Anyone else amazing and autistic?

[TheRevienne]

Hey everyone!

So, last December, after being on a waiting list since February 2019, I finally got my autism diagnosis. So I wondered if anyone else here is on the spectrum, and maybe we can be friends, share stories etc.

I wanted to share firstly how I found out I was autistic. So I worked in a nursery 2017-2018, and one of the members of staff who I was friends with mentioned it to me that I might be on the spectrum. I ended up seeing my GP, for other things as well, but she put me on to an amazing charity where I live that offers autism diagnosis for free. I went for my screening appointment and the guy I saw said I was on the mild end, and put me on the list for assessment. That was back in 2019, I was told there'd be an 18 month wait, but of course COVID happened and it ended up being longer. I then got a surprise phonecall saying I was able to go for my assessment.

I had 2 appointments, one with the assistant psychologist (who was autistic) and one with the psychologist (who has ADHD, and likes Fallout, and DnD so we needed out a bit). Both appointments lasted about 3 hours each, and my dad was there with me to tell them about childhood. In the final assessment, the psychologist told my dad that the way he responded to me growing up and to my needs, never flagged up the autism to anyone, hence why it's not been noticed till I said something.

I am so happy I have my diagnosis now, it feels like a puzzle piece of what makes me, me has been put into place. I've told a few people who don't really understand, and one said 'Do you really want that on your medical record?'. Being autistic is nothing to be ashamed of, it just means we view the world a little different to someone who's neurotypical.

So, how about you, any interesting quirks you have with your autism, what are some of your special interests, I'd love to hear them! ​

 

[xSuperMario64x]

I'm autistic and I'm not ashamed of it at all. at least, on this forum I'm not. that's not to say that I'm ashamed of myself in public, but there is still stigma around autism so I try to play it safe in public. but yeah I'm happy to tell people in autistic because that's what makes me who I am as a person and a friend.

I got my diagnosis when I was 12, in 7th grade. i think my parents had always suspected I was autistic but it wasn't official until I got my diagnosis. i also have inattentive ADHD. but my parents never made a big deal about it, they didn't want to treat me any differently than they treated my brother, who is not autistic. and they didn't want me to feel bad about it at all. unfortunately that led to issues down the road, because I started to think that i was lazy and not as hard working as I thought I was, and these feelings got worse and worse the older I got. I realized in my last year of college that most of my issues stem from not understanding autism and what kind of accommodations I needed. I understand myself a lot better these days but now I have to undo years and years of trauma associated with me, as an autistic person, not getting my needs met.

anyways, enough of my sob story. I would love to be friends! I have lots of autistic friends on this forum, I'm sure they'll show themselves here over time
if you want you can send me a PM so we can chat!

 

[daringred_]

i don't know if i'm allowed to comment here, since i'm not officially diagnosed or anything, but i have had people (some autistic themselves, others not) suggest that i might be on the spectrum somewhere, although it would be a very mild case. i've looked into it before, and all of the main adult signs (as listed on the NHS website, at least) seem to fit me bar one, and a lot of the signs for female children seem to apply as well. that being said, i have depression and anxiety (and potentially ADD, although i haven't had a chance to pursue a diagnosis yet) so relating to some of those signs could be a result of that. i've heard it's difficult to get a diagnosis, especially if you're an adult woman (i mean, 22 isn't exactly old, but...) and even if i am on the spectrum, i think it's a mild enough case that an official diagnosis wouldn't make much of a difference? although i don't exactly know what would happen after a diagnosis either. regardless, i look forward to keeping an eye on this thread and reading about other people's experiences and stuff. maybe it'll help me figure my own situation out and provide some clarity!

again, if i'm not allowed to comment here, just let me know and i'll edit this to say nothing !! the last thing i want to do is intrude.

 

[Midoriya]

I’m autistic. I was born with Aspergers and diagnosed as a kid, having to live with it my entire life. I took speech classes when I was younger, however, and became adept socially as I grew older. I’ve done martial arts for almost 15 years of my life now, ever since I was 10 years old. I’ve also graduated from university as well. On December 1st, 2020, my mom passed away from gastric (stomach) cancer after a ten month battle with it. I’d like to think that I’m just now moving past it. I’d also like to think that her strength and ability to touch the hearts of anyone she talked to lives on in me.

 

[TheRevienne]

I'm autistic and I'm not ashamed of it at all. at least, on this forum I'm not. that's not to say that I'm ashamed of myself in public, but there is still stigma around autism so I try to play it safe in public. but yeah I'm happy to tell people in autistic because that's what makes me who I am as a person and a friend.

I got my diagnosis when I was 12, in 7th grade. i think my parents had always suspected I was autistic but it wasn't official until I got my diagnosis. i also have inattentive ADHD. but my parents never made a big deal about it, they didn't want to treat me any differently than they treated my brother, who is not autistic. and they didn't want me to feel bad about it at all. unfortunately that led to issues down the road, because I started to think that i was lazy and not as hard working as I thought I was, and these feelings got worse and worse the older I got. I realized in my last year of college that most of my issues stem from not understanding autism and what kind of accommodations I needed. I understand myself a lot better these days but now I have to undo years and years of trauma associated with me, as an autistic person, not getting my needs met.

anyways, enough of my sob story. I would love to be friends! I have lots of autistic friends on this forum, I'm sure they'll show themselves here over time
if you want you can send me a PM so we can chat!

I totally get you about the stigma, it's either you're too autistic (openly stimming etc), or not autistic enough. As a female with autism, I chameleon, and mask a lot. I work in retail, and a lot of what I do is social, customer service, talking on the phone etc, so I force myself to try and occasionally make eye contact. If I know you and I'm comfortable and you know I'm autistic, I don't.

Yes, in my job at the nursery, I wasn't getting some of the work I had to do, like making up the kids files on development, and my manager just thought I was being lazy. I also have a trait of ADHD called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria which is fun, cause that means any type of failure or rejection I take it way too hard, which made what happened at the nursery worse :/

Of course! Thank you

 

[xSuperMario64x]

i have had people (some autistic themselves, others not) suggest that i might be on the spectrum somewhere, although it would be a very mild case.

well there's no such thing as "mild autism", you either have it or you don't. that "mild/high functioning" thing usually comes from how well a person is able to mask their autistic symptoms, and I (and prob many others) personally don't take that as a compliment. please don't think you're being rude though, I know you mean no harm at all. learning (or rather unlearning) is the first step towards autism acceptance

 

[daringred_]

well there's no such thing as "mild autism", you either have it or you don't. that "mild/high functioning" thing usually comes from how well a person is able to mask their autistic symptoms, and I (and prob many others) personally don't take that as a compliment. please don't think you're being rude though, I know you mean no harm at all. learning (or rather unlearning) is the first step towards autism acceptance

i'm sorry, the OP said they themselves are on the "mild end", so that's just what i was referring to with the same language. i wouldn't know about masking or whether or not i've done/am doing it because, as i said, i'm not particularly well-educated on autism and haven't spoken to a doctor about it -- i'm just echoing what people, including some who have autism, have told me in the past.

 

[TheRevienne]

i don't know if i'm allowed to comment here, since i'm not officially diagnosed or anything, but i have had people (some autistic themselves, others not) suggest that i might be on the spectrum somewhere, although it would be a very mild case. i've looked into it before, and all of the main adult signs (as listed on the NHS website, at least) seem to fit me bar one, and a lot of the signs for female children seem to apply as well. that being said, i have depression and anxiety (and potentially ADD, although i haven't had a chance to pursue a diagnosis yet) so relating to some of those signs could be a result of that. i've heard it's difficult to get a diagnosis, especially if you're an adult woman (i mean, 22 isn't exactly old, but...) and even if i am on the spectrum, i think it's a mild enough case that an official diagnosis wouldn't make much of a difference? although i don't exactly know what would happen after a diagnosis either. regardless, i look forward to keeping an eye on this thread and reading about other people's experiences and stuff. maybe it'll help me figure my own situation out and provide some clarity!

again, if i'm not allowed to comment here, just let me know and i'll edit this to say nothing !! the last thing i want to do is intrude.

I don't mind at all that you've commented

Are you in the UK if you don't mind me asking? There may be something similar to the charity I got referred to where you are. First thing I'd do is speak to your GP about it. The charity that helped me was self referral based, so I got a form from the doctor and had to send it myself.

Autism is a lot harder to detect in females than males, purely because the diagnostic criteria is geared towards males (my psychologist told me that). Also, the same areas in a autistic females brain which light up, and the same as a neurotypical male. Anne Hegerty, from the Chase was diagnosed later in life, as were a lot of women. I'm 27 this year. But if you need any help at all or just to chat, drop a message

Post automatically merged: Jan 22, 2022

well there's no such thing as "mild autism", you either have it or you don't. that "mild/high functioning" thing usually comes from how well a person is able to mask their autistic symptoms, and I (and prob many others) personally don't take that as a compliment. please don't think you're being rude though, I know you mean no harm at all. learning (or rather unlearning) is the first step towards autism acceptance

i'm sorry, the OP said they themselves are on the "mild end", so that's just what i was referring to with the same language. i wouldn't know about masking or whether or not i've done/am doing it because, as i said, i'm not particularly well-educated on autism and haven't spoken to a doctor about it -- i'm just echoing what people, including some who have autism, have told me in the past.

Yes, the guy I saw for my screening specifically used the term 'mild' when he described where I fit on the spectrum. He more than likely meant that I mask though, cause I do, and I know I do.

 

[daringred_]

I don't mind at all that you've commented

Are you in the UK if you don't mind me asking? There may be something similar to the charity I got referred to where you are. First thing I'd do is speak to your GP about it. The charity that helped me was self referral based, so I got a form from the doctor and had to send it myself.

Autism is a lot harder to detect in females than males, purely because the diagnostic criteria is geared towards males (my psychologist told me that). Also, the same areas in a autistic females brain which light up, and the same as a neurotypical male. Anne Hegerty, from the Chase was diagnosed later in life, as were a lot of women. I'm 27 this year. But if you need any help at all or just to chat, drop a message

yeah, i'm in the UK! i might bring it (and the ADD) up at my next doctor's appointment when i go for a medication review. i've neglected to do it in recent years just because i've been trying to get help for my other mental health issues, and i always feel awkward bringing up too many issues with the doctor lol.

anne is actually the reason i really considered what other people had told me in the past! before then, i wasn't so sure because i seemed too 'normal', for lack of a better word, but when she participated in i'm a celebrity, she openly discussed her autism and how she was diagnosed, and it was an eye opener since i've always liked her on the chase and felt we were kind of similar, and on i'm a celebrity, i really related to how she sometimes struggled to interact with and read the other contestants or got overwhelmed etc. it reminded me a lot of my own behavior.

 

[Dim]

I've been diagnosed with autism last summer. I feel I struggled with it all my life though. I've only been diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8 and never got myself tested since. I've always had to be on medication. I've struggled with lots of things like my behavior and communicating with others even to this day. I've had many people think less of me for them, even my own family (though they are more understanding nowadays.) I don't wanna say I'm ashamed of being autistic but it's just very difficult and it hurts because I feel nobody around me truly understands me and wants to avoid me as much as possible.

 

[TheRevienne]

yeah, i'm in the UK! i might bring it (and the ADD) up at my next doctor's appointment when i go for a medication review. i've neglected to do it in recent years just because i've been trying to get help for my other mental health issues, and i always feel awkward bringing up too many issues with the doctor lol.

anne is actually the reason i really considered what other people had told me in the past! before then, i wasn't so sure because i seemed too 'normal', for lack of a better word, but when she participated in i'm a celebrity, she openly discussed her autism and how she was diagnosed, and it was an eye opener since i've always liked her on the chase and felt we were kind of similar, and on i'm a celebrity, i really related to how she sometimes struggled to interact with and read the other contestants or got overwhelmed etc. it reminded me a lot of my own behavior.

Yeah, I'd bring it up, it's not going to get better or change if you don't say anything, and I know it's scary, I was terrified when I went to speak to mine about it, and the other mental health issues I had/have.

Anne is with me as well, I'd already had my screening when she was on I think so it was something my dad and I were discussing already. I know that feeling of feeling too 'normal' or in my case it was more of I didn't think I was 'bad enough' or there were people who needed the help more than me.

But if you ever need to chat,or you need help, you're more than welcome to drop a message

 

[xSuperMario64x]

i'm sorry, the OP said they themselves are on the "mild end", so that's just what i was referring to with the same language. i wouldn't know about masking or whether or not i've done/am doing it because, as i said, i'm not particularly well-educated on autism and haven't spoken to a doctor about it -- i'm just echoing what people, including some who have autism, have told me in the past.

it's totally fine! it's actually a relatively new concept arising within the community, and there are still plenty of autistic people who refer to themselves as high-functioning/Aspergers. I personally choose not to use such language as I don't like functioning labels, but it's not necessarily wrong if you use them. I'm hoping the language fades over time. if there's anything else you're curious about you can ask me (or maybe check this thread periodically).

 

[TheRevienne]

I've been diagnosed with autism last summer. I feel I struggled with it all my life though. I've only been diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8 and never got myself tested since. I've always had to be on medication. I've struggled with lots of things like my behavior and communicating with others even to this day. I've had many people think less of me for them, even my own family (though they are more understanding nowadays.) I don't wanna say I'm ashamed of being autistic but it's just very difficult and it hurts because I feel nobody around me truly understands me and wants to avoid me as much as possible.

I know how you feel about people not understanding you. I've told my managers where I work I've been diagnosed, but nothing has changed much :/ They still treat me the same. We can get very busy where I work, with lots of customers at once, and I'm often on my own on the cash desk, and it's a lot to cope with, and I get burnt out :L That's one thing I was worried about too, my dad being ashamed of me. Because of when he was brought up and how, his parents never told him often they loved him, or they were proud, even though they were, and he does the same with me. He only says it if I say it to him first. He still loves me though, and he's not ashamed. Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind

 

[Neb]

I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when I was four. My relationship with the condition is complex. There are days I wish I was neurotypical. A part of me feels like my social experiences would be better if I didn’t have the condition. Maintaining eye contact is a nightmare and I often have to prepare verbal scripts in order to interact in picnic. There are also days where I’m grateful I can empathize with other people who have it. I think people with autism can be the most passionate people you’ll ever meet. We tend to have a deep knowledge for whatever we’re interested in. When we’re in a deep conversation we can go beyond the surface level of whatever we talk about.

I have quite a few special interests. They include population statistics, foreign cultures, linguistics, Pokémon, video games, books, and screens. I could list more, but it would take a while.

 

[Mr_Persona]

I was diagnosed in 2017 on the sametime i got diagnosed with epilepsy. I'm on the low side of the spectrum like the beginning i guess u can say. I hate it being part of me because when I was at school, my teachers and case manager treated me different like i was weak and too stupid. And it wasn't just from my point of view, my dad and siblings saw it. I was being labeled at school and still am after school because my mom still treats me differently and that all started after I was diagnosed and some other family members do it also. I also hate having it because I can't tell sometimes when on social media of how people behavior is, like are they sarcastic, mad, or happy. Which mostly no one will understand. I've been cyberbullied and at first I thought they were just being goofy until it actually became worst. And even now days I still get picked on. Its mean how people are like this when they don't already know how hard it is for me already. I only have hard times like this only on social media. In real life you wouldn't even tell if I have it or not because I rarely have any problems irl, I've always been social, honest, able to speak clearly, and understand people's behaviors and expressions. I'm like a normal human! I guess having it does make me much smarter than lots of people and I'm known for being more creative. I hear people who have autism are smart. Though I'm still not proud of me having it because I'm being labeled.

 

[visibleghost]

started an evaluation when i was 15 and finally got diagnosed at 16. i suspected i was autistic starting at age 13 because of a lot of factors that just didn't add up or made me seem very neuroatypical. i have never been one to ask for help so i never reached out, instead it was my psychologist i got assigned because of my issues with SH and depression that asked me if i knew what autism was and after that got me evaluated. i did some of the interviews and tests with my psychologist but had to do other tests with other people as well before i got my diagnosis. i was told i have atypical autism, now of course it is all ASD but i still got a specific diagnosis.
i don't remember exactly why i was atypical, i think it was because i didn't have special interests (which i definitely do, animal crossing has been my biggest interest since i was 12 lol but at the time i was too depressed for anything), was high functioning (never had issues in school due to my autism, and i was good at hiding it) and some other things i guess. idk. anyway, i have been made to feel not autistic "enough" by a doctor because of my atypical diagnosis but it's whatever

autism is just a part of who i am and i don't struggle as much these days as i did as a child and teenager. i still suck at social interaction and have a lot of issues that are or may be connected to being autistic, such as sensory issues, and comorbidity issues w anxiety and an ED. it's hard to say what issues i would still have if i wasn't autistic but autism is a fundamental part of me i think a lot of my issues, quirks and parts of my personality are connected to my diagnosis.

nowadays i don't hide it but i also don't really tell people the first thing i do. people always think i'm quirky and weird (in a mostly positive way i think, but no one is ever surprised when i tell them i'm Different) either way. i don't feel the need to make autism a big part of my identity, but it is part of who i am still. idk

 

[Tulaash]

I was diagnosed with autism when I was 12 initially, but I was reassessed when I was 18 which... found that I was still autistic! I'm 21 now and I doubt it's magically gone away, so I am proud to say that I am autistic, even though it's hard some days. Some of my special interests include music, video games, Nintendo, Build-A-Bear, My Little Pony, and Disney!

 

[tumut]

No but I have two autistic brothers, and growing up with them and also being non-neurotypical I find that I make friends with autistic people easily.

 

[Disneyfangirl23]

I’m autistic and I’m fine with it.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I’m an aspie and I am an aspiring drag queen that is completely self taught. I can accurately lip sync to over 100 songs right now with a couple being in languages that I don’t even speak or understand. Several queens who have been performing for twenty years have seen me lip sync and were really impressed with how good I am at lip syncing and that I can put on makeup without it looking messy and that I actually accessorize perfectly with my outfits.i can also walk down stairs in heels without tripping and I’ve even done death drop while in heels.