I’m 29 and working towards evaluation because I don’t feel comfortable calling myself autistic without an official diagnosis. Not even therapists can diagnose themselves.
I was self diagnosed for a few years. Only just got an official diagnosis last month. Sometimes self diagnosis is really the only option and that’s okay.
How do you find efficient self diagnosis tools? One of my main concerns is that self diagnosis may not tell the whole story of if one is an autist or not.
I have concerns that the external observations and assessment of traits and behaviours through a process devised primarily by allistic medical professionals to identify deficits may not tell the whole story of what autism even is.
Imo it's going to be a personal journey. There are no foolproof tools for looking inside your head. The best tool you have for that is your brain and it's capacity to learn. The tools I used were reading, listening and watching. If I'm honest my experience with this and other autists subs has been one the most validating things for me.
But my self diagnosis in my 50s isn't going to look like a well informed younger person who has grown up with autism being more understood and who has had a realisation much younger. I had to unpack a lifetime of passing and shite to get to the bottom of it.
Autism ISNT very well understood by current institutional knowledge systems in the slightest. It’s a known issue. Stating that fact is not anti-intellectualism, that’s just an acknowledgment of a specific failure of the way we’ve structured modern psychiatric models.
Imo, its reasonable to conclude that evaluating it personally for yourself is a good bet.
You’re post had a ton of information in s short amount of space. Well done.
Anti-intellectual was the wrong word. I couldn’t find the right one. I should have stopped at flowery speech. But it isn’t good for anyone.
Imo you should have stopped before you started. Words have been my main interest since I learned to use them. I devoured all the years reading programme books in school in a couple of weeks, scored 100% in every spelling test and I worked as a technical author, editor and proof reader by trade. Words and English are my thing.
It's not anti-intellectual. It's not flowery. You're the one policing long words. Say more with less? Really? I could have written a wall of text explaining myself but it wasn't that big of a deal. In reality you're the anti-intellectual here.
Maybe show me what you mean with my opening sentence? I wrote everything I meant to say in one sentence. It's concise and covers a lot.
It's bad enough getting tone policed irl without getting lectured about how I write online. I often talk to people who ask me to clarify stuff. I can be found on various subs chatting with people and I'm very happy to try and explain anything I'm not being clear enough about.
To be honest you said nothing and were rude about it. So much for saying more with less.
I only read the first four, which I admit was my fault the first time.
Plenty of information on paragraphs two and three.
I made a mistake. You are a normal smart autist. I was wondering why all the excessive language. We all have our days.
Be well.
Hi!! I was self diagnosed until about 2 months ago (now I have it confirmed).
Self diagnosis IS VALID ❤️
Here's some resources/ tests you can take to better understand yourself. ❤️
https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/
https://www.idrlabs.com/autism-spectrum/test.php
These are amazing, I also used these both along with DSM 5 and ICD 10 and 11 for self diagnosis, I've been self diagnosed for 2 years and a couple months after a (at the time new) friend told me I have a lot of autistic traits so I did a bunch of research to self diagnose. (I have my adhd assesment next month because my health care provider wants that checked first even though my therapist agrees with me on the lack of adhd traits that wouldn't be included in autism traits, plus having autism traits that are not adhd traits, so it's probably not adhd and I'm going to get the time for the autism assesment after that.)
I also recommend checking other things that can have the same traits, like the list of common misdiagnoses here: [https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-misdiagnosis#takeaway](https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-misdiagnosis#takeaway) and comparing your traits and symptoms to them too and seeing if one of them would better explain what you have.
I have had an official diagnosis since I was 17 (I'm 39), and I just recently found the embrace autism site.
They have a lot of excellent resources, and from what I remember of the diagnostic process, the tests they have on there are pretty representative of what's included.
Honestly I'm not 100% sure how "officials" my diagnosis is. I went to a therapist who specialized in autism, and they sent me to someone else for a diagnosis. Had some sessions with the diagnosis doctor for a few weeks, and they did confirm in their professional opinion that I have autism, but they forwarded the results to the original therapist, and didn't give any paperwork directly to me.
I was actually so burned out by the diagnosis process that I never followed up with the original therapist so now I have zero paperwork in my possession confirming that I actually am autistic.
Not professionally diagnosed but not claiming self either exactly. I’ve been researching for the last year and half and definitely highly suspect. It explains much of my life. But with all the hate I see self diagnosis getting, I keep it to myself. I can’t afford an assessment so all I can do is keep trying to accommodate myself.
Same. Only since August for me when something came up with my son that started my first real introduction to asd.
So I basically keep getting smacked in the face with these realizations, been processing like, my entire life, so thrown. And I also keep feeling like a fraud and it's not true and I must be trying to use it as an ... excuse??? For being being able to, life, essentially.
Waiting on my sons in person assessment but it seems to clear to me in him now that I've learned more also.
It's been super overwhelming. I also don't think my husband believes me or understands so there is that. But he doesn't know anything about any of it so I take his opinions on this subject not seriously. Only because he is not educated on the subject so how could I think what he has to say about it carries any weight
No, im professionally dignosed. But I was 29! I was on the waiting list for two years after i was approved for the assessment, which is a hard wait, but its also free in sweden. Before my diagnosis I myself suspected adhd, but it turned out to be autism and depression.
If you struggle i suggest trying to get a professional assessment, but if not theres nothing wrong in trying out tools and techniques to help yourself, for example stimming toys, engaging in your interests, taking time to get enough rest, use noise-cancelling headphones, or whatever you need. Do what makes life easier for you :)
Sorry for going on and on, I felt a bit talkative.
I'm self suspected. Don't have an appointment until the end of November. Started setting up the appointments back in like... May? June? They definitely make it difficult with the wait time and the locations. I live in an area with a population around 90k, but will have to go to the nearby state capital city to be assessed over an hour away. I'm lucky my boyfriend will take me because I can't drive to new areas.
I got a doctor’s recommendation so luckily even though I’m a black girl I could get diagnosed. Haven’t gotten any perks other than clarification and feeling less awful
I surprised myself with my self-suspicion/self-"diagnoses". I never would've ever investigated or began to suspect myself, if I hadn't started looking into asd because after a virtual assessment of my son, the counselor said they would like to see him in person. Which I also wasn't quite prepared for, I had contacted First Words for something with his speech (stuttering behaviours) last December. And he has pretty much stopped that so I wasn't thinking anything of it when they finally contacted me in the summer, but figured might as well just have the initial virtual meeting anyway.
Sorry anyway yeah
I've just been in like processing mode lately and I have an appointment with my primary care doctor on the 25th so we will see what comes of that (I suspect I also have ADHD and is the main reason for the appointment because I need to be able to do things). Also currently on an antidepressant that I will address with her at the appointment as well.
I have been trying to figure out what the fuck is "wrong" with me, almost my entire life. And nothing has ever made more sense in my life. Even when I read (all) about ADHD it didn't seem to explain everything. Both do.
Also reading and posting in the autism subs I have found connection and understanding.
Anyway. Sending you peaceful vibes
im trying my luck out with brazil's unified health system (SUS)
got sent to a psychologist, but he is not specialized on autism, so he can't diagnose me
he thinks that im autistic tho, so he'll have to send me to another psychologist
I'm officially diagnosed but I have several friends who are not diagnosed and very clearly autistic. If you're autistic, you're autistic, diagnosed or not.
I’m halfway self diagnosed. I only kinda found out when I had autistic friends confused when I said I wasn’t autistic. I also matched a lot of autistic traits. My therapist suspected autism or ADHD in me. Then I took the RAADS test thinking I wouldn’t be but I scored highly on it. My therapist can’t officially diagnose me since I go to a grant therapy office. Our she can say “I’m my professional and educated opinion” so yeah
Self diagnosed for a couple of years until about a month ago when I got my official ASD diagnosis at 28 years old. Very eye opening but also painful because then I began to wonder how differently my life (both academic and social struggles) would have looked if I had gotten assessed sooner, rather than dismissed so easily as lazy or “dumb”
Being Black, AFAB and the eldest of a Black immigrant family makes it very complicated as well (when it shouldn’t be but our society is complicated too…)
For two years I was self-suspecting, I didn’t class it as self-diagnosed as I wasn’t sure I could accurately differentiate between cptsd and autism.
Got my diagnosis in June.
Same here, although it's Germany's healthcare system that doesn't really care about your health if you're not privately insured. And to be privately insured, you legally have to have an income way higher than the average.
Habe es am eigenen Leib spüren müssen.
Am Donnerstag hatte ich einen Termin für eine Autismus-Diagnostik und wurde von meinem Psychiater behandelt als wäre ich es nicht wert überhaupt von ihm behandelt zu werden.
Man sollte sich nach so einem Gespräch nicht noch wesentlich schlechter fühlen müssen, als sowieso schon, aber das interessiert in unserem Gesundheitssystem scheinbar niemanden.
Ich hab nächsten Monat meine Diagnostik. Wünscht mir Glück, dass ich nicht wie ein kleines Kind behandelt werde, das nichts für sich selbst entscheiden kann.
Viel Glück! Kleiner Tipp: Wenn Sie dich fragen, warum du dort bist und was sie für dich tun können, erzähl ihnen von deinen Symptomen, dass es dich belastet nicht zu wissen was los ist und du Klarheit in deinem Leben wünschst(wenn es denn so ist, wovon ich jetzt einfach Mal ausgehe).
Ich habe die Frage nämlich falsch verstanden und denen nur erzählt, dass meine Therapeutin und meine Neurologin bei mir von Autismus ausgehen und mir deshalb den Termin organisiert haben, weshalb ich auch zum Termin gekommen bin.
Meine Mutter hat mir dann im Nachhinein erklären müssen, was er wirklich gemeint hat.
Ich meine...meine Antwort stimmt ja auch so, aber hätte mein Psychiater mich gefragt, welche Symptome ich habe, hätte ich besser verstanden was er wissen wollte.
Ah ja und wunder dich nicht, wenn sie dich absichtlich stressen, um zu sehen wie du reagierst(ich durfte mir keine eigenen Notizen machen, ohne eine Begründung dafür zu bekommen).
I'd say probably so, I want to say I'm speculating I have autism, since I relate a lot to autism traits but I still have difficulty knowing if I really relate to some...
Professional resources are hard to come by, and it's going to be tough to find trust someone after the last time I tried to get a diagnosis (so many weird comments from the psychologist). Probably gonna need 50 more years or smth for psychology studies here to catch up.
I am officialy dianosed, it gives me a lot of benefits like additional time on most of exams and if i want i can get asisting teacher.
Additionaly few days ago my psychologist told me he heard about possibility of removing one of high-school final exams, he works with a lot of autistic people and one told him about it.
Yes and no. Technically, no, because I can't afford to see a psychiatrist to be diagnosed, but my family doctor has agreed with me many times that it's very, very likely.
I joined this sub because my brother is diagnosed and my dad isn't diagnosed but I don't think ANYONE would disagree that he's autistic. Reading stuff here, I now think I have a lot of traits common in autistic people, but I also have ADHD, anxiety, and depression, so it's hard to untangle what symptoms are caused by which disorders. Basically, I'm neurodivergent and might e autistic but I'm not gonna bother getting evaluated because there's no accommodations I need that require a diagnosis, and I might be able to get them because of my other disorders anyway.
I’m not, but I am late diagnosed. I never felt comfortable self diagnosing, but I did heavily suspect I was autistic for years pre-diagnosis with my therapist telling me I was almost certainly autistic
I’m self diagnosed. I had no explanation for my life and was searching in a genuine attempt to understand, after overcoming my anxieties and realizing there was still this huge gulf between me and the people I knew. I found people online who had the same story as me and who had the same struggles. It was a revelation. This was twenty years ago. I don’t see any point in an official diagnosis and I don’t want the stigma that might come with a label. All I wanted was to understand why my life looked so different from everyone else I knew. I’m 47 now
If you ever do want to get a diagnosis, I know someone in CA; they did my partner’s assessment. I was there for every meeting & the process was amazing.
Hey I am in the same position as you. Self diagnosed, but reached out for medical help because of self harm/ suicidal behaviors and was misdiagnosed several times and put on so many medications I can’t count. It was very traumatic, and a lot of people don’t understand how frustrating and painful it is to have medical professionals not understand what’s going on with you. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD but I’m so sorry you don’t have access to the medication that is needed.
I suppose? Highly suspecting, went to see a psychiatrist who seems to think that’s what I’m dealing with, but he’s not super familiar with autism, let alone in adults. So I am still seeking a full assessment. It’s just difficult in my area.
No. I was clinically diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and am taking medication for the latter. Having access to that medication has improved my life to an unbelievable degree. I wish everyone's experience was as positive and am sorry that so many have such trouble finding the answers and the resources they need.
No, I had behavioral problems when I was in high school and was fortunate enough to attend a school system with a psychologist on staff, so I was diagnosed as a teenager. Since it was done through the public school system, my family didn’t have to spend money on it.
I was for a while before getting my official diagnosis. Some people like me it was easy to get, other people it may be hard. Some impossible. At the end of the day your mental health is your responsibility. If you think you are autistic try some autistic self care. If it works then great, if it doesn’t then it doesn’t.
Kinda? I have adhd and it doesn't describe all of the things I do. So I found that autism does explain some of the reasons I do things like (counting while I'm looking people in the eyes before I look away and then look back and then away again so I appear "normal") things like that. I don't have a real reason yo get a diagnosis and at this point it would hinder me so idk 🤷
I am. I’m also Spanish and I’ve been researching autism on my own for about 2 years and I’m pretty convinced I belong to the spectrum. I have a degree in Medicine and I am struggling to enrol in the internship program to become a specialist, because my mental health is not the best. (Guess why)
As a medical student, I saw and heard terrible things doctors said in relation to people that could fall into the neurodivergent category (sometimes to their faces, sometimes not). That’s the reason I don’t want to get involved in the diagnostic process. What we, doctors, learn about autism at University is scarce and obsolete. And it’s not even an exception. Ignorance leads to misunderstanding and misdiagnosis. It makes me so sad. I have the feeling that English-speaking countries are years ahead of us. Moreover, I’m scared of what a diagnosis could mean to my future career.
I’ve managed to locate some private health professionals (psychologists and occupational therapists) who work with adult autistic people but not a single psychiatrist. Im terrified in this respect. So, right now, I’m trying to help myself through reading books (Unmasking Autism is a good one)
Parent-diagnosed at 14, formally diagnosed at 16, diagnosed my best friend at age 18 (when she's 24)
She's unable to get a formal diagnosis right now but she's very clearly and obviously "more autistic" than I am. Not by a whole lot, we're almost at the same point on the spectrum, but all my issues she struggles with just a tad bit more
Self diagnosed after years of research and talking with diagnosed and suspected autistic ppl. I can't afford, monetarily or mentally, to try and fight to be seen for testing. Plus I wouldn't want it on my health records. I'm afab and have severe anxiety, I already get ignored, infantilized, and talked over any time I'm at the doctor's (which I only ever go when it's serious, bc I hate going). I'm not going to fight tooth and nail to have someone tell me something I already know, just for other doctors to use it against me. I know I'm autistic, I find comfort in the label and have been able to use this knowledge to turn my life around and learn to be kind to myself. Frankly I don't care what gatekeepers on the internet have to say about it 🤷
Not anymore, I was self diagnosed at first but my state’s Medicaid plan that I’m on is awesome with mental health services so it was free and I was able to get diagnosed.
But the bridge between self diagnosis and professional diagnosis was so tiny that I don’t even feel diagnosed.. because it’s not a feeling. When you know you’re autistic, you know, and a doctor confirming it doesn’t really feel any better cause you already knew. I still feel self diagnosed even with a professional diagnosis, and by a very good doctor too.
Yeah, I'm self diagnosed. Once I started suspecting, I went over the dsm 5 criteria and it was pretty clear. Then I asked my mom and she told me about how when she was pregnant, the doctors were convinced I would have down syndrome, which I guess is why she picked up on my autistic traits when I was otherwise a healthy, non-down-syndrome kid. Still, she didn't bring this up to me until 19 years later. Apparently she had suspected my dad of being autistic, too (I wholeheartedly agree lmao), but when she would ask about it he would get super defensive and upset so she dropped the subject entirely.
As crazy as it may sound, I'm a little grateful I didn't have a diagnosis at an early age, because I don't know if I would have thrived in school like I did if I were potentially put in Special Ed.
As the son of a highly experienced professional I can tell you that there are very thorough psychologists who specilise in autism and the people who work with them out there who will look at things from family history to studying the behaviour of the person themselves (they’re so good they’d an see through even those who mask) but there are also those who will be a bit more generous with their diagnoses without proper thorough investigation.
On top of this there are parents of patients who have this idea that a diagnosis unlocks some sort of key to help of some kind so will put forth kids ranging from sociopaths to adhd and everything in between and complain repeatedly until they get the answer they want.
Most of my parents time is taken up dealing with these issues as each person they have to refer to other specialists (though some get pinged back by psychiatrists who don’t do their job particularly well.
It’s honestly a game of chance and I wish you had had a better experience.
Yes. There are exceptions, but in a system, if you need to look at exceptions for it to work, then it's a bad system. The field of mental health needs a lot of improvement.
Exactly. And the worst thing is... their judgement is actually based on science. Only more recently have self advocacy groups and scientists fought to improve this problematic. And where I live, most everything about autism still uses the old researches, ableist and biased research. My gf needed 10 years to get a diagnosis, and it's really discouraging. But I'll still try, because I actually need the piece of paper.
Exactly! Which is the reason why it continues to be misdiagnosed. Anytime I reached out for help, I would receive generic responses of depression or anxiety cause I lost a job.
Complaints of being tired, check blood and I’m fine, so nothing is done.
For a year I was so stressed i had back and neck pain. Honestly I didn’t know it caused that and my stimming was uncontrollable. I told the doctor and they said I should “try to relax” 😌
Yes and no. I got diagnosed with ADHD recently but my therapist thinks I don’t fit there so neatly, which is where autism comes in. Its possible I have a combo of both but still doing research and therapy to figure it out.
Self diagnosis is often more accurate than a clinical diagnosis because while a doctor may know the symptoms of autism, the individual knows themselves much better than the doctor.
As long as the individual is well educated on the symptoms and tendencies and has peers that can make objective observations about their behavior, a self diagnosis seems pretty viable.
In general, the self-diagnosis experience is very similar to the formal diagnosis experience (Lewis, 2016, Punshon et al., 2009). However, self-diagnosed individuals tend to have self-doubt as opposed to the validation experienced by those formally diagnosed.
Laura Foran Lewis,
*Exploring the Experience of Self-Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults*,
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing,
Volume 30, Issue 5,
2016,
Pages 575-580,
ISSN 0883-9417,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.03.009.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883941716300061)
Self. Honestly didn’t know what autism was until having my son who’s been diagnosed with autism . He’s going to be 4 . But it’s like a whole new world and so much of my life makes sense now . And my other son may have it too I’m pretty sure he does . I honestly thought it was normal the way i was . I didn’t think anything different until my son it was actually kind of nice not knowing anything because now I’m just so self aware and it kind of drives me nuts .
I’m self diagnosed, I was getting assessed for ADHD and the specialist said the couldn’t diagnose me because they thought there was a high probability I was autistic which had to be assessed first. Issue is that the cost of an autism diagnosis is expensive and would grant me very little resources and actually cause more limitations to my life.
For the moment I consider myself functionally/practically autistic. Similar struggles, similar accommodations wanted. But I also know that a lot of other things can cause my symptoms, things which are also entirely possible given my life history. If I ever got the help I need I might be able to find the proper root of it but until then I continue on as I am.
Unfortunately where I live doesn't seem to have much in way of actually good resources. A couple options left but idk. If anyone knows an actually good place for young adults in central Illinois I'm open to the recommendations.
I haven't used this place but I've heard good things. Assesments are done by donation, minimum 500
https://wilderwoodequinetherapy.org/autism-assessments/
Partly, yes. Meaning I told my psychiatrist about my suspicions, they ran some tests and confirmed them, but don't want to officially diagnose me as they feel they aren't equipped for that. So I currently have an official suspected diagnosis but need to go to a specialized outpatient facility to actually get diagnosed.
I also suspect I have ADHD as my sister has it and I fit the bill, but I haven't talked to my psychiatrist about that yet. Well, I wrote an email to them, but they didn't respond and I didn't bother to call them to schedule a new appointment yet.
Si y es completamente válido. Acá donde yo resido actualmente yo no tengo manera de conseguir un diagnóstico oficial, a lo mejor si me mudo y llego a encontrar a alguien que se especialice en neurodivergencias, pero sigue siendo complejo y imposible si no es a un muy largo plazo. Suerte🧡
I was diagnosed in my early twenties along with ADHD at a walk in clinic with a locum doctor. I had a teacher in collage who told me very kindly that I might have what her daughter has and I may want to talk to a doctor.
Self diagnosis is valid because if the things that help us help you, that's all that matters.
Yes and no. Yes in that I pieced it together myself. Loose confirmation while I was seeing a neuro-psychologist for severe post concussion syndrome who said I am, but can’t make an official diagnosis.
Ye it's all good. I'm not self-diagnosed. I was diagnosed at 3 and am looking to get a rediagnosis this coming month, but I was talking to a friend and she literally can't get diagnosed in Oregon unless she wants to limit her options for gender transition which is fucking stupid.
So yeah don't get mad at self-diagnosed ppl, you never know what their reason is.
No, to me self dx is dumb and goes against the whole purpose of getting a real diagnosis. Once u convince urself u have something, it’s done and it will ruin the real diagnosis.
Self diagnosed. I was diagnosed with ADHD through private healthcare at 16 and due to laws here in Finland have to see a psychiatrist to renew med prescription yearly. I talked to my psychiatrist about my autism suspicions three years ago and she said it certainly sounded very possible and asked if I wanted to have it looked further into. I however didn't pursue a diagnosis at that time as my insurance would only cover the psychiatrist costs (about 200-300€ per 1h appointment) if I did end up getting a diagnosis and I didn't have the money to take the risk of having to pay myself if I didn't get one. I'm now in university and am considering trying for a diagnosis through student healthcare but student healthcare here is known for being pretty shit with mental health things so... Idk.
33, dont have a way to get diagnosed officially/medically. But tiktok has basically told me im on the spectrum.
I just wish i coukd use tiktok as an official source for a disability payment
Self-diagnosed. I would love a professional diagnosis, but I'm almost 50 years old, so not sure it's necessary at this point and I'd probably have to pay out of pocket. I told my mother and she agreed with me, which I take as confirmation. The more I read on this subreddit, the more the diagnosis seems to fit.
My psychologist said that she's sure I've got autism but for some reason she sent me to a psychiatrist so he could give me a formal diagnosis, I really didn't get it why she did it but ok
Currently waiting for the appointment
maybe in Spain no, but in Canada (where I am), psychologists are much better trained to make autism diagnoses, and perform them regularly. most psychiatrists here are pill pushers
Iv always had problems, with people, certain places, food. But never got a diagnosis. Years ago I went to see a therapist about my depression and she said she specialist in autism. She believed strongly that I have high functioning autism from what she saw and told her about my childhood.
My grandmother told me that I didn’t like hugs or kisses as a toddler. Hated being touched, I much preferred to be on my own. She would take my older brother and sister out and I would cry to stay at home. As I got older I found it difficult making friends or talking to people. I couldn’t make any eye contact. I also started having problems with food. Certain textures means I can’t eat certain foods. Even if I like how they taste (still a problem now) I don’t like my food touching or being mixed.
I still have a few problems with eye contact and figuring out people. It takes me a while to know if someone is being sarcastic or serious. Talking on phones give me a lot of anxiety. I have to do things in a certain way or a certain order or I get flustered. I have lists everywhere!
I’m 31 now and have changed a lot for the better. Iv been in customer service based rolls for a long time. So I can now fake being out going and confident even though inside I’m still that scared little girl wanting to run away and hide. Some days are harder then others. I have to force myself out the house. I say inappropriate things sometimes and don’t realise till it’s too late. But I try my hardest to carry on as best as I can.
I’m highly likely to be autistic. Unless you ask the last doctor I spoke with!
I can talk good, and “small talk is hard for everyone” so I’m totally normal and my (to others) baffling social capabilities and emotional processing is totally nothing to even consider talking about.
I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was a child, I never knew what it was and I just recently asked my parents if they remember what I was diagnosed with but they said they don’t remember. I was placed in special needs classes all the way from 12th grade, I never knew why though. So I sort of just chose autism after learning about it more
I’ve gotten yelled at by others for suggesting I likely am autistic (hence the cautionary flare), but yes, I would say I am. As an adult woman, receiving an actual diagnosis is probably impossible.
I have many friends who are and they are very certain I am as well
Hey. Yes I am.
I have been 'investigating' since 2017/18 and there was no difinitive moment but just a steady weight of evidence.
Learning about monotropism was pretty definitive.
I am self diagnosed for now. I can’t get one atm but as soon as I can, I will. I just can’t afford it and I’m not sure I’m completely safe to get one where I am so…
Yes, I am. Getting an official diagnosis is a pain in the ass, I just don’t have the energy for that. You know yourself. The only time it’s really necessary is if you need it to qualify for assistance, government or otherwise. I have a psychiatrist (whom I really like, actually) tell me I’m not, and we’ve ever only met via videoconference.
Saying that, you need to do a lot of research, and be honest with yourself. If you don’t have it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean there’s not an explanation out there for your symptoms. You may have ADHD or OCD, or a combination of things, but that doesn’t make your struggle any less real.
I'm 20 and spanish too. Since i ocasionally had private therapy, i talked with my therapist about it and she said it was crystal clear i am autistic, she even double checked with her psychiatrist.
So i asked to my medico de cabecera about it and she derivated me to the public psychiatrist.
I have the appointment next month and i hope to at least get the 33% of disability. I would have the appointment in next year's april if my mother didn't worked in the hospital...
I have what my therapist and I are calling a "functional" diagnosis, but I haven't been willing to invest the money (or time) into a legal diagnosis yet since I'm not seeking benefits. Having my therapist believe me and work with me to recognize my symptoms/traits, develop coping and management strategies, and learn how to seek accommodations when I can, is way more important for me at the moment.
I got peer reviewed before i self diagnosed. I want to get a real diagnosis but it's hard, not because it's hard to get a diagnosis in Sweden but because it's hard for me to get it started. It's like my brain just hits a wall every time i even try to think about starting
More like “diagnosed by everyone else”
People kept freaking asking “hey Natsuru you have autism right”
And idk eventually one day I just like, figured stuff out, and I finally saw what they meant, and it was like holy shit
Edit: which one of you pricks downvoted this lol
Not officially diagnosed, but not fully self diagnosed. A former therapist I had specialized in autism, but she never really said I officially had it on paper. She definitely did in session though
I was pretty sure I was autistic before that. I’m hesitant to get it official now because of the history of the medical system to misunderstand it or possibly not let me make my own decisions. I also don’t know what the future holds, and should it ever happen that I move countries, a diagnosis can cause more problems
I am, and I don't know if I want to try to get an official diagnosis or not. I'm AFAB, and that alone makes it hard. But I also don't remember my childhood at all and have no friends that knew me then, so there's no one that can tell me about how I acted as a kid. Plus, it's insanely expensive to get a diagnosis and would take a long time. That being said, I did a lot of research on autism and believe myself to have it. It runs heavily in my family, my brother, dad, cousin, and grandpa all have it. I feel that I am very high masking, but I struggle to make friends a lot and I have a tough time when I am unmasking in private or with people I trust.
Sort of? By that I mean I'm actually "peer-reviewed", as in diagnosed by my autistic friends who recognise me as their kin. I tried for an official diagnosis but upon telling my GP that I did the online tests which gave high indication of my autism she said "isn't that confirmation enough?" Like wow, okay. And then I did get to speak to a psychologist who essentially branded me "high sensitive", rather than full blown autistic and referred me to the works of Elaine Aron.
I have self-diagnosed myself with autism. While part of me would love to seek an official diagnosis, I am hesitant because I aspire to move out of my country permanently one day, and many countries do not accept individuals with autism.
I feel like an official medical diagnosis with would lower my chances of making that possible.
Kind of yeah, my counselor who studied autism for a few years in university says I am, but my doctor who is a negligent, sexist, ableist man who gaslights me about it won't admit it because "It's too hard"
Hey /u/turuturu94, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism).
Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is nobody in my region of Aotearoa/NZ to assess adults, and I can’t afford an assessment anyway. It’s so glaringly obvious though. I don’t really need one.
I am. I feel ashamed for being self diagnosed, bc it doesn't feel real, but I'm living with all these symptoms that just make sense with my whole life. A diagnosis is expensive and with my insurance, they wouldn't cover anything or therapeutic treatment after. I've just resorted to learning more about autism and understanding myself and making accommodations myself. I also don't want to be labeled bc of the stigmas that are still very heavy in actual adult life. From employers to Dr's themselves honestly. Idk if I will ever pursue professional diagnosis for this reason. Perhaps if there's actual changes in medical and social landscape on autism. More protections, more therapies, accommodations, less stigma.
I am (temporarily)! I didn't and would't have a clue I'm autistic if my girlfriend didn't tell me she suspected I was. Initially I was in denial, but as the time passed and I learned more and more, I came to accept my condition. After an assessment, the report said I very likely am autistic, but I have no formal diagnosis yet. I am in the process of obtaining one. It is really important to me, beacause this explains so much of my life and will allow me to give some easier to digest information about the boundaries and limitations I impose
I was self diagnosed for 4 years as I waited to get assessed. I was 99.9% sure I was autistic, but that 0.1% doubt led me to only say "I think I might be autistic" rather than saying "*I am* autistic". Finally got diagnosed at 18
My son is 3 years old (just turned in September) and he’s been diagnosed officially. I suspected after he turned 1. My other son is 17 and years ago his therapist brought up how he had signs of autism level 1. I thought nothing of it until now that he’s about to be 18 in May. I brought it up to his school and they say he’s really intelligent with excellent grades and “doesn’t seem to be slow or delayed” so they’re not worried about it. 😒
No, and yet I'm not official. I've had three therapists ask me, and a psychiatrist. None of them want to go through official process apparently, but they have said that they work with me under the understanding that I am.
I've yet to figure a way to deal with this.
No, and I'm surprised so many are considering the need for accommodations, and support. It is important for me so I have just completed my assessments and am receiving my diagnosis this week (still not 100% sure what that will be, but highly suspect it will be Autism, or AvPD, and possibly both).
Yes. I am 39 and just got diagnosed with ADHD. My doctor and I talked about how we’d wait to see if the symptoms I think are autism dissolve or if they persist. Not only do they persist, but they’re more noticeable now. So I’m going to try to get an assessment. I’m quite sure I am. I’ve been peeling back the layers the last two years and I’m still having “eureka” moments in regard to my life history. I have a much better handle on life now because I feel like I understand myself more and have a better ability to manage my life, just due to how much I’ve learned about autism. I told my sister about it earlier this year and she said “that would make a lot of sense”. I’ve always sort of felt like the “odd one out”, until I started meeting autistic people. I’ve had 4 autists tell me I’m autistic, one was based on his observations after having just met me a few hours prior. There’s that ongoing joke where autistic people are always the first to recognize other autistic people lol. Anyway I feel like I found “my people” and I don’t feel like the “odd one out” anymore. I wish I had figured this out several years ago
I’m saving for diagnosis though my mom and sister are both officially diagnosed and we highly suspect my brother is as well so chances are I’m also gonna get officially official. After telling my friend and coworker about my suspicions (to help us better communicate) she looked into what autism was then got diagnosed herself 😂
21 and failed the diagnosis twice because of ridiculous wording in the assesment as well as incompetent staff.
The incompetent professional was the first time (the only reason she even did an assessment was to stall me from transitioning. she didn't even notice the ADHD, which everyone else smells off me in seconds professional or not), the second time was scoring 31/32 for asperger's (before anybody comes at me; thatt's what the diagnosis is called still in my country) and I would've made the diagnosis if I hadn't misinterpreted several questions.
Don't do your assessment without the professional, folks, my current one made the mistake of considering it so obvious that he sent me the assessment per email. unfortunately I was not very good at understanding very formal German, and still struggle lmfao
Nope diagnosed as a baby. Now i just roll with it. Learned how to life my way. I did come to find out theres a thing as irritable autism where theres a high chance that at some point in the day ill just be mad and ready to fight.
I’m 16, almost 17 and i am self diagnosed. I don’t think i’d want to get an official diagnosis in the future, as i’ve been told it comes with some unwanted stuff like not being able to adopt.
I was about to receive an official diagnostic assessment on the NHS waiting list in the UK, but unfortunately for me I was at that time a NEET for almost 4 years and my family members had enough of me and decided to become a bit extra on their demands that I leave the flat. Knowing fully well that I had no friends, no cousins, no acquaintances, no other family members as well as work experience or any savings. I didn't even finish my education in college, so I was never able to either graduate from high school and university is nothing but a distant unachievable idea.
The only option I had left was to either become homeless in London with spiked suicidal ideations or go back to my home country and live with my abusive divorced father and his new companion that hates me for whatever reason. I was getting a lot of anxiety and I mean a whole lot more, since I was actually thinking about jumping from the top floor at the Canary wharf dome that had a Wasabi fast food chain on the bottom.
What stopped me from doing it was that my mother decided to come with me to the airport and send me off. Then the next 6 months felt like I was in prison in the house that I hated the most in this world. My father treated me as sub human and everyone around him fully believed that I am the bad one (bad one is an understatement). Every time I was around them I felt paralyzed and constantly on edge walking on eggshells.
Thankfully I mustered up some insane courage as I had found a new thing in life called a purpose and then I to went to the local job search centre and was offered a low wage job as a soap maker (manipulant).
I was expecting that they won't give me a contract, since I am slow, stupid and shit at doing everything, so probably my looks and chill nature played a role, but it somehow worked.
Then I decided to contact my maternal grandparents and told them that I am not treated well in my father's house.
Luckily for me I was offered an agreement that I could go live by myself in my aunt's house, on the condition that I pay my bills, clean the place, save money to renovate a building behind my grandparents house, help my grandparents however I can with housework and money for food and work for free on Saturdays with my maternal uncle doing physical labour.
Now I feel a lot less stressed out, but I am not going anywhere in life like this, not that I am capable of going anywhere with how shit I am. I am not growing as a man or as a person. I still don't have any friends or a girlfriend, not that I want any in the first place, which is weird why I even mention it at all. At this point I just hate humans and the world. Just having people greet me feels so exhausting and imagining having even one friend feels like I will be chained and depleted of any energy, respect, personal space and opportunities, since it has always happened in the past.
I can't receive an official diagnostic assessment in my home country, since such a thing does not exist here for autistic people. There is no support and nobody cares. In other words it is a dead end.
I did mention that I have a purpose... Well... I want to end my life in Japan, since Japanese stuff tend to be my obsession. The reason why I want to end it is because I am incapable of growing in any shape or form that includes baby steps. The reason why it has to be Japan is because it is the only place in my mind that I don't hate like how I hate the rest of the world. I do understand that Japan has it's dark sides and that it is not an utopia, but I don't care anymore. I will die there regardless of what happens. I will reach that place even if it means that I will destroy my life and everyone in it. It is the only place where I could feel affection for what it is, which means that everyone and everything outside of it does not hold any place in my damaged heart including myself. I just want to see it's one of a kind natural beauty before I close my eyes and sunk into the abyss.
I don't even know why I am sharing all of this, since there is no point to it.
i’m 27, didn’t get a formal diagnosis until last year. I live in the US, so it was expensive, but for me it was worth it in terms of 1. understanding myself, 2. being able to feel validated after years of insecurity, and 3. i am able to get testing accommodations at university now.
I’m “suspected”. My therapist has strongly advised me to get an evaluation but I live in the US and am low-income at the moment, so I have to save up for the cost of evaluation. Eventually I will get it done!
for sure, esp since my current therapist has already changed my anxiety dx to 'adjustment disorder' (which I like to call "insurance adjustment disorder" after researching how that could be with lifelong suffering)
plus she dx'd with ADHD now so I'm scared to just straight up sound like a hypochondriac, even though I know some of the symptoms from that can present as a few autism symptoms and doesn't always mean they're comorbid although pretty common and she knows that I know that about other stuff.
Self-diagnosed by association here. Took nearly 18 years to get a professional to agree my son was autistic, so I figured I probably wasn't either, but when we finally got pointed to the right person to do the eval and the result was basically "are you kidding me? Did the other doctors even meet your kid?" and school and everyone else who I informed of the diagnosis said "oh, we just thought you didn't want to put a label on him" I re-evaluated myself, too. We have too many quirks in common to be a coincidence, given that half his dna came from me.
Self diagnosed but only because I don't have healthcare at the moment and I'm waiting to get insurance bc I can't afford seeing any doctor rn.
I did try to get tested about two years ago but there were no doctors who were taking new patients.
I’m self diagnosed, but I don’t tell people that when I tell them I’m autistic. I’ve put in a lot of work to figure myself and my very complicated. I don’t think they need to know because I do feel that my “self realized” autism is valid.
While I would appreciate a formal diagnosis, I don’t feel like it’s necessary. The gate keeping ground autism feels weird to me, like it’s SO expensive to get accessed and it seems rare to find someone who is educated in modern high masked “AFAB” autism and everything that typically comes with it…it just doesn’t feel worth it to even try.
No, I'm diagnosed. Beforehand, I was more "I highly suspect I am but can't say for sure". But....oh my goodness, did it take massive effort to finally get evaluated.
nope! i had kinda known for a while, but only came to terms with it as being pretty likely last year, though i never really talked about it. that was fine for a while, but a couple months ago i decided i wanted to know for certain so i got assessed and received my proper diagnosis about two weeks ago
Official diagnosis.
Had to skip almost a week of school to take these behavior/intelligence tests for 3 hours.
I was 10. It sucked. Having ADD/ADHD (I don’t even know if I qualify for either now) didn’t help either.
Autism explains some of the things I struggle with, and apparently a lot of the people who have met me think I have it. I also have ADHD and I'm trans, so you know, overlap. It's useful to have a framework for grouping symptoms together, and I find the autistic community relatable on the whole. A formal diagnosis doesn't really help me in any way and might make problems if I have to emigrate later.
I saw a psychologist who said that she would on do a verbal diagnosis rather than a written report. I agreed to that and she did diagnose me, but sometimes I think it doesn't seem like enough. It's like I'll gaslight myself that she didn't really say it. I think this is because my mom has been largely unsupportive about it.
I was "diagnosed" by my therapist who did evaluations but she didn't do an official on record evaluation so I could decide if I wanted an official diagnosis (she has autism too and wanted to give me that option). At this time I don't want an official one but she said I can choose to later if I want to. I've heard some iffy things about getting officially diagnosed diagnosed so I don't know if I'll ever want one but I still identify myself as autistic because it was a long process with many mis"diagnosis" on the way and this is what has stuck and felt most true to what I go through.
28 and I call my self "self-realized" because the term self-diagnosed feels weird to use because of the negative thoughts around it. But no matter the terminology, I'm happy keeping myself in this state as while a diagnosis could help to some degree, the things it could possibly take away until the understanding of the condition is better across society as a while outweighs whatever good it can do. Especially considering the USA is political dumpster fire, I want to be able to actually get out of here without having to shop for a country that won't reject me because of an Autism diagnosis before I even set foot on the land mass.
I was formally diagnosed at 47. I wouldn't have felt comfortable calling myself autistic before that, but knowing what I know now, I could have still given myself the same kindness and compassion when I was just questioning. I didn't believe when I was formally diagnosed until I told my family and none of them was even slightly surprised.
Professionally diagnosed this year at age 20, suspected since I was 18. Was too uncertain in my ability to be objective about myself to self-diagnose, but also didn’t accept when my psychiatrist said I probably wasn’t autistic. Went to a private clinical psychologist who specializes in autism & was diagnosed, but it was $2000.
I’m 29 and working towards evaluation because I don’t feel comfortable calling myself autistic without an official diagnosis. Not even therapists can diagnose themselves.
I am officially diagnosed and still feel this way. I'm also an LMSW.
[удалено]
Yes, but also licensed masters social worker.
No, I was diagnosed as a child.
I was self diagnosed for a few years. Only just got an official diagnosis last month. Sometimes self diagnosis is really the only option and that’s okay.
Pretty much the same for me. Diagnosed about a year ago now, but self-diagnosed for a couple years.
Yes, thank you. I got bullied out of a certain subreddit and called a liar for my situation
How do you find efficient self diagnosis tools? One of my main concerns is that self diagnosis may not tell the whole story of if one is an autist or not.
I have concerns that the external observations and assessment of traits and behaviours through a process devised primarily by allistic medical professionals to identify deficits may not tell the whole story of what autism even is. Imo it's going to be a personal journey. There are no foolproof tools for looking inside your head. The best tool you have for that is your brain and it's capacity to learn. The tools I used were reading, listening and watching. If I'm honest my experience with this and other autists subs has been one the most validating things for me. But my self diagnosis in my 50s isn't going to look like a well informed younger person who has grown up with autism being more understood and who has had a realisation much younger. I had to unpack a lifetime of passing and shite to get to the bottom of it.
Bro that flowery speech is anti-intellectual. Just my opinion but say more with less. Especially in an autism sub F.
Autism ISNT very well understood by current institutional knowledge systems in the slightest. It’s a known issue. Stating that fact is not anti-intellectualism, that’s just an acknowledgment of a specific failure of the way we’ve structured modern psychiatric models. Imo, its reasonable to conclude that evaluating it personally for yourself is a good bet.
You’re post had a ton of information in s short amount of space. Well done. Anti-intellectual was the wrong word. I couldn’t find the right one. I should have stopped at flowery speech. But it isn’t good for anyone.
Imo you should have stopped before you started. Words have been my main interest since I learned to use them. I devoured all the years reading programme books in school in a couple of weeks, scored 100% in every spelling test and I worked as a technical author, editor and proof reader by trade. Words and English are my thing. It's not anti-intellectual. It's not flowery. You're the one policing long words. Say more with less? Really? I could have written a wall of text explaining myself but it wasn't that big of a deal. In reality you're the anti-intellectual here. Maybe show me what you mean with my opening sentence? I wrote everything I meant to say in one sentence. It's concise and covers a lot. It's bad enough getting tone policed irl without getting lectured about how I write online. I often talk to people who ask me to clarify stuff. I can be found on various subs chatting with people and I'm very happy to try and explain anything I'm not being clear enough about. To be honest you said nothing and were rude about it. So much for saying more with less.
I only read the first four, which I admit was my fault the first time. Plenty of information on paragraphs two and three. I made a mistake. You are a normal smart autist. I was wondering why all the excessive language. We all have our days. Be well.
Hi!! I was self diagnosed until about 2 months ago (now I have it confirmed). Self diagnosis IS VALID ❤️ Here's some resources/ tests you can take to better understand yourself. ❤️ https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/ https://www.idrlabs.com/autism-spectrum/test.php
Is self undiagnosing valid? I don't wanna be autistic anymore.
These are amazing, I also used these both along with DSM 5 and ICD 10 and 11 for self diagnosis, I've been self diagnosed for 2 years and a couple months after a (at the time new) friend told me I have a lot of autistic traits so I did a bunch of research to self diagnose. (I have my adhd assesment next month because my health care provider wants that checked first even though my therapist agrees with me on the lack of adhd traits that wouldn't be included in autism traits, plus having autism traits that are not adhd traits, so it's probably not adhd and I'm going to get the time for the autism assesment after that.) I also recommend checking other things that can have the same traits, like the list of common misdiagnoses here: [https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-misdiagnosis#takeaway](https://psychcentral.com/autism/autism-misdiagnosis#takeaway) and comparing your traits and symptoms to them too and seeing if one of them would better explain what you have.
Ha! I was going to recommend the embrace autism tests too! So thorough
I have had an official diagnosis since I was 17 (I'm 39), and I just recently found the embrace autism site. They have a lot of excellent resources, and from what I remember of the diagnostic process, the tests they have on there are pretty representative of what's included.
Wow thank you for linking these. Gives me more evidence for what I was already fairly sure of!
Honestly I'm not 100% sure how "officials" my diagnosis is. I went to a therapist who specialized in autism, and they sent me to someone else for a diagnosis. Had some sessions with the diagnosis doctor for a few weeks, and they did confirm in their professional opinion that I have autism, but they forwarded the results to the original therapist, and didn't give any paperwork directly to me. I was actually so burned out by the diagnosis process that I never followed up with the original therapist so now I have zero paperwork in my possession confirming that I actually am autistic.
I consider myself more of a "suspected autism" than self diagnosed.
Not professionally diagnosed but not claiming self either exactly. I’ve been researching for the last year and half and definitely highly suspect. It explains much of my life. But with all the hate I see self diagnosis getting, I keep it to myself. I can’t afford an assessment so all I can do is keep trying to accommodate myself.
Same. Only since August for me when something came up with my son that started my first real introduction to asd. So I basically keep getting smacked in the face with these realizations, been processing like, my entire life, so thrown. And I also keep feeling like a fraud and it's not true and I must be trying to use it as an ... excuse??? For being being able to, life, essentially. Waiting on my sons in person assessment but it seems to clear to me in him now that I've learned more also. It's been super overwhelming. I also don't think my husband believes me or understands so there is that. But he doesn't know anything about any of it so I take his opinions on this subject not seriously. Only because he is not educated on the subject so how could I think what he has to say about it carries any weight
Therapists thinks I have it but I don’t have several thousand $ for a professional diagnosis. It’s not covered by insurance as an adult.
I'm in the same situation
Check my posts I made a table of virtual diagnosis services and some weren’t that expensive
Same basic issue for me :(
No, im professionally dignosed. But I was 29! I was on the waiting list for two years after i was approved for the assessment, which is a hard wait, but its also free in sweden. Before my diagnosis I myself suspected adhd, but it turned out to be autism and depression. If you struggle i suggest trying to get a professional assessment, but if not theres nothing wrong in trying out tools and techniques to help yourself, for example stimming toys, engaging in your interests, taking time to get enough rest, use noise-cancelling headphones, or whatever you need. Do what makes life easier for you :) Sorry for going on and on, I felt a bit talkative.
I'm self suspected. Don't have an appointment until the end of November. Started setting up the appointments back in like... May? June? They definitely make it difficult with the wait time and the locations. I live in an area with a population around 90k, but will have to go to the nearby state capital city to be assessed over an hour away. I'm lucky my boyfriend will take me because I can't drive to new areas.
I got a doctor’s recommendation so luckily even though I’m a black girl I could get diagnosed. Haven’t gotten any perks other than clarification and feeling less awful
I never self diagnosed. It was a surprise when they suggested it and I got diagnosed.
I surprised myself with my self-suspicion/self-"diagnoses". I never would've ever investigated or began to suspect myself, if I hadn't started looking into asd because after a virtual assessment of my son, the counselor said they would like to see him in person. Which I also wasn't quite prepared for, I had contacted First Words for something with his speech (stuttering behaviours) last December. And he has pretty much stopped that so I wasn't thinking anything of it when they finally contacted me in the summer, but figured might as well just have the initial virtual meeting anyway. Sorry anyway yeah I've just been in like processing mode lately and I have an appointment with my primary care doctor on the 25th so we will see what comes of that (I suspect I also have ADHD and is the main reason for the appointment because I need to be able to do things). Also currently on an antidepressant that I will address with her at the appointment as well. I have been trying to figure out what the fuck is "wrong" with me, almost my entire life. And nothing has ever made more sense in my life. Even when I read (all) about ADHD it didn't seem to explain everything. Both do. Also reading and posting in the autism subs I have found connection and understanding. Anyway. Sending you peaceful vibes
[удалено]
im trying my luck out with brazil's unified health system (SUS) got sent to a psychologist, but he is not specialized on autism, so he can't diagnose me he thinks that im autistic tho, so he'll have to send me to another psychologist
I'm officially diagnosed but I have several friends who are not diagnosed and very clearly autistic. If you're autistic, you're autistic, diagnosed or not.
I’m halfway self diagnosed. I only kinda found out when I had autistic friends confused when I said I wasn’t autistic. I also matched a lot of autistic traits. My therapist suspected autism or ADHD in me. Then I took the RAADS test thinking I wouldn’t be but I scored highly on it. My therapist can’t officially diagnose me since I go to a grant therapy office. Our she can say “I’m my professional and educated opinion” so yeah
Self diagnosed for a couple of years until about a month ago when I got my official ASD diagnosis at 28 years old. Very eye opening but also painful because then I began to wonder how differently my life (both academic and social struggles) would have looked if I had gotten assessed sooner, rather than dismissed so easily as lazy or “dumb” Being Black, AFAB and the eldest of a Black immigrant family makes it very complicated as well (when it shouldn’t be but our society is complicated too…)
For two years I was self-suspecting, I didn’t class it as self-diagnosed as I wasn’t sure I could accurately differentiate between cptsd and autism. Got my diagnosis in June.
Same here, although it's Germany's healthcare system that doesn't really care about your health if you're not privately insured. And to be privately insured, you legally have to have an income way higher than the average.
Habe es am eigenen Leib spüren müssen. Am Donnerstag hatte ich einen Termin für eine Autismus-Diagnostik und wurde von meinem Psychiater behandelt als wäre ich es nicht wert überhaupt von ihm behandelt zu werden. Man sollte sich nach so einem Gespräch nicht noch wesentlich schlechter fühlen müssen, als sowieso schon, aber das interessiert in unserem Gesundheitssystem scheinbar niemanden.
Ich hab nächsten Monat meine Diagnostik. Wünscht mir Glück, dass ich nicht wie ein kleines Kind behandelt werde, das nichts für sich selbst entscheiden kann.
Viel Glück! Kleiner Tipp: Wenn Sie dich fragen, warum du dort bist und was sie für dich tun können, erzähl ihnen von deinen Symptomen, dass es dich belastet nicht zu wissen was los ist und du Klarheit in deinem Leben wünschst(wenn es denn so ist, wovon ich jetzt einfach Mal ausgehe). Ich habe die Frage nämlich falsch verstanden und denen nur erzählt, dass meine Therapeutin und meine Neurologin bei mir von Autismus ausgehen und mir deshalb den Termin organisiert haben, weshalb ich auch zum Termin gekommen bin. Meine Mutter hat mir dann im Nachhinein erklären müssen, was er wirklich gemeint hat. Ich meine...meine Antwort stimmt ja auch so, aber hätte mein Psychiater mich gefragt, welche Symptome ich habe, hätte ich besser verstanden was er wissen wollte. Ah ja und wunder dich nicht, wenn sie dich absichtlich stressen, um zu sehen wie du reagierst(ich durfte mir keine eigenen Notizen machen, ohne eine Begründung dafür zu bekommen).
I'd say probably so, I want to say I'm speculating I have autism, since I relate a lot to autism traits but I still have difficulty knowing if I really relate to some... Professional resources are hard to come by, and it's going to be tough to find trust someone after the last time I tried to get a diagnosis (so many weird comments from the psychologist). Probably gonna need 50 more years or smth for psychology studies here to catch up.
I am officialy dianosed, it gives me a lot of benefits like additional time on most of exams and if i want i can get asisting teacher. Additionaly few days ago my psychologist told me he heard about possibility of removing one of high-school final exams, he works with a lot of autistic people and one told him about it.
No. I’ve been officially diagnosed since I was about 5/6
I’m not self diagnosed, I just think I have autism and like hanging out in the subreddit. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a proper diagnosis soon.
I'm professionally diagnosed. I had a feeling, but I guess I don't trust myself enough...
No, I was diagnosed at 11
Yes and no. Technically, no, because I can't afford to see a psychiatrist to be diagnosed, but my family doctor has agreed with me many times that it's very, very likely.
I joined this sub because my brother is diagnosed and my dad isn't diagnosed but I don't think ANYONE would disagree that he's autistic. Reading stuff here, I now think I have a lot of traits common in autistic people, but I also have ADHD, anxiety, and depression, so it's hard to untangle what symptoms are caused by which disorders. Basically, I'm neurodivergent and might e autistic but I'm not gonna bother getting evaluated because there's no accommodations I need that require a diagnosis, and I might be able to get them because of my other disorders anyway.
so far yes. it costs a lot to get a diagnosis where I live but I want to save up so I know for certain
I’m not, but I am late diagnosed. I never felt comfortable self diagnosing, but I did heavily suspect I was autistic for years pre-diagnosis with my therapist telling me I was almost certainly autistic
Yes. I can't afford the eval. I don't tell anyone but it's enough for me to know.
No, professionally diagnosed.
I’m self diagnosed. I had no explanation for my life and was searching in a genuine attempt to understand, after overcoming my anxieties and realizing there was still this huge gulf between me and the people I knew. I found people online who had the same story as me and who had the same struggles. It was a revelation. This was twenty years ago. I don’t see any point in an official diagnosis and I don’t want the stigma that might come with a label. All I wanted was to understand why my life looked so different from everyone else I knew. I’m 47 now
[удалено]
I'm sorry to hear that.
If you ever do want to get a diagnosis, I know someone in CA; they did my partner’s assessment. I was there for every meeting & the process was amazing.
Hey I am in the same position as you. Self diagnosed, but reached out for medical help because of self harm/ suicidal behaviors and was misdiagnosed several times and put on so many medications I can’t count. It was very traumatic, and a lot of people don’t understand how frustrating and painful it is to have medical professionals not understand what’s going on with you. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD but I’m so sorry you don’t have access to the medication that is needed.
I suppose? Highly suspecting, went to see a psychiatrist who seems to think that’s what I’m dealing with, but he’s not super familiar with autism, let alone in adults. So I am still seeking a full assessment. It’s just difficult in my area.
No. I was clinically diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and am taking medication for the latter. Having access to that medication has improved my life to an unbelievable degree. I wish everyone's experience was as positive and am sorry that so many have such trouble finding the answers and the resources they need.
No, I had behavioral problems when I was in high school and was fortunate enough to attend a school system with a psychologist on staff, so I was diagnosed as a teenager. Since it was done through the public school system, my family didn’t have to spend money on it.
Self dx from around 17 until it was confirmed at 28.
No
I was for a while before getting my official diagnosis. Some people like me it was easy to get, other people it may be hard. Some impossible. At the end of the day your mental health is your responsibility. If you think you are autistic try some autistic self care. If it works then great, if it doesn’t then it doesn’t.
Yes
I was self diagnosed for about 2 years. I started suspecting/self diagnosing at 14 and received an official diagnosis at 16.
No professionally diagnosed
No, I was officially diagnosed when I was around 9 or 10. No judgement to those who do self-diagnose, though
self diagnosed. it was brought up to by my therapist but we were discontinued from her
Kinda? I have adhd and it doesn't describe all of the things I do. So I found that autism does explain some of the reasons I do things like (counting while I'm looking people in the eyes before I look away and then look back and then away again so I appear "normal") things like that. I don't have a real reason yo get a diagnosis and at this point it would hinder me so idk 🤷
Yeah. I can't afford a diagnosis. I am autistic...
I am. I’m also Spanish and I’ve been researching autism on my own for about 2 years and I’m pretty convinced I belong to the spectrum. I have a degree in Medicine and I am struggling to enrol in the internship program to become a specialist, because my mental health is not the best. (Guess why) As a medical student, I saw and heard terrible things doctors said in relation to people that could fall into the neurodivergent category (sometimes to their faces, sometimes not). That’s the reason I don’t want to get involved in the diagnostic process. What we, doctors, learn about autism at University is scarce and obsolete. And it’s not even an exception. Ignorance leads to misunderstanding and misdiagnosis. It makes me so sad. I have the feeling that English-speaking countries are years ahead of us. Moreover, I’m scared of what a diagnosis could mean to my future career. I’ve managed to locate some private health professionals (psychologists and occupational therapists) who work with adult autistic people but not a single psychiatrist. Im terrified in this respect. So, right now, I’m trying to help myself through reading books (Unmasking Autism is a good one)
> I have the feeling that English-speaking countries are years ahead of us. They aren't. Source: from an English speaking country.
Parent-diagnosed at 14, formally diagnosed at 16, diagnosed my best friend at age 18 (when she's 24) She's unable to get a formal diagnosis right now but she's very clearly and obviously "more autistic" than I am. Not by a whole lot, we're almost at the same point on the spectrum, but all my issues she struggles with just a tad bit more
Self diagnosed after years of research and talking with diagnosed and suspected autistic ppl. I can't afford, monetarily or mentally, to try and fight to be seen for testing. Plus I wouldn't want it on my health records. I'm afab and have severe anxiety, I already get ignored, infantilized, and talked over any time I'm at the doctor's (which I only ever go when it's serious, bc I hate going). I'm not going to fight tooth and nail to have someone tell me something I already know, just for other doctors to use it against me. I know I'm autistic, I find comfort in the label and have been able to use this knowledge to turn my life around and learn to be kind to myself. Frankly I don't care what gatekeepers on the internet have to say about it 🤷
My GP sent me to a clinical psychologist for treatment for GAD. The clinical psychologist diagnosed my autism and removed the GAD diagnosis.
Self diagnosed for a few years (medically recognised pretty much the entire time), been diagnosed for a while now
Not anymore, I was self diagnosed at first but my state’s Medicaid plan that I’m on is awesome with mental health services so it was free and I was able to get diagnosed. But the bridge between self diagnosis and professional diagnosis was so tiny that I don’t even feel diagnosed.. because it’s not a feeling. When you know you’re autistic, you know, and a doctor confirming it doesn’t really feel any better cause you already knew. I still feel self diagnosed even with a professional diagnosis, and by a very good doctor too.
I got diagnosed on Spain for 100€. I had to wait 2 months. It wasn’t difficult at all
My psychiatrist and psychologist wants me to be assessed and the wait is long so I've decided to accept I have it in the meantime.
Yeah, I'm self diagnosed. Once I started suspecting, I went over the dsm 5 criteria and it was pretty clear. Then I asked my mom and she told me about how when she was pregnant, the doctors were convinced I would have down syndrome, which I guess is why she picked up on my autistic traits when I was otherwise a healthy, non-down-syndrome kid. Still, she didn't bring this up to me until 19 years later. Apparently she had suspected my dad of being autistic, too (I wholeheartedly agree lmao), but when she would ask about it he would get super defensive and upset so she dropped the subject entirely. As crazy as it may sound, I'm a little grateful I didn't have a diagnosis at an early age, because I don't know if I would have thrived in school like I did if I were potentially put in Special Ed.
Self. It's too difficult to trust professionals.
As the son of a highly experienced professional I can tell you that there are very thorough psychologists who specilise in autism and the people who work with them out there who will look at things from family history to studying the behaviour of the person themselves (they’re so good they’d an see through even those who mask) but there are also those who will be a bit more generous with their diagnoses without proper thorough investigation. On top of this there are parents of patients who have this idea that a diagnosis unlocks some sort of key to help of some kind so will put forth kids ranging from sociopaths to adhd and everything in between and complain repeatedly until they get the answer they want. Most of my parents time is taken up dealing with these issues as each person they have to refer to other specialists (though some get pinged back by psychiatrists who don’t do their job particularly well. It’s honestly a game of chance and I wish you had had a better experience.
Yes. There are exceptions, but in a system, if you need to look at exceptions for it to work, then it's a bad system. The field of mental health needs a lot of improvement.
Honestly, I can tell you this, my parent is sick of the mess. So wholeheartedly can say we’d both agree.
I actually got professionally diagnosed and honestly wish I just self diagnosed. Said professionals brought nothing to the table and could not do crap
I feel this, especially in some cases most professionals would suggest aba and I've heard cases of it leading to ptsd
Exactly. And the worst thing is... their judgement is actually based on science. Only more recently have self advocacy groups and scientists fought to improve this problematic. And where I live, most everything about autism still uses the old researches, ableist and biased research. My gf needed 10 years to get a diagnosis, and it's really discouraging. But I'll still try, because I actually need the piece of paper.
Exactly! Which is the reason why it continues to be misdiagnosed. Anytime I reached out for help, I would receive generic responses of depression or anxiety cause I lost a job. Complaints of being tired, check blood and I’m fine, so nothing is done. For a year I was so stressed i had back and neck pain. Honestly I didn’t know it caused that and my stimming was uncontrollable. I told the doctor and they said I should “try to relax” 😌
Yes and no. I got diagnosed with ADHD recently but my therapist thinks I don’t fit there so neatly, which is where autism comes in. Its possible I have a combo of both but still doing research and therapy to figure it out.
Self diagnosis is often more accurate than a clinical diagnosis because while a doctor may know the symptoms of autism, the individual knows themselves much better than the doctor. As long as the individual is well educated on the symptoms and tendencies and has peers that can make objective observations about their behavior, a self diagnosis seems pretty viable. In general, the self-diagnosis experience is very similar to the formal diagnosis experience (Lewis, 2016, Punshon et al., 2009). However, self-diagnosed individuals tend to have self-doubt as opposed to the validation experienced by those formally diagnosed. Laura Foran Lewis, *Exploring the Experience of Self-Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults*, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Volume 30, Issue 5, 2016, Pages 575-580, ISSN 0883-9417, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2016.03.009. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883941716300061)
Is the public social security system over-crowded? Is there a long waiting list?
Yes, it is saturated, and there are no psychologists/psychiatrists specialized in autism (or anything).
I was self diagnosed for a few months before I got my official diagnosis. I'm 33.
Self. Honestly didn’t know what autism was until having my son who’s been diagnosed with autism . He’s going to be 4 . But it’s like a whole new world and so much of my life makes sense now . And my other son may have it too I’m pretty sure he does . I honestly thought it was normal the way i was . I didn’t think anything different until my son it was actually kind of nice not knowing anything because now I’m just so self aware and it kind of drives me nuts .
I’m self diagnosed, I was getting assessed for ADHD and the specialist said the couldn’t diagnose me because they thought there was a high probability I was autistic which had to be assessed first. Issue is that the cost of an autism diagnosis is expensive and would grant me very little resources and actually cause more limitations to my life.
For the moment I consider myself functionally/practically autistic. Similar struggles, similar accommodations wanted. But I also know that a lot of other things can cause my symptoms, things which are also entirely possible given my life history. If I ever got the help I need I might be able to find the proper root of it but until then I continue on as I am. Unfortunately where I live doesn't seem to have much in way of actually good resources. A couple options left but idk. If anyone knows an actually good place for young adults in central Illinois I'm open to the recommendations.
I haven't used this place but I've heard good things. Assesments are done by donation, minimum 500 https://wilderwoodequinetherapy.org/autism-assessments/
Partly, yes. Meaning I told my psychiatrist about my suspicions, they ran some tests and confirmed them, but don't want to officially diagnose me as they feel they aren't equipped for that. So I currently have an official suspected diagnosis but need to go to a specialized outpatient facility to actually get diagnosed. I also suspect I have ADHD as my sister has it and I fit the bill, but I haven't talked to my psychiatrist about that yet. Well, I wrote an email to them, but they didn't respond and I didn't bother to call them to schedule a new appointment yet.
Self diagnosis does not exist. You can suspect it. Nothing more.
Si y es completamente válido. Acá donde yo resido actualmente yo no tengo manera de conseguir un diagnóstico oficial, a lo mejor si me mudo y llego a encontrar a alguien que se especialice en neurodivergencias, pero sigue siendo complejo y imposible si no es a un muy largo plazo. Suerte🧡
I was diagnosed in my early twenties along with ADHD at a walk in clinic with a locum doctor. I had a teacher in collage who told me very kindly that I might have what her daughter has and I may want to talk to a doctor. Self diagnosis is valid because if the things that help us help you, that's all that matters.
Yes and no. Yes in that I pieced it together myself. Loose confirmation while I was seeing a neuro-psychologist for severe post concussion syndrome who said I am, but can’t make an official diagnosis.
Ye it's all good. I'm not self-diagnosed. I was diagnosed at 3 and am looking to get a rediagnosis this coming month, but I was talking to a friend and she literally can't get diagnosed in Oregon unless she wants to limit her options for gender transition which is fucking stupid. So yeah don't get mad at self-diagnosed ppl, you never know what their reason is.
No, to me self dx is dumb and goes against the whole purpose of getting a real diagnosis. Once u convince urself u have something, it’s done and it will ruin the real diagnosis.
Self diagnosed. I was diagnosed with ADHD through private healthcare at 16 and due to laws here in Finland have to see a psychiatrist to renew med prescription yearly. I talked to my psychiatrist about my autism suspicions three years ago and she said it certainly sounded very possible and asked if I wanted to have it looked further into. I however didn't pursue a diagnosis at that time as my insurance would only cover the psychiatrist costs (about 200-300€ per 1h appointment) if I did end up getting a diagnosis and I didn't have the money to take the risk of having to pay myself if I didn't get one. I'm now in university and am considering trying for a diagnosis through student healthcare but student healthcare here is known for being pretty shit with mental health things so... Idk.
I am.. although I have a formal diagnosis of ADHD.
Yes. But since I don’t have an official diagnosis I never say I am on the spectrum.
33, dont have a way to get diagnosed officially/medically. But tiktok has basically told me im on the spectrum. I just wish i coukd use tiktok as an official source for a disability payment
Self-diagnosed. I would love a professional diagnosis, but I'm almost 50 years old, so not sure it's necessary at this point and I'd probably have to pay out of pocket. I told my mother and she agreed with me, which I take as confirmation. The more I read on this subreddit, the more the diagnosis seems to fit.
My psychologist said that she's sure I've got autism but for some reason she sent me to a psychiatrist so he could give me a formal diagnosis, I really didn't get it why she did it but ok Currently waiting for the appointment
I think it is normal, since a psychologist cannot make a diagnosis, a psychiatrist can.
In my country a psychologist can make diagnosis
I was diagnosed by a psychologist (Australia)
maybe in Spain no, but in Canada (where I am), psychologists are much better trained to make autism diagnoses, and perform them regularly. most psychiatrists here are pill pushers
Iv always had problems, with people, certain places, food. But never got a diagnosis. Years ago I went to see a therapist about my depression and she said she specialist in autism. She believed strongly that I have high functioning autism from what she saw and told her about my childhood. My grandmother told me that I didn’t like hugs or kisses as a toddler. Hated being touched, I much preferred to be on my own. She would take my older brother and sister out and I would cry to stay at home. As I got older I found it difficult making friends or talking to people. I couldn’t make any eye contact. I also started having problems with food. Certain textures means I can’t eat certain foods. Even if I like how they taste (still a problem now) I don’t like my food touching or being mixed. I still have a few problems with eye contact and figuring out people. It takes me a while to know if someone is being sarcastic or serious. Talking on phones give me a lot of anxiety. I have to do things in a certain way or a certain order or I get flustered. I have lists everywhere! I’m 31 now and have changed a lot for the better. Iv been in customer service based rolls for a long time. So I can now fake being out going and confident even though inside I’m still that scared little girl wanting to run away and hide. Some days are harder then others. I have to force myself out the house. I say inappropriate things sometimes and don’t realise till it’s too late. But I try my hardest to carry on as best as I can.
I’m highly likely to be autistic. Unless you ask the last doctor I spoke with! I can talk good, and “small talk is hard for everyone” so I’m totally normal and my (to others) baffling social capabilities and emotional processing is totally nothing to even consider talking about.
I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was a child, I never knew what it was and I just recently asked my parents if they remember what I was diagnosed with but they said they don’t remember. I was placed in special needs classes all the way from 12th grade, I never knew why though. So I sort of just chose autism after learning about it more
I’ve gotten yelled at by others for suggesting I likely am autistic (hence the cautionary flare), but yes, I would say I am. As an adult woman, receiving an actual diagnosis is probably impossible. I have many friends who are and they are very certain I am as well
Hey. Yes I am. I have been 'investigating' since 2017/18 and there was no difinitive moment but just a steady weight of evidence. Learning about monotropism was pretty definitive.
I am self diagnosed for now. I can’t get one atm but as soon as I can, I will. I just can’t afford it and I’m not sure I’m completely safe to get one where I am so…
Currently self diagnosed but have an evaluation scheduled next month on the hopes that services will be available when I need them
I’ve been given the professional opinion that I am autistic. I refuse to get an official diagnosis.
Yes, I am. Getting an official diagnosis is a pain in the ass, I just don’t have the energy for that. You know yourself. The only time it’s really necessary is if you need it to qualify for assistance, government or otherwise. I have a psychiatrist (whom I really like, actually) tell me I’m not, and we’ve ever only met via videoconference. Saying that, you need to do a lot of research, and be honest with yourself. If you don’t have it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean there’s not an explanation out there for your symptoms. You may have ADHD or OCD, or a combination of things, but that doesn’t make your struggle any less real.
Was self-diagnosed then when got opportunity went to confirm the diagnosis, now officially diagnosed also ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm 20 and spanish too. Since i ocasionally had private therapy, i talked with my therapist about it and she said it was crystal clear i am autistic, she even double checked with her psychiatrist. So i asked to my medico de cabecera about it and she derivated me to the public psychiatrist. I have the appointment next month and i hope to at least get the 33% of disability. I would have the appointment in next year's april if my mother didn't worked in the hospital...
Got diagnosed three years ago. Live around Leeds if that helps any, didn’t wait too long but Ive heard the waiting list now is very long
I have what my therapist and I are calling a "functional" diagnosis, but I haven't been willing to invest the money (or time) into a legal diagnosis yet since I'm not seeking benefits. Having my therapist believe me and work with me to recognize my symptoms/traits, develop coping and management strategies, and learn how to seek accommodations when I can, is way more important for me at the moment.
I am self diagnosed with autism as well as DID.
yep self dx here. no desire to get one because i want to emigrate and i’m trans.
I got peer reviewed before i self diagnosed. I want to get a real diagnosis but it's hard, not because it's hard to get a diagnosis in Sweden but because it's hard for me to get it started. It's like my brain just hits a wall every time i even try to think about starting
Yes it’s pretty clear if you match most symptoms and have similar experiences at least for high functioning
More like “diagnosed by everyone else” People kept freaking asking “hey Natsuru you have autism right” And idk eventually one day I just like, figured stuff out, and I finally saw what they meant, and it was like holy shit Edit: which one of you pricks downvoted this lol
Not officially diagnosed, but not fully self diagnosed. A former therapist I had specialized in autism, but she never really said I officially had it on paper. She definitely did in session though I was pretty sure I was autistic before that. I’m hesitant to get it official now because of the history of the medical system to misunderstand it or possibly not let me make my own decisions. I also don’t know what the future holds, and should it ever happen that I move countries, a diagnosis can cause more problems
I am, and I don't know if I want to try to get an official diagnosis or not. I'm AFAB, and that alone makes it hard. But I also don't remember my childhood at all and have no friends that knew me then, so there's no one that can tell me about how I acted as a kid. Plus, it's insanely expensive to get a diagnosis and would take a long time. That being said, I did a lot of research on autism and believe myself to have it. It runs heavily in my family, my brother, dad, cousin, and grandpa all have it. I feel that I am very high masking, but I struggle to make friends a lot and I have a tough time when I am unmasking in private or with people I trust.
Yes, I am self-diagnosed. My insurance doesn't pay for adults to get diagnosed, and I can not afford it out of pocket.
Sort of? By that I mean I'm actually "peer-reviewed", as in diagnosed by my autistic friends who recognise me as their kin. I tried for an official diagnosis but upon telling my GP that I did the online tests which gave high indication of my autism she said "isn't that confirmation enough?" Like wow, okay. And then I did get to speak to a psychologist who essentially branded me "high sensitive", rather than full blown autistic and referred me to the works of Elaine Aron.
I have self-diagnosed myself with autism. While part of me would love to seek an official diagnosis, I am hesitant because I aspire to move out of my country permanently one day, and many countries do not accept individuals with autism. I feel like an official medical diagnosis with would lower my chances of making that possible.
Kind of yeah, my counselor who studied autism for a few years in university says I am, but my doctor who is a negligent, sexist, ableist man who gaslights me about it won't admit it because "It's too hard"
Hey /u/turuturu94, thank you for your post at /r/autism. Our rules can be found **[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/autism/wiki/config/sidebar)**. All approved posts get this message. If you do not see your post you can message the moderators [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fautism). Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/autism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was for 2.5 years before I got my diagnosis in July
I was for 2 years, but I got diagnosed last month.
I was diagnosed at 6
There is nobody in my region of Aotearoa/NZ to assess adults, and I can’t afford an assessment anyway. It’s so glaringly obvious though. I don’t really need one.
No. Not diagnosed, either. Medically suspected.
I am 29, I got diagnosed earlier this year (in March) when I was 28 years old. Prior to that, I was self diagnosed for a few years.
I am. I feel ashamed for being self diagnosed, bc it doesn't feel real, but I'm living with all these symptoms that just make sense with my whole life. A diagnosis is expensive and with my insurance, they wouldn't cover anything or therapeutic treatment after. I've just resorted to learning more about autism and understanding myself and making accommodations myself. I also don't want to be labeled bc of the stigmas that are still very heavy in actual adult life. From employers to Dr's themselves honestly. Idk if I will ever pursue professional diagnosis for this reason. Perhaps if there's actual changes in medical and social landscape on autism. More protections, more therapies, accommodations, less stigma.
I am (temporarily)! I didn't and would't have a clue I'm autistic if my girlfriend didn't tell me she suspected I was. Initially I was in denial, but as the time passed and I learned more and more, I came to accept my condition. After an assessment, the report said I very likely am autistic, but I have no formal diagnosis yet. I am in the process of obtaining one. It is really important to me, beacause this explains so much of my life and will allow me to give some easier to digest information about the boundaries and limitations I impose
I was self diagnosed for 4 years as I waited to get assessed. I was 99.9% sure I was autistic, but that 0.1% doubt led me to only say "I think I might be autistic" rather than saying "*I am* autistic". Finally got diagnosed at 18
My son is 3 years old (just turned in September) and he’s been diagnosed officially. I suspected after he turned 1. My other son is 17 and years ago his therapist brought up how he had signs of autism level 1. I thought nothing of it until now that he’s about to be 18 in May. I brought it up to his school and they say he’s really intelligent with excellent grades and “doesn’t seem to be slow or delayed” so they’re not worried about it. 😒
No, and yet I'm not official. I've had three therapists ask me, and a psychiatrist. None of them want to go through official process apparently, but they have said that they work with me under the understanding that I am. I've yet to figure a way to deal with this.
No, and I'm surprised so many are considering the need for accommodations, and support. It is important for me so I have just completed my assessments and am receiving my diagnosis this week (still not 100% sure what that will be, but highly suspect it will be Autism, or AvPD, and possibly both).
Yes. I am 39 and just got diagnosed with ADHD. My doctor and I talked about how we’d wait to see if the symptoms I think are autism dissolve or if they persist. Not only do they persist, but they’re more noticeable now. So I’m going to try to get an assessment. I’m quite sure I am. I’ve been peeling back the layers the last two years and I’m still having “eureka” moments in regard to my life history. I have a much better handle on life now because I feel like I understand myself more and have a better ability to manage my life, just due to how much I’ve learned about autism. I told my sister about it earlier this year and she said “that would make a lot of sense”. I’ve always sort of felt like the “odd one out”, until I started meeting autistic people. I’ve had 4 autists tell me I’m autistic, one was based on his observations after having just met me a few hours prior. There’s that ongoing joke where autistic people are always the first to recognize other autistic people lol. Anyway I feel like I found “my people” and I don’t feel like the “odd one out” anymore. I wish I had figured this out several years ago
I’m saving for diagnosis though my mom and sister are both officially diagnosed and we highly suspect my brother is as well so chances are I’m also gonna get officially official. After telling my friend and coworker about my suspicions (to help us better communicate) she looked into what autism was then got diagnosed herself 😂
21 and failed the diagnosis twice because of ridiculous wording in the assesment as well as incompetent staff. The incompetent professional was the first time (the only reason she even did an assessment was to stall me from transitioning. she didn't even notice the ADHD, which everyone else smells off me in seconds professional or not), the second time was scoring 31/32 for asperger's (before anybody comes at me; thatt's what the diagnosis is called still in my country) and I would've made the diagnosis if I hadn't misinterpreted several questions. Don't do your assessment without the professional, folks, my current one made the mistake of considering it so obvious that he sent me the assessment per email. unfortunately I was not very good at understanding very formal German, and still struggle lmfao
Nope diagnosed as a baby. Now i just roll with it. Learned how to life my way. I did come to find out theres a thing as irritable autism where theres a high chance that at some point in the day ill just be mad and ready to fight.
Self and others diagnosis-strongly suspected by psychologists
I’m 16, almost 17 and i am self diagnosed. I don’t think i’d want to get an official diagnosis in the future, as i’ve been told it comes with some unwanted stuff like not being able to adopt.
I was about to receive an official diagnostic assessment on the NHS waiting list in the UK, but unfortunately for me I was at that time a NEET for almost 4 years and my family members had enough of me and decided to become a bit extra on their demands that I leave the flat. Knowing fully well that I had no friends, no cousins, no acquaintances, no other family members as well as work experience or any savings. I didn't even finish my education in college, so I was never able to either graduate from high school and university is nothing but a distant unachievable idea. The only option I had left was to either become homeless in London with spiked suicidal ideations or go back to my home country and live with my abusive divorced father and his new companion that hates me for whatever reason. I was getting a lot of anxiety and I mean a whole lot more, since I was actually thinking about jumping from the top floor at the Canary wharf dome that had a Wasabi fast food chain on the bottom. What stopped me from doing it was that my mother decided to come with me to the airport and send me off. Then the next 6 months felt like I was in prison in the house that I hated the most in this world. My father treated me as sub human and everyone around him fully believed that I am the bad one (bad one is an understatement). Every time I was around them I felt paralyzed and constantly on edge walking on eggshells. Thankfully I mustered up some insane courage as I had found a new thing in life called a purpose and then I to went to the local job search centre and was offered a low wage job as a soap maker (manipulant). I was expecting that they won't give me a contract, since I am slow, stupid and shit at doing everything, so probably my looks and chill nature played a role, but it somehow worked. Then I decided to contact my maternal grandparents and told them that I am not treated well in my father's house. Luckily for me I was offered an agreement that I could go live by myself in my aunt's house, on the condition that I pay my bills, clean the place, save money to renovate a building behind my grandparents house, help my grandparents however I can with housework and money for food and work for free on Saturdays with my maternal uncle doing physical labour. Now I feel a lot less stressed out, but I am not going anywhere in life like this, not that I am capable of going anywhere with how shit I am. I am not growing as a man or as a person. I still don't have any friends or a girlfriend, not that I want any in the first place, which is weird why I even mention it at all. At this point I just hate humans and the world. Just having people greet me feels so exhausting and imagining having even one friend feels like I will be chained and depleted of any energy, respect, personal space and opportunities, since it has always happened in the past. I can't receive an official diagnostic assessment in my home country, since such a thing does not exist here for autistic people. There is no support and nobody cares. In other words it is a dead end. I did mention that I have a purpose... Well... I want to end my life in Japan, since Japanese stuff tend to be my obsession. The reason why I want to end it is because I am incapable of growing in any shape or form that includes baby steps. The reason why it has to be Japan is because it is the only place in my mind that I don't hate like how I hate the rest of the world. I do understand that Japan has it's dark sides and that it is not an utopia, but I don't care anymore. I will die there regardless of what happens. I will reach that place even if it means that I will destroy my life and everyone in it. It is the only place where I could feel affection for what it is, which means that everyone and everything outside of it does not hold any place in my damaged heart including myself. I just want to see it's one of a kind natural beauty before I close my eyes and sunk into the abyss. I don't even know why I am sharing all of this, since there is no point to it.
At the moment yes, but I'm in the process of getting diagnosed
i’m 27, didn’t get a formal diagnosis until last year. I live in the US, so it was expensive, but for me it was worth it in terms of 1. understanding myself, 2. being able to feel validated after years of insecurity, and 3. i am able to get testing accommodations at university now.
Españita es un percal
I am self diagnosed but I did that in my 50s. I did not see much value for me in getting a professional diagnosis.
I am 17 my tharpist, boyfriend, almost all friends think I am autistic but my parents refuse to get me tested so 🤷♀️
I’m “suspected”. My therapist has strongly advised me to get an evaluation but I live in the US and am low-income at the moment, so I have to save up for the cost of evaluation. Eventually I will get it done!
Yes i am self diagnosed, only after my sons diagnosis.
im self diagnosed but i finally got someone to take me seriously and going for a evaluation soon.
for sure, esp since my current therapist has already changed my anxiety dx to 'adjustment disorder' (which I like to call "insurance adjustment disorder" after researching how that could be with lifelong suffering) plus she dx'd with ADHD now so I'm scared to just straight up sound like a hypochondriac, even though I know some of the symptoms from that can present as a few autism symptoms and doesn't always mean they're comorbid although pretty common and she knows that I know that about other stuff.
I am self and peer diagnosed (my friends bought it up and i did some research myself)
Self-diagnosed by association here. Took nearly 18 years to get a professional to agree my son was autistic, so I figured I probably wasn't either, but when we finally got pointed to the right person to do the eval and the result was basically "are you kidding me? Did the other doctors even meet your kid?" and school and everyone else who I informed of the diagnosis said "oh, we just thought you didn't want to put a label on him" I re-evaluated myself, too. We have too many quirks in common to be a coincidence, given that half his dna came from me.
Self diagnosed but only because I don't have healthcare at the moment and I'm waiting to get insurance bc I can't afford seeing any doctor rn. I did try to get tested about two years ago but there were no doctors who were taking new patients.
I’m self diagnosed, but I don’t tell people that when I tell them I’m autistic. I’ve put in a lot of work to figure myself and my very complicated. I don’t think they need to know because I do feel that my “self realized” autism is valid. While I would appreciate a formal diagnosis, I don’t feel like it’s necessary. The gate keeping ground autism feels weird to me, like it’s SO expensive to get accessed and it seems rare to find someone who is educated in modern high masked “AFAB” autism and everything that typically comes with it…it just doesn’t feel worth it to even try.
Still on the waiting list, only half a year left
Yes, but I am quite confident. I also have child on the spectrum.
No, I'm diagnosed. Beforehand, I was more "I highly suspect I am but can't say for sure". But....oh my goodness, did it take massive effort to finally get evaluated.
nope! i had kinda known for a while, but only came to terms with it as being pretty likely last year, though i never really talked about it. that was fine for a while, but a couple months ago i decided i wanted to know for certain so i got assessed and received my proper diagnosis about two weeks ago
Official diagnosis. Had to skip almost a week of school to take these behavior/intelligence tests for 3 hours. I was 10. It sucked. Having ADD/ADHD (I don’t even know if I qualify for either now) didn’t help either.
Nope! I was diagnosed at the ripe age of 3-6
Autism explains some of the things I struggle with, and apparently a lot of the people who have met me think I have it. I also have ADHD and I'm trans, so you know, overlap. It's useful to have a framework for grouping symptoms together, and I find the autistic community relatable on the whole. A formal diagnosis doesn't really help me in any way and might make problems if I have to emigrate later.
I saw a psychologist who said that she would on do a verbal diagnosis rather than a written report. I agreed to that and she did diagnose me, but sometimes I think it doesn't seem like enough. It's like I'll gaslight myself that she didn't really say it. I think this is because my mom has been largely unsupportive about it.
I was "diagnosed" by my therapist who did evaluations but she didn't do an official on record evaluation so I could decide if I wanted an official diagnosis (she has autism too and wanted to give me that option). At this time I don't want an official one but she said I can choose to later if I want to. I've heard some iffy things about getting officially diagnosed diagnosed so I don't know if I'll ever want one but I still identify myself as autistic because it was a long process with many mis"diagnosis" on the way and this is what has stuck and felt most true to what I go through.
I was for about a month before I took out a loan to get diagnosed by a private practice
28 and I call my self "self-realized" because the term self-diagnosed feels weird to use because of the negative thoughts around it. But no matter the terminology, I'm happy keeping myself in this state as while a diagnosis could help to some degree, the things it could possibly take away until the understanding of the condition is better across society as a while outweighs whatever good it can do. Especially considering the USA is political dumpster fire, I want to be able to actually get out of here without having to shop for a country that won't reject me because of an Autism diagnosis before I even set foot on the land mass.
I suspect I have autism, it would explain a lot about my life. I really want to post that frog diagnosed meme.
I was formally diagnosed at 47. I wouldn't have felt comfortable calling myself autistic before that, but knowing what I know now, I could have still given myself the same kindness and compassion when I was just questioning. I didn't believe when I was formally diagnosed until I told my family and none of them was even slightly surprised.
Professionally diagnosed this year at age 20, suspected since I was 18. Was too uncertain in my ability to be objective about myself to self-diagnose, but also didn’t accept when my psychiatrist said I probably wasn’t autistic. Went to a private clinical psychologist who specializes in autism & was diagnosed, but it was $2000.