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New here, am I in the right place?

Samuel50

My apologies if I am stumbling into something that doesn't apply to me. I don't have a diagnosis at all and don't know much about autism. Reading some of the posts on here my first thought was "it's another group I probably won't fit in with". Hmmm. I thought I'd list a few things and see if anyone relates at all before seeking any other advice.

My wife has shared with me a paper listing autistic communication styles and what they mean. A lot read like they are about me. I am pretty self-accepting these days (probably comes with age) and have just seen this as the way I am rather than being part of a spectrum or whatever. These include my honest, helpful and direct approach being misinterpreted by others as rudeness, for example. I'm not great at being fair in conversations and will readily dominate when it's a subject I know about, and I interrupt sometimes even when I try not to. Stuff like that. But I'm right, dammit! I feel uncomfortable if I haven't imparted every detail I know on a subject. I do miss some subtle clues and don't see the point of small talk. I like people sometimes but like there's a time limit if you know what I mean? I'm an over thinker. I am anxious about minor things which affect only me but cope well with major things which affect people I care about. I can see the big picture but I can also dive in to the tiniest detail for hours without seeing anything at all in between the two extremes. I value autonomy very highly, perhaps too much. I am drawn to order and get frustrated when others don't follow rules. I also don't like following rules. If I start a new task I need to reinvent the wheel and devise a novel way of doing whatever it is.

However, I don't think I have a problem with eye contact. I don't do repetitive movements or anything like that, though I do like to listen to the same track on repeat (all day sometimes) if that counts?

I have only scored 29/50 on the online spectrum quotient so it isn't conclusive that I am autistic, though I think I probably have some of the traits.

I'd appreciate any suggestions from you on what I should do / research next. Completely open to the possibility I'm just socially awkward and weird so don't hold back if that's what you think.

Thank you

Parents

  • Hi Samuel and welcome to the community!

    Many of us here are "late realised" and/or "late diagnosed", so you're in good company! :)

    We can't offer medical advice here, unfortunately, and the professionals involved in assessments also consider a lot of additional information beyond the screening tests.

    If you haven't yet seen them, you might like to read through the various resources in the NAS's recently revamped diagnosis hub:

    NAS - diagnosis hub

    They cover all stages of the process, with each section containing several articles relating to that stage:

    • Before diagnosis
    • Assessment and diagnosis 
    • After diagnosis 

    For example, these articles (from "Before diagnosis") would perhaps make for a particularly timely read:

    NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

    NAS - How to request an autism assessment

    If you live in England and decide to pursue a diagnosis, then you might like to read about requesting an assessment via Right to Choose (which enables access to private providers who might have shorter waiting lists than the NHS, but with your referral and assessment still fully funded by the NHS).

    Some examples of Right to Choose providers are listed here, for example:

    ADHD and ASD assessment – Right To Choose

    You mention having already completed the Autism Quotient test (also referred to as AQ-50) with a score that suggests you might be autistic.

    If you haven't already visited it, you might like to check out the website below, which provides very useful guidance and commentary for each screening questionnaire, and also enables them to be completed online (with scores calculated for you) and saved as PDFs. If the results support your suspicions and you decide to seek a formal diagnosis, they can then easily be printed off to take with you to the GP.

    The AQ-10 or AQ-50 seem to be the most frequently used / required by GPs in support of NHS referrals. (RAADS-R might also be helpful, although some recent research has thrown doubt on its validity as a screening tool):

    Embrace Autism - screening tests

Reply

  • Hi Samuel and welcome to the community!

    Many of us here are "late realised" and/or "late diagnosed", so you're in good company! :)

    We can't offer medical advice here, unfortunately, and the professionals involved in assessments also consider a lot of additional information beyond the screening tests.

    If you haven't yet seen them, you might like to read through the various resources in the NAS's recently revamped diagnosis hub:

    NAS - diagnosis hub

    They cover all stages of the process, with each section containing several articles relating to that stage:

    • Before diagnosis
    • Assessment and diagnosis 
    • After diagnosis 

    For example, these articles (from "Before diagnosis") would perhaps make for a particularly timely read:

    NAS - Signs that a child or adult may be autistic

    NAS - How to request an autism assessment

    If you live in England and decide to pursue a diagnosis, then you might like to read about requesting an assessment via Right to Choose (which enables access to private providers who might have shorter waiting lists than the NHS, but with your referral and assessment still fully funded by the NHS).

    Some examples of Right to Choose providers are listed here, for example:

    ADHD and ASD assessment – Right To Choose

    You mention having already completed the Autism Quotient test (also referred to as AQ-50) with a score that suggests you might be autistic.

    If you haven't already visited it, you might like to check out the website below, which provides very useful guidance and commentary for each screening questionnaire, and also enables them to be completed online (with scores calculated for you) and saved as PDFs. If the results support your suspicions and you decide to seek a formal diagnosis, they can then easily be printed off to take with you to the GP.

    The AQ-10 or AQ-50 seem to be the most frequently used / required by GPs in support of NHS referrals. (RAADS-R might also be helpful, although some recent research has thrown doubt on its validity as a screening tool):

    Embrace Autism - screening tests

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