@hotpink23

i take a lot of online tests and talk to diagnosed autistic folks!! plus i do a bunch of research and what i find often matches up with my experiences

You can look at different medical sites like webmd and rule out other possible things, and sometimes it’s hard to tell because it’s easier for others to see our behavior so I’d ask a psychiatrist what they think or even just a trusted family member or friend if they’ve noticed a certain symptoms or not

Aspietests.org + embraceautism.net have all you need to know. I literally need not say more. If you're interested, I run a Discord server that I've loaded a category full of ND channels with resource links, my personal research on concurrent afflictions ("comorbidities" but we're 86ing that term socially), and a whole area just with links to all the tests and descriptions of each, plus another channel just for posting your results. Invite: https://discord.gg/Ck8f73bEeY

I’m glad I saw this. I actually really relate. I’ve done my research and it even aligns with certain things I did during childhood. I say do alot of research and online tests, so far I’ve gotten a screening.

Same same same same sams

I’m diagnosed ADHD and Depression but I still don’t feel like ADHD is the full picture of what I deal with.

A proper psychological assessment is the only way to really know, however they aren’t fullproof and have arbitrary threshold values for if you qualify. I have ADHD, but as a child i didnt meet the threshold for assistance with dyslexia, dyscalcula, and was just under for autism. So according to that i donr suffer enough from those to qualify as "diagnosed", this was in the 90s btw. However i think it mostly has to due with your own validation, no one knows you like you do. Only you can know what you go through and if aligns with research and scientific definitions then it's your choice whether to identify with it or not. Hope that was helpful

I was just diagnosed in my 30s! ADHD and ASD. If you are a woman it is SO important to work with a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in women with ASD and ADHD! I was misdiagnosed multiple times by male psychiatrists because they told me that I couldn’t possibly be autistic or have ADHD because I could do math and I was really pleasant to talk to….also because I was “too pretty” and they felt people with autism don’t focus on their appearance 😂 it was ridiculous. I finally found a professional located in Scottsdale Arizona Dr. McGrew who specializes in women and girls on the spectrum and I finally got my accurate diagnosis. Also one thing she told me was that if you’ve done a bunch of research and you’re wondering if you’re autistic you’re probably autistic because NT people pretty much never wonder if they are autistic. I hope you get your diagnosis if you feel it will benefit you- be sure you don’t want any careers you can’t have with an ASD diagnosis with (military, Police, there are a few more I can’t think of off the top of my head)- and you make sure you don’t want to adopt (they make it very difficult if you want to adopt and have an ASD diagnosis). Remember self diagnosis is valid- I spent over $1000 out of pocket to get a diagnosis. It’s not possible for everyone. Wishing you the best of luck ❤️

I completely agree! It is very hard to find a good psychiatrist and mental healthcare. This is why i haven't spent the money to get diagnosed for some of my issues. I know how i suffer and that's enough for me, i know methods for the disorders i have help with my symptoms. The best thing for me has been self studied and practiced CBT, cognitive-behavioral therapy. Though i also have a degree in psychology so idk if it's something anyone can teach themselves or understand on their own. I just know it works for me and it clicks. I also agree that getting diagnosed doesnt always help as it can be hard to be labeled the rest of your life. I watched my mom struggle for years though through the army she was diagnosed with her mental disorder though it was a misdiagnosis till many years later when we discovered she was bipolar and had schizoid tendencies. It really is a shame and was hard to have to accept in school, but misdiagnosis happen ALL THE TIME! I hate it but trial and error is the best we have for our mental health methods so indeed be careful about getting a professional. Make sure it's someone you can trust and that is knowledgeable about your specific disorders. Some therapist just dont care they way the should, or weren't properly educated and it really sucks because they can cause serious harm to patients when they dont listen to what that person is experiencing. The medications can also be risky, I'm unmedicated myself atm but i dont want to go through what my mom did, even though i know i could use medical assistance with my anxiety and ADHD.

Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder has come extremely far in the last 5 years, anything you read from even 8 or 10 years ago often sounds like the dark ages. This is one of the few things in medicine where you really need to disregard absolutely anything older than 5 years and you need to avoid any clinic which does not acknowledge the new research entirely. For instance, if they don't understand that afab and non-binary folks are extremely frequently misdiagnosed as MDD/GAD and OCD with PTSD, instead of ASD, then they are already behind. Anyone who supports ABA tactics in any way, or speaks well of the dumpster fire that is Autism Speaks (just google "autism speaks + controversy") needs to be avoided like the plague. Much further than 6 feet. Also to those saying they have ADHD dx but not ASD, remember that ADHD is a spectrum disorder and qualifies literally at the top of the list for protected Disabilities and accommodations (bc alphabetical so you'll see it immediately if you look up the list). This isn't for nothing.

8 to 15% of the general population has ADHD; if a parent has ADHD a child has greater than 30% chance of having it; if an older sibling has it a child has more than a 30% chance. It is HIGHLY genetic, and newer research is showing that ASD seems to be passed down on the patriarchal side of genetics more frequently than the matriarchal, by about an additional 10 to 15% (significant enough to point to). This is why we've coined "neurodivergence," because they are divergences from the mean in extremely similar ways, physiologically, as developmental disorders which affect the same/related areas of the brain. Also, there's hardly a way to assess 100%, but a LARGE number of diagnosed Autists have reported self-dx being the reason they sought professional dx. The rest usually happen because their child or parent or close relative was dx and so they were suggested to.

Sorry, "...if a parent has ADHD, a child has a greater than 50%*** chance of having it" (Typo)

Oh and BPD+MDD is the other super common one they say women have instead, bc of exactly the attitude behind the unfortunate experience TiredAFMom had. So sorry you had to go through that! Imagine being told you couldn't possibly have a disorder because you excel in an area of the disorder is known for (I bet your experience was around the time Asperger's was still referenced? Isn't that... like... a description of a "high functioning autist"?!)

I feel like I’m on the spectrum in some way as well. I need to get tested sometime. I’m thinking that once my lymphedema wounds are healed, maybe I can get tested.

As a diagnosed ASD person you know because people who are not ASD do not wonder if they are ASD. The end.

How do you know- you know because you see the world differently- you know because you feel the world differently. Trust yourself. You know.

💯 i keep finding this and as I relate my experience to less-aspie family members and see their looks, it keeps getting clearer and clearer that my experience doesn't seem to be clicking with anything in theirs or making them stare off and think...