Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello there, I have came to this forum in search of legitimate answers in regards to my daily life, just so you guys fully understand the story my doctor is currently in the process of writing me a refferal to the most suitable place to get this tested, Since I am now 19 it is hard to get tests out of school, at a young age I was diagnosed with dysgraphia a fine motor disorder i believe however i have recently been looking into asd and doing extensive unhealthy research and have came across a wide array of opinions on aspergers syndrome (Im sure you know what im talking about), anyway im really nervous for interview what if I am not diagnosed because I have got used to hiding symptoms? I am sure that this is what is the problem, does anyone happen to know what traits are absolutely necessary to identify someone on the spectrum because it seems to honestly describe me in social situations i get confused if 2 people talk to me at once i expierience what i believe to be sensory overload i feel like i am really attention seeking here but I really am looking for an answer... if you got this far thank you for paying attention give me your honest thoughts.
Welcome, DivinitySanctum,
From my own experience of being diagnosed only a few weeks ago, I'd just like to reassure you that having coping tactics that "hide" any AS traits in daily life should not affect your chances of an accurate diagnosis.
I spent 45 years of my life not knowing I was autistic, and I've mostly been able act the role of a non-autistic person well enough that many of my friends still have a hard time believing the diagnosis! However, the psychological tests and interviews etc. used in the diagnostic process for adults are designed to "see through" any habitual coping tactics that you might have (even ones that you maybe don't realise yourself - I learned that my habit of watching peoples mouth move fools them into thinking that I'm making eye-contact much of the time!)
As classic codger pointed out, you also appear to have very good self-awareness of the traits that make you feel different to the people around you - and that too will make the job of the person assessing you much simpler. A great deal of the testing process involves giving the assessor an insight into what goes on inside your head, rather than how you appear on the outside.
If you can just be as clear about your traits during your assessment as you have been in your posts here, the person assessing you should easily have all the information that they need to do their job. Keeping those notes about your day to day experiences is also a great idea - take those to your assessment to use as prompts in case any of the questions you are asked stump you for words.
However it turns out, the process should still give you a great deal of insight into yourself and how you relate to the world - and whatever you learn, it can only put you in a much better position to move forward in life.
Best wishes,
Trog.