This is a thread for those here who are Level 1 without ADHD what has been your experience of life so far, relationships, career, special interests....anything really? Particularly males.

Similar in some ways, different in others.

I was diagnosed with ASD at 59, so never had any support or accommodations. I hated, loathed and feared school, despite being academically able (eventually a PhD and a career in biomedical research). My reaction to starting infant school was three months of selective mutism. The sixth-form was less unpleasant than the rest. I never had much problem making friends, but could only cope with having a couple at any one time.

I have had relatively few definite ambitions in my life, but pursued them fairly relentlessly. I never let being uncomfortable impede me. If I had to give a presentation, I did so, take an exam the same, though I experienced high levels of anxiety.

I have always appeared a calm and considerate person, sometimes despite inner turmoil. No one has ever found me rude or unobliging,

I have always acted a part, because it makes life easier, despite being exhausting. My daughter once had work experience at the institute I worked at and was very surprised at how I had so many friendly relationships with colleagues. This is because my family mostly saw me when I needed to recover from being convivial and socialising during the working day.

People whose first language is not English have commented on how easy I am to understand.

I passed the driving test on my first attempt.

What I now realise were micro-autistic meltdowns (lasting a few seconds to a minute or so) have always been self-directed and only occurred when I was alone. They never impacted anyone else.

I have trouble with over-socialising - too much or too intense - and have to have alone time afterward, in order to recover.

I have difficulties with group conversations, timing interjections. I cannot hold a conversation if there is a high level of background noise, or if a radio or TV is on. My concentration just flips back and forth.

I have trouble with switching tasks. If a meeting at work was cancelled at the last minute, I would have a lag time of 20 minutes or more before I could do anything constructive.

I have a rather overly high level of reactive empathy, someone else in distress often has a disproportionate effect on me. I do not do hugging and 'there there' type responses, however. I would tend to dissect the problem causing the distress and suggest remedies. More useful but less typically primate-like, I think.

The biggest negative impact of autism on my life has been an inability to read body language. Facial expressions I am generally fine at interpreting, but not body language. Because of this blindness I could never convert acquaintanceships with the opposite sex into any sort of romantic or sexual relationship. I never knew if someone was attracted to me or not, which is a big handicap when you would not dream of imposing yourself on anyone. The signals are, it turns out, very subtle and subconscious. However, I had university libraries to consult and eventually cobbled together a working, though intellectual, grasp of what to look for. I have been married for 30 years now, with rather wonderful  ADHD and autistic children, one of each.

Similar in some ways, different in others.

I was diagnosed with ASD at 59, so never had any support or accommodations. I hated, loathed and feared school, despite being academically able (eventually a PhD and a career in biomedical research). My reaction to starting infant school was three months of selective mutism. The sixth-form was less unpleasant than the rest. I never had much problem making friends, but could only cope with having a couple at any one time.

I have had relatively few definite ambitions in my life, but pursued them fairly relentlessly. I never let being uncomfortable impede me. If I had to give a presentation, I did so, take an exam the same, though I experienced high levels of anxiety.

I have always appeared a calm and considerate person, sometimes despite inner turmoil. No one has ever found me rude or unobliging,

I have always acted a part, because it makes life easier, despite being exhausting. My daughter once had work experience at the institute I worked at and was very surprised at how I had so many friendly relationships with colleagues. This is because my family mostly saw me when I needed to recover from being convivial and socialising during the working day.

People whose first language is not English have commented on how easy I am to understand.

I passed the driving test on my first attempt.

What I now realise were micro-autistic meltdowns (lasting a few seconds to a minute or so) have always been self-directed and only occurred when I was alone. They never impacted anyone else.

I have trouble with over-socialising - too much or too intense - and have to have alone time afterward, in order to recover.

I have difficulties with group conversations, timing interjections. I cannot hold a conversation if there is a high level of background noise, or if a radio or TV is on. My concentration just flips back and forth.

I have trouble with switching tasks. If a meeting at work was cancelled at the last minute, I would have a lag time of 20 minutes or more before I could do anything constructive.

I have a rather overly high level of reactive empathy, someone else in distress often has a disproportionate effect on me. I do not do hugging and 'there there' type responses, however. I would tend to dissect the problem causing the distress and suggest remedies. More useful but less typically primate-like, I think.

The biggest negative impact of autism on my life has been an inability to read body language. Facial expressions I am generally fine at interpreting, but not body language. Because of this blindness I could never convert acquaintanceships with the opposite sex into any sort of romantic or sexual relationship. I never knew if someone was attracted to me or not, which is a big handicap when you would not dream of imposing yourself on anyone. The signals are, it turns out, very subtle and subconscious. However, I had university libraries to consult and eventually cobbled together a working, though intellectual, grasp of what to look for. I have been married for 30 years now, with rather wonderful  ADHD and autistic children, one of each.