Adults & Autism- How To Get Tested For It

It would be nice if an autism diagnosis were something simple. It’s only recently that we’ve started to understand autism as a spectrum—one that isn’t even linear in fact. Many autistic folks have suggested it’s actually more of a sphere, with many different autistic traits involved. Signs of autism change throughout the developmental process, and if not caught at an early age it often goes undiagnosed well into adulthood, particularly for women, non-binary and trans folks, and members of other minority groups.

 In today’s article, we’re going to explore signs of autism in adults, and look at the methods used to screen and test for it.

Signs of Autism in Adults

Social Disconnection

 Many adults with autism are left feeling like they’re on the outside looking in. Oftentimes, autistic adults express that it is difficult for them to connect with others, or that they may stay on the periphery of social groups. Other people might seem a bit like a black box. Many autistic folks, particularly people raised as girls, report they took on the role of an observer from a young age, studying how allistic people communicate and applying that knowledge in later interactions.

 While it can be difficult for autistic folks to understand allistic people, the literature suggests it’s equally difficult for allistic folks to understand them. There’s no right or wrong. It’s a function of differences in neurological perspective. This is what is called the Double Empathy Problem, and it is why autistic folks are much more likely to get along better with other autistic people. Sometimes autistic people have been looking in all the wrong places for connection and community.

Social Exhaustion

 Autistic folks often get very excited and passionate about their interests—and that attention to detail and hyperfocus can leave others feeling exhausted. An info dump is a labor of love for an autistic person, a deep sign of a desire to connect and share, but for allistic people, it’s exhausting to try to keep up with that enthusiasm and focus.

 Similarly, an autistic person can feel exhausted when trying to keep up with the onslaught of irrelevant small talk that comes with everyday social interactions in a neurotypical world. Brains hungry for information soak it all up, but when the relevance never becomes clear, there’s no payoff for all that effort to connect.

Masking to Fit In

How often do you find yourself pretending to be interested in something simply to fit in? Going through the motions and nodding along may work, but trying to play life by a set of rules that don’t fit often leaves autistic folks feeling uncomfortable and out of place.

Sensory Sensitivity

 Autistic folks frequently experience sensory input differently than others. They may experience differences in any of the eight senses (yes, eight!): touch, smell, hearing, taste, sight, interoception, proprioception, and vestibular. Crowded spaces and rooms with lots of conversations happening all around, with loud noises and bright lighting can trigger sensory overwhelm. There’s no one-size-fits-all description of how autistic people experience sensory sensitivity and overload. It’s worth exploring whether what seems at first glance to be personal preference might be a sign of neurological difference.

Screening & Diagnosis

 If you believe you may be autistic, the best place to start is with a self-test or screening tool, like with those on the Embrace Autism website. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to go through these, and they should give you a general idea of whether or not you should follow up with a psychologist for a more formal assessment.

 Some broad examples of questions you may want to ask yourself are:

●      Do you feel like you’ve struggled to fit into allistic spaces?

●      Do you get along better with neurodivergent folks?

●      Are you sensitive to fabrics or textures?

●      Do you stick to the same choices when it comes to foods?

●      Are you sensitive to certain kinds of touch?

●      Do loud noises or crowded spaces make you uncomfortable?

●      Does eye contact make you uncomfortable?

●      Do you engage in body movements to self-regulate?

●      Do you have areas of passionate interest?

If you believe you may have been missed as a child and could be an autistic adult, please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information about autism assessment.