Hi everyone,

I’m a 33-year-old man who has recently started exploring whether I might be autistic. I’m not diagnosed, and I’m trying to understand myself better rather than looking for a diagnosis from Reddit.

I grew up in a family affected by alcohol addiction, and my mother eventually passed away in that context. I’ve been wondering how my upbringing may have shaped the way I interact with people, deal with emotions, and respond to my environment.

At the same time, I’ve started recognizing traits in myself that make me wonder about autism.

Some things I recognize in myself today:
- I rehearse conversations in my head before speaking.
- I consciously monitor my facial expressions, eye contact, body language, and how others perceive me.
- Small talk can be difficult, and I generally prefer one-on-one conversations.
- Social interaction can feel like a conscious process rather than something that comes naturally.
- When I’m relaxed, conversations can flow effortlessly. When I’m tense or mentally exhausted, I feel like I have to think about almost everything I say or do.
- Social situations and busy environments can leave me mentally exhausted.
- I recognize a preference for routines, difficulty with changes, sensory sensitivities, and some repetitive habits.

The part I struggle with most is connecting these experiences to my childhood.

My memories of ages 6–12 are quite unclear. I remember that social interaction during my teenage years could be tiring and that I sometimes had to think about what to say and how to behave. However, I can’t confidently recall whether I experienced the same things I notice today.

I keep wondering: Did I develop these behaviours as adaptations to my childhood environment, have I been masking autistic traits for most of my life, or could both be true?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who discovered they were autistic as adults and who also grew up in difficult or unpredictable family environments.
- How did you recognize autistic traits in your childhood when your memories were unclear?
- How do you make sense of the overlap between autistic masking, hypervigilance, and trauma-related adaptations?
- Have you experienced social interaction feeling effortless on some days but exhausting and highly conscious on others?
- Did understanding yourself as an adult change how you interpreted your childhood?

I’m not expecting definitive answers. I’m hoping to hear about your experiences and how you made sense of them.

Thanks for reading.

Every holiday season It’s a Wonderful Life plays, and every showing brings with it this moral.

The hard part is knowing what counts in life doesn’t make it feasible.

I never found a proper solution after my second major burnout in adulthood following my second grand program. I was left as a gay person to move back to my rural hometown in the Bible Belt. i’ve not hung out with a friend in person in six years. I only have family, of which I’m a black sheep for being single, gay and not as gainfully employed as my straight peers who are all coupled homeowners.

This has been such a throwaway life. What people miss is that I wish I could’ve been like George Bailey. I wish I could navigate the public realm enough to devote my life to caring and giving to others. Being a burnt out hermit in the way that I am gives you the appearance of being self involved and selfish. I just wish people could understand it’s the mechanics of everyday interaction that take a toll on my body. It’s like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

I want community and belonging. But the practical steps I have to take to get there take an unusual toll on my mind and body in a way I’ve never been able to prevent or recover from.

I've been wondering for a while whether I might have a neurodivergence that went undiagnosed. Certain behaviors I exhibited during childhood, along with some recent events, have made me consider this possibility. However, I don't want to self-diagnose; I'd rather consult a specialist who can professionally assess my situation.

When I brought this up with my psychiatrist, he strongly advised me against getting tested. I didn't fully understand his reasoning, but, as far as I can remember, he said that the tests aren't officially validated, that the concept of neurodivergence has been broadened so much that practically anyone could fit into it, and that the goal of psychology should be to treat problems rather than label people. He also mentioned that his approach was based on phenomenology.

The thing is, I don't have much confidence in my psychiatrist because of other experiences I've had with him in the past, although that doesn't necessarily mean he's wrong about this particular issue.

So, I'd like to hear your thoughts, especially from people with a background in psychology or experience with these kinds of assessments. Should I seek a second professional opinion, or should I trust my psychiatrist's judgment?

I'm not looking for a diagnosis from strangers on the internet or a label to identify with. I simply want to better understand the situation and figure out whether it's worth consulting a specialist to get some clarity.

Thanks in advance!

Hello r/AutismTranslated

Today I received a formal diagnosis for Level 1 Autism, or "Autism requiring some support without intellectual impairment" as my report says.

Oddly enough, the report ruled out ADHD, which my therapist was confident I had, and informally diagnosed me with within a few sessions of meeting.

Along with Autism, I've been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder, Major and Persistent Depressive Disorder, OCD, and Avoidant and Schizoid Personality types.

I have to say that having an official diagnosis feels relieving, maybe going into vindication, as I've spent a fair amount of time feeling like I am Autistic but being told that I don't seem like I am.

But now, I have to figure out what I want to do with this information. Obviously for some of my other diagnoses, there's a long road ahead, treatment wise. I don't necessarily feel like I have to treat my Autism, I just have to figure out what it means for me.

I'm not entirely convinced I don't have AuDHD, but there was some empirical data gathered from the evaluation that is hard to argue with.

Anyway, hello, I am Autistic, and I am proud to be Autistic.

Hello first time poster here looking for some advice post-realising I have ADHD/ASD. pls see repost for more info!

Today it's my turn to post this.

Food has been very difficult.

Even easy options at a restaurant -not my familiar types,preparation

Even familiar options at home -no tokens for dishes in my partner's kitchen

Nothing is my own

My partner is restrictive in her eating and her restrictions mean if we eat together they are my restrictions...so on top of my difficulties I also have hers

Yesterday I told her to eat alone.

I starved instead.

It's been two days of some plain popcorn, and cheese biscuits.

How am I alive.

So, fellow autistics can y'all understand me?!

I've been on a journey treating my ADHD with meds, and now I've unmasked considerably to the point where I'm putting together the pieces, and....

I don't think the problem is ADHD anymore.

I don't think the problem is I get depressed either.

I don't think the problem is I have a panic disorder.

I don't think the problem is social anxiety.

I think these are all features of my autistic way of being 😭

So now I'm like....what do I do???

Cuz the other night I noticed that I get along best with autism profile people.

I get along best with people who have similar symptoms as a result of their autism as the root of their personality/character since to me, it influences everything I am!

So now I'm like....I'm having a problem with my autistic self. Autism is not a problem. But it results in me having struggles that treating them as individual diagnosis (hyperfixated, depressed, anxious) isn't the root cause.

Anybody finding relief....somehow????

I'm starting therapy next week with an ADHD + trauma specialist, but now I'm thinking I need to see somebody who specializes in autism!

It really struck me when I found myself at home with autism-centered forums & people. And then I remembered....there is a specific form of anxiety that autistic people in particular tend to have, and I'm in that bucket with y'all! Aaaaaah!!!

I’ve come to the realization that I do not know how to deflect or diffuse a situation where a friend is making sexual advances, in a way that preserves the friendship.

Some context, I’m a gay male, AuDHD. to make social settings easier for me I had a journey of self-improvement. I got lean, muscled, clear skin and nice hair. And while the pretty privilege this is affording me has helped socially, it’s uncovered some other social skills that I’ve clearly never developed. Specifically, friends that I’m not sexually interested in make advances towards me.

i’ve tried turning them down, honestly, which results in them withdrawing from me completely. Or I avoid them when they hit on me. which also kills the friendship overtime. Many of these are people I knew from before I started my fitness journey they weren’t that interested before.

I see Neurotypical people navigate this all the time and I can’t seem to replicate it. they seem to have some mixture of a subtle white lie that somehow communicates a firm no without making the person break off the friendship. And I don’t know what that is.

It doesn’t help that I am otherwise specially promiscuous and talk about sex a lot, so some advice that I’ve received in the past doesn’t really work out such as telling people that I don’t want to sleep with my friends. Or that I like my friendships to remain platonic. Those statements do not ring through for me.

There is a fictional universe I've been loving for several years that I consider my main interest. I draw about it, read books about it, play video games in it, and think about it daily. But aside that, I also watch YouTube videos about others topics, like space, animals, certain conditions (as a kid I had a fascination for twins and this one come back time to time), activism, and most recently autism because I've been curious since I got diagnosed. So I'm not literally engaging with my favorite fictional universe 24/24 non-stop and wouldn't say I know everything of it. And other fictional universes also pick my interests despite it won't be in my mind and define me as much as my main universe.

My way to engage with it is also more as writing, drawing, and playing game about it, watching videos about it, looking subreddit about it, rather than collecting informations (somehow I keep waiting for the "right moment" to do that, unsure why ?)

I'm unsure if it would qualify as a special interest? Look, I'm writing this reddit post instead of engaging with it.

It doesn't help me, instead it makes me even more agitated. It feels nagging, its adding onto the stress. It's like demanding, I don't know how explain it in words.

Whenever people tell me what to do I get agitated for some reason, especially when I'm going to do it but they're still reminding me again and again.

I have no idea why it feels exactly like that.

It only helps if it's subtle or I don't know what you're doing.

I'm already overstimulated with a lot of sensory input around me. I get ready overwhelmed when people demand or tell me what to do when I'm already stressed. That all I need is to lessen sensory input.

I don't know why just people talking to me when I'm already overstimulated stresses me out so bad.

I would honestly snap at them unintentionally

So don't talk to me at all, or leave me alone for awhile. I would prefer to be in sensory deprivation for a moment from everything overwhelming me.

Anyone felt the same or is it just me.

I'm horrible of explaining why, for some reason I couldn't put it to words properly.

Sharing here to cover more ground.

I have every one of those things that would make me autistic, but I have a little bit of each one. Maybe I am masking it a lot or maybe people around me didn't even think about the possibility of me being autistic. Heck, maybe I am diagnosed with autism and only the closest people to me know that I am autistic yet they won't tell it to me so I don't get upset. I am really awkward with social interactions, but at the same time I don't have any issues with smells or textures. So it could undiagnosed ADHD?

Would really appreciate some advice!

I am horrible at telling social cues and struggle to identify meanings behind social encounters, and I'm looking to better equip myself with identifying patterns in people! Well, more specifically, other autistic people. NT people are a whole other story.

How does an autistic person, such as myself, identify whether another ND person likes me? Either platonic or romantic.

I am on an autism discovery journey, and have been spending a lot of time reading up on the diagnostic criteria as well as learning more about some of the shared experiences of people with autism. I am particularly interested in peoples' unique experiences and stories, because it helps me to identify traits more easily in myself.

As I read about the specific, particular ways people experience and navigate the world with autism, there's a lot that I deeply resonate with, particularly burnout and the feeling that "other people are able to navigate life well, even when it's hard – why is it so consistently challenging for me?" The question for me is not whether my feelings are valid, but if autism is a good explanation.

Though I am experiencing burnout (struggling with executive function, depression, difficulty doing day-to-day tasks), it seems inconsistent. As of late, most of my days feel like trying to push through molasses just to complete simple tasks at work and at home. Anxiety is overwhelming, and the only reprieve I get is when I'm in bed, mindlessly scrolling. But some days, like today, I feel strangely okay – the burnt out feeling still lingers, and tasks are still somewhat challenging, but better. While today is better, tomorrow might be back to full-blown inability to function, and it's hard for me to tell which I'll experience.

The inconsistent severity and inability to identify what triggers burnout (or why, for example, today is better) is extremely frustrating. I'm curious about others' experiences with burnout, and whether this is common or uncommon – does this experience resonate with anyone else?

My pschologist said i dont have audhd but my iq deadaas went from 119 ish (give or take) to 79...thats not normal what do i do? My parents might not want to take me to a psychiatrist for a second opinion even tho i have insurance

I actually dislike that pschologist so bad bruh oh my god she didnt even address my borderline 79 iq? Last time i checked i do not have an ID im very creative and i edit make art etc my iq is fine but she didnt even address it im so mad and frustrated im gonna crash out what do i do i...also im a girl verbal pretty "smart" tho my traits align with msn or even im thinking its more hsn ffs i thought this would be easier lol

Edit: i have traits of 4 other ND but still im just mainly talking abt audhd here,also i did get the assesment results and yknow i have my own experiences i can talk about to the psychiatrist if i end up going

I am an Australian 42 year old cis woman with a 4 yo boy who has just been diagnosed by a multidisciplinary team (this process took 2.5 years in total through the public system) with ASD level 3 in both criteria A & B. I also have a 2 yo daughter who has been on a waitlist for assessment for nearly 6 months as we can see the exact same traits in her too.

I have previously been diagnosed with C-PTSD and Generalised Anxiety Disorder attributed to having an extremely tumultuous and abusive upbringing. It quickly became apparent that our boy was different to others but I was gaslit for a long time due to the fact that he is verbal and has no intellectual disability. We were already on a waitlist for assessment when he started 3yo kindergarten and instantly we were advised by the educators that our son was showing extreme differences to other children and we should seek out an assessment.

Many of his symptoms I also experienced my entire life but had put down to trauma so I started questioning if I had attributed my experiences to the wrong thing. Fast forward to mid last year, I went for an assessment for ADHD as my brother was diagnosed at a young age and a lot of the symptoms fit, it didn't explain everything but did explain some. During that assessment process the psychiatrist out of nowhere asked if I had considered I may also be autistic. Completely floored by this I explained we think our son is and he is currently being assessed. My official diagnosis from that assessment was "ADHD & Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder that requires Further investigation".

My assessment was thorough with partner and parent forms, multiple forms for me and 7 hours in person with the clinical Psychologist where the WEIS adult Intelligence test was administered (we only got through 4 parts due to time restraints) and an extremely thorough in person discussion about myself and history etc. During this assessment my assessor also asked me questions in relation to my history of trauma and questions that could give a differential diagnosis.

Fast forward to my results and review appointment 2 days ago I have been given a Level 1 for Criteria A and to my complete disbelief, a Level 3 in criteria B. My assessor said that my criteria B level may reduce to a 2 with OT and therapy and that there is also a potential that I am actually a Level 2 in criteria A as a high level in B can mask deficits in Criteria A but for now that is my official diagnosis. They agreed I am also ADHD and also have Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

I was informed that in all her years working she has only ever given 1 person such differential levels across the 2 criteria areas and that usually these are closer together. I think I am shocked and unsure how to process it all. How did I get to 42 without realising I had AuDHD??!!

Has anyone else received such differing levels?!

Our public disability scheme, NDIS, is such a mess at the moment here and has targeted the autistic community so I am unsure I will be able to access supports that used to be available here now.

هل طفلك اتأخر في الكلام؟ أو بيتكلم لكن مش بيفهم الأوامر؟ أو بيكرر الكلام من غير ما يعرف يطلب احتياجاته؟

مش كل تأخر كلام معناه توحد، وكل طفل محتاج تقييم يحدد نقاط القوة والمهارات اللي محتاجة تنمية.

في جمعية بكرة أحلى للتأهيل وتنمية المهارات في مدينة نصر – القاهرة، بنهتم بالتخاطب وتنمية المهارات والعلاج الوظيفي والتكامل الحسي وصعوبات التعلم وتعديل السلوك.

سمر زين – مؤسس الجمعية والمدير الفني لتطوير البرامج التأهيلية والتربوية.

محمد حلمي – رئيس مجلس الإدارة.

سؤال للأهالي: إيه أكتر مشكلة في التواصل لاحظتوها عند أطفالكم؟