Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey all, hope this is okay to post.
I’ve recently started to realise I may have autism - I originally thought it was ADHD but when I started looking at the crossover I realise that autism might be playing a role too!
I was just wondering what were the signs that originally made you realise you have/might have autism? Especially if you were diagnosed as an adult rather than as a child.
And a follow on question - looking back what did you do as a child that was likely due to autism? I want to get tested but seeing other peoples experiences I’m worried about the process - my memory is so rubbish I’m worried they’ll think I’m just wasting their time.
Thanks in advance!
I had a slight hint about a decade ago because I was really having difficulty dealing with people.
But I shrugged it off, feeling a little better, and I didn't think about it again.
Then, about 5 years ago, I was beginning to feel very burnt out and irritable and was looking to change career, or just looking for something to change.
A colleague had been observing me for about a year and they said.
"I've been watching you all this time and I've noticed you don't read body language at all well. You don't notice when people are tired, bored, or upset. You interrupt and talk over people. You get moody about the smallest things. You're definitely autistic, maybe you should look into it"
My response was to chuckle, yeah maybe.
A while later, I finally realised/accepted that something was going on, so I went to my GP and 'demanded' a referral.
I suppose one sign was that I took a carrier bag of printouts, surveys, anecdotes to the surgery. They fortunately had no reservations about referring me.
As a child, I always had the loner/outsider thing. I often felt I was living in a movie and that people were merely interesting entities to observe and try to understand. There was a distinct sense of separateness.
Somehow, it all seemed to go unnoticed for nearly 5 decades...
Did you get diagnosed in the finish exist?
Yes, I had my final assessment in May with confirmation of ASD, final report was received in June/July.
Then I had a final virtual chat a couple of weeks ago to discuss the result.
It was all NHS. I was on a waiting list for nearly 3 years. I had virtual assessments in March, April, and May. It was really good, very easy and relaxed. The assessor did a great job putting me at ease and teasing out details I'd never even thought about.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience.
I was advised to seek ADHD assessment because they noticed some obvious traits, but for various reasons it wasn't in their remit to diagnose ADHD.