I think I may be autistic. How do you tell?
I've always wondered if I'm autistic because I have trouble in social situations sometimes, and this quiz helped me validate what I've been feeling and gave me the confidence to learn more about being autistic. How did you figure out that you were autistic?
View hidden comment
There's this great expression that if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person
. And what that's saying is that it's a complex, dynamic disability. Every person's expression of it is going to be different, but what I've found as an autistic person is that throughout my life, I've gravitated toward other autistic people. In all likelihood, if you are autistic, you probably have some other people in your life who are. And a great thing about this explosion in self-identification and diagnosis is that you have a much greater chance of knowing somebody who knows they're autistic. For generations, autistic people have been around, and we just didn't know it. There wasn't enough of a broad spectrum of representation in the community.
It's tricky to know on your own, so the first thing I would say is to talk to autistic people . Finding other autistic people who have gone through the process, learned about themselves, and understand themselves well is probably the best way. Ask, “How did you know you were autistic? What does it feel like when you're masking? What does it feel like when you're safe? What are your sensory needs like? How do you build relationships?” And know that every autistic person is different.
The second thing you can do is find an autistic therapist . You may not get the best advice from a non-autistic therapist because, unfortunately, there's still a lot of stigma and misunderstanding in the mental health community. There are great people you can find, whether they're a coach who might be able to work across state lines or a therapist in your state. You might be able to use your health insurance or find someone on your campus who can work with you to review the diagnostic criteria, discuss your personal story, and determine whether this matches up.
I'll say a few of the things that most autistic people say.
1. There's this sense that everybody was born with some sort of a manual or instruction book that you just weren't given, that it takes so much effort to figure out social interactions, and that you're exhausted by that process of trying to unlock this code that everybody else seems to have.
2. A lot of autistic people say that their bodies are just so sensitive. You hear noises that bother you that other people don't seem to hear, or you're always feeling like you're squinting, or you have constant headaches or stomach aches or joint pain, and you get gaslit a lot. People often say, “You couldn't possibly be bothered. Get over it. Stop being so sensitive.” We've all heard that.
I've not met an autistic person who doesn't have some sense of each of those things being true.
View hidden comment
It's tricky to know on your own, so the first thing I would say is to talk to autistic people . Finding other autistic people who have gone through the process, learned about themselves, and understand themselves well is probably the best way. Ask, “How did you know you were autistic? What does it feel like when you're masking? What does it feel like when you're safe? What are your sensory needs like? How do you build relationships?” And know that every autistic person is different.
The second thing you can do is find an autistic therapist . You may not get the best advice from a non-autistic therapist because, unfortunately, there's still a lot of stigma and misunderstanding in the mental health community. There are great people you can find, whether they're a coach who might be able to work across state lines or a therapist in your state. You might be able to use your health insurance or find someone on your campus who can work with you to review the diagnostic criteria, discuss your personal story, and determine whether this matches up.
I'll say a few of the things that most autistic people say.
1. There's this sense that everybody was born with some sort of a manual or instruction book that you just weren't given, that it takes so much effort to figure out social interactions, and that you're exhausted by that process of trying to unlock this code that everybody else seems to have.
2. A lot of autistic people say that their bodies are just so sensitive. You hear noises that bother you that other people don't seem to hear, or you're always feeling like you're squinting, or you have constant headaches or stomach aches or joint pain, and you get gaslit a lot. People often say, “You couldn't possibly be bothered. Get over it. Stop being so sensitive.” We've all heard that.
I've not met an autistic person who doesn't have some sense of each of those things being true.
Im not autistic but I understand it because we have so many autistic people at our school and I feel sorry that people have to be struggling and overstimulated
View hidden comment
It said I might be autistic too. Never been diagnosed, but I wouldn't be surprised. I've always been pretty intense.
View hidden comment
my little brother has autism, and I feel like I share some of the same signs, just less intense, but I'm not sure cause Im a girl and those signs are also part of my anxiety/ocd
View hidden comment
It said i wasn't likely to be autistic because i have very little if not none autistic character traits
View hidden comment
I figured out I was autistic when I realized I got overstimulated pretty easily. If I'm at event with a lot of people or loud sounds, I'll get anxious or just shut down
View hidden comment
What’s on your mind? Ask anything.
Get advice and feedback from experts and wikiHow readers just like you.
Ask a Question
More Forum Discussions
Ask a Question
Submit a Poll
Poll submissions coming soon!
Trending Discussions
Just found out that I'm neurodivergent
According to this quiz, it's likely that I'm neurotypical. I expected this result because I've been suspecting for a while that I'm neurotypical. What did you get?
Read More
I can't sleep. What should I do?
I can't sleep. As I'm typing this it's almost 4 in the morning and I have been just staring at the ceiling (or my phone or the insides of my eyelids) for hours. This happens a lot, I can't sleep and then I waste the night just lying there trying to fall asleep and the next day I'm exhausted. What should I do?
Read More
This personality quiz lined up with my Myers-Briggs!
I'm an INTJ and I got "intellectual" on this quiz, which they said is similar to the Myers-Briggs personality type INTJ! What did you get?
Read More
