and now psychiatrist and psychologist told me the same thing. The online screening tools are also good for detecting autism, especially the RAADS test. When it comes to social media I use this site and YouTube. There are some really good channels there, like “Asperger’s from the inside” by Paul Micalleff. There are also books, but I currently can not recommend anything because I’m so busy I can’t even finish my favorite book I started half year ago.