Hi,
I am 28 and have suspected autism for some time. It was originally highlighted by someone else who spotted the signs.
I have always struggled immensely in social situations- I now avoid them altogether. So much so that for the past 6 years I have chosen jobs where I can work in solitude. I have no friends. It was 12-18 months before I first spoke to any other child at secondary school and that was only because they approached me. I was always called "weird" because all I did was read and talk about animals.
I excelled at school and I am very good at art. My special interests are animals, especially dogs, who I draw realistically.
Other people notice things about me that I do not. For example, I'm often described as cold and unaffectionate and don't make eye contact.
I took the 'autism test' and scored 39.
I summoned the courage, took the plunge and saw my GP today after reading on this main website that seeing a GP is the first step to diagnosis. I love organisation, planning and lists. I wrote down everything I thought was odd about me or possibly autism related to show him- it ended up being three pages long.
He told me that the fact I've decided to speak to a GP is not an autistic trait. I told him that to go on holiday I have to plan every detail months in advance. He said that if I was autistic I wouldn't be able to go on holiday at all.
He hasn't referred me and now I'm left feeling lost.
I'm not quite sure what to do now...
