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Am I Autistic? Diagnosis?

Matt_Griff

Hi,

I am a 22 year old male student, who has been researching about autism for the last 4 or 5 months, and am quite sure that I fall on the spectrum. Earlier today I went to my GP to ask about autism and request a referal. He told me to come back with a list of reasons written down so he could assess them and forward them on with the referal.

Below are the reasons I came up with to back my case;

  • Really struggle to maintain eye contact
  • Become tense and stressed when people touch me / vice versa. Haven't hugged my family members in years, normally try and leave a minute early and wave goodbye from the car.
  • Repetitive actions, general snapping my fingers while walking around. (This doesn't happen to often, normally just when I'm bored, it happens without me thinking about it.)
  • Using the same phrases, normally when I can't think of a response to a conversation
  • Can never remember people's birthdays.
  • Never notice any changes to someones appearance. (Quite often they take this personally)
  • I also can't remember things that people say (eg: if a work colleague says they're going to the cinema, I'll give them a blank look the following day when they say they had a good night.)
  • Quite often I will ask somebody to repeat themselves, even though I heard them clearly the first time, it just gives me time to think of a relevant reply.
  • I hate walking through the street. There are so many people, sounds and things to look at, it makes me tense. I tend to just look at the ground.
  • Struggle understanding body language, facial expressions and social cues.
  • Not knowing when it's my time to talk, especially on the phone.
  • Small chit chat is virtually impossible for me.
  • However I can talk for hours about a topic that interests me.
  • Constantly thinking about my body posture. To a point where I will miss everything someone has said because I'm too busy adjusting my position.
  • Being told I'm impolite or keep saying/talking about the same things.
  • Can talk about myself for ages. Normally in conversations most of my responses will begin with 'I'.
  • I enjoy being alone in my room and I avoid social situations (nights out etc...). If I can't avoid it, I will stress a bit in the time leading up.
  • When it comes to arrangements, I plan every little detail in my head prior to the event. (Even to a point where I've been eating the same food because I can plan my route around the supermarket.)
  • Massive obsession with music, maths and technology. Struggle to maintain interest in anything else that doesn't fall under these categories.
  • Strong self-discipline..... or stubbornness
  • May be minor, but I read somewhere that bad handwriting is common?

I should also mention that I have taken various online AQ tests and have scored between 37 - 40 (out of 50) on all of them.

I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of at the moment.

Am I autistic? or is it possibly something else?

If I am autistic, is there really any benefit in going through a diagnosis? I'm not looking for any help or support, and I don't want to be judged for being labeled (aka job applications etc...)

Also, can I tell people that I am autistic? Even without a diagnosis? Is chatting with yourselves at The National Autistic Society enough to vouch for my condition? or will people shrug off the idea when I say I'm autistic. I like to think I hide it well, and I did once drunkenly tell someone I was concerned about having autism and they didn't believe me.

Sorry for all the questions and thank you for your time

Matt

Parents

  • Hi Matt, and welcome,

    There are probably many other members of the forum who will, like me, be nodding in agreement at the list of traits you provide - all are various traits that those on the spectrum have to a greater or lesser extent.  The AQ test, although not a diagnostic tool, does give one a pretty good idea as to whether to go for an assessment - like you, I score 40 on this, no matter how conservatively I try to answer it.

    I chose going for an assessment as I just feel it's right for me, though I understand some people are perfectly happy with self diagnosis.  It's understandable that your GP would like a list of the reasons why you feel you are autistic, and you've done a lot of good work preparing your list.  My GP was very understanding, and I did the same as you, listing reasons why I felt I might be on the spectrum.  The more information you can give them, the better.

    Autism is a spectrum condition, and everyone has different difficulties and talents, so it's not so much a yes/no question, more where in the spectrum you are.  There is a saying which goes "when you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism", meaning one person on the spectrum can be quite different to another - but there are core difficulties that everyone shares to a greater or lesser extent.

    As to if there is a benefit of going through diagnosis, it's a personal decision really.  I wanted to get a referral for an assessment because, on reading about autism and autistic traits last year, found myself agreeing with them (as on your list), and realised how accurate a description it was of myself.  If I get a diagnosis, I feel my whole life will at last make sense to me!  One particular area in which it really seems to have affected me is processing verbal instruction, and it's caused a lot of problems in my working life.  I'm not sure if revealing autism to a prospective employer causes problems or helps things, but there are many members of this forum who will be able to give you their own experiences, who have been diagnosed with an ASC.

    As to telling people, it's also a matter for each individual.  So far, I've only told close family, and a couple of particularly close cousins, who have been very supportive, and a few friends I used to work with and whom I keep in touch with, and even then have only advised that it's "possible but not yet proven".

    As to if people can tell, I think it depends on the person.  I spoke to my sister last year about the AQ and other tests that I did, as she works as a TA with autistic children, and she confided that she had had suspicions for some time that I might be on the spectrum, due to things she had noticed about me.

    I don't know if any of the above helps at all, as I'm in the same position as you, in that I'm waiting for the assessment, but there will be others on here who will have a diagnosis, and who could speak much better from experience.  I would certainly encourage you in your speaking to your doctor with the list you've prepared.  It can be a long wait (depending on area), but I think it's going to be worth it, one way or another.

    Let us know how things go, and good luck!

Reply

  • Hi Matt, and welcome,

    There are probably many other members of the forum who will, like me, be nodding in agreement at the list of traits you provide - all are various traits that those on the spectrum have to a greater or lesser extent.  The AQ test, although not a diagnostic tool, does give one a pretty good idea as to whether to go for an assessment - like you, I score 40 on this, no matter how conservatively I try to answer it.

    I chose going for an assessment as I just feel it's right for me, though I understand some people are perfectly happy with self diagnosis.  It's understandable that your GP would like a list of the reasons why you feel you are autistic, and you've done a lot of good work preparing your list.  My GP was very understanding, and I did the same as you, listing reasons why I felt I might be on the spectrum.  The more information you can give them, the better.

    Autism is a spectrum condition, and everyone has different difficulties and talents, so it's not so much a yes/no question, more where in the spectrum you are.  There is a saying which goes "when you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism", meaning one person on the spectrum can be quite different to another - but there are core difficulties that everyone shares to a greater or lesser extent.

    As to if there is a benefit of going through diagnosis, it's a personal decision really.  I wanted to get a referral for an assessment because, on reading about autism and autistic traits last year, found myself agreeing with them (as on your list), and realised how accurate a description it was of myself.  If I get a diagnosis, I feel my whole life will at last make sense to me!  One particular area in which it really seems to have affected me is processing verbal instruction, and it's caused a lot of problems in my working life.  I'm not sure if revealing autism to a prospective employer causes problems or helps things, but there are many members of this forum who will be able to give you their own experiences, who have been diagnosed with an ASC.

    As to telling people, it's also a matter for each individual.  So far, I've only told close family, and a couple of particularly close cousins, who have been very supportive, and a few friends I used to work with and whom I keep in touch with, and even then have only advised that it's "possible but not yet proven".

    As to if people can tell, I think it depends on the person.  I spoke to my sister last year about the AQ and other tests that I did, as she works as a TA with autistic children, and she confided that she had had suspicions for some time that I might be on the spectrum, due to things she had noticed about me.

    I don't know if any of the above helps at all, as I'm in the same position as you, in that I'm waiting for the assessment, but there will be others on here who will have a diagnosis, and who could speak much better from experience.  I would certainly encourage you in your speaking to your doctor with the list you've prepared.  It can be a long wait (depending on area), but I think it's going to be worth it, one way or another.

    Let us know how things go, and good luck!

Children
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