Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Observe General Characteristics
• Part 2 of 4: Search the Internet for Information
• Part 3 of 4: Dispel misconceptions
• Part 4 of 4: Ask Those You Know
• Tips
• Warnings

Autism is a congenital, lifelong condition that affects different people in different ways. Although autism can be diagnosed in young children, sometimes its signs are not immediately noticeable or unclear. This means that some people with autism do not know their diagnosis until adolescence or even adulthood. If you often feel different but don't understand why, you may have autism spectrum symptoms.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Observe General Characteristics

1. 1 Think about how you respond to social cues. Indirect social signals are difficult for people with autism to understand. This can be challenging in a variety of social situations, from friendships to interactions with colleagues. Think if you have encountered similar situations:
   • Have you found it difficult to understand another person's feelings (for example, does he feel too sleepy to speak or not)?
   • Have you been told that your behavior is inappropriate? Was it strange for you to hear that?
   • Have you ever been unaware that the person is tired of talking and wants to do something else?
   • Are you often puzzled by other people's behavior?
2. 2 Ask yourself if you find it difficult to understand other people's thoughts? People with autism may show empathy and concern for others, but their “cognitive / emotional empathy” (the ability to understand what other people are thinking based on social cues such as tone of voice, body language, or facial expressions) tend to , weakened. People with autism often find it difficult to understand the intricacies of other people's thoughts, and this can lead to misunderstandings. They usually rely on the person to speak directly and clearly.
   • It can be difficult for people with autism to understand another person's opinion about something.
   • They also find it difficult to identify sarcasm or lies, because with autism, the person may not be aware that the other person's thoughts are different from the words they say.
   • Autistic people do not always understand non-verbal cues.
   • In extreme cases, the person with autism has serious difficulty with "social imagination" and does not understand that people may have ideas,which are different from his own (they are unable to build a model of the mental state of another person).
3. 3 Think about your reaction to unexpected events. People with autism often rely on a routine to feel stable and secure. Planned changes in routine, unusual new events, and unexpected changes in plans can be frustrating for a person with autism. If you have autism, you may experience the following:
   • Feel upset, fearful, or angry about a sudden change in your schedule.
   • Forgetting to do important things (like eating or taking medication) without a schedule.
   • Panic when something doesn't happen when it should.
4. 4 Monitor yourself to see if you are prone to stimming. Self-stimulating behavior, called stimming, is a type of repetitive movement (such as fidgeting) that helps a person calm down, focus, express emotions, communicate with people, or deal with a difficult situation. While this behavior is common to everyone, it is especially common and important for people with autism. If you do not have an officially diagnosed autism spectrum disorder, your self-stimulation may be less noticeable. You may also have weaned yourself off some of these childhood habits by being criticized. Consider if you have a habit:
   • wave and clap hands;
   • wiggle;
   • hugging yourself tightly, clenching your arms, or covering yourself with heavy blankets;
   • tapping with feet, pencils, fingers, and so on;
   • to beat about a thing;
   • playing with hair;
   • walk back and forth, whirl or jump;
   • Look at bright lights, saturated colors, or moving GIFs.
   • sing, hum or constantly listen to one song on repeat;
   • sniffing soap or perfume.
5. 5 Recognize sensory problems. Many people with autism have a sensory processing disorder (also known as sensory integration disorder). With this disorder, the brain is either oversensitive or insufficiently sensitive to certain sensory signals. You may find that some of your senses are oversensitive and others are not sensitive enough. Here are some examples:
   • Vision - overload and irritation from bright colors or moving objects, do not notice things such as road signs, attracts the appearance of disordered traffic.
   • Hearing - covering your ears or hiding from loud noises, such as a vacuum cleaner or the hum of a crowd, do not notice when people are talking to you, do not hear everything that is said to you.
   • Smell - you are worried about odors that others do not care, you do not notice important smells such as gasoline, you like strong scents and buy soaps and products with the strongest odors.
   • Taste- you prefer to eat only soft or "baby" food, or eat only spicy and spicy food and do not like soft, do not like to try new foods and dishes.
   • Touch - you are worried about certain fabrics or tags on your clothes, do not notice when people touch you easily, or get injured, or constantly touch everything with your hands.
   • Vestibular system - feel dizzy or nauseous in cars or on attractions, or constantly run and climb objects.
   • Proprioceptive system - a constant feeling of discomfort in bones and organs, you constantly bump into objects, or do not notice when you are hungry or tired.
6. 6 Consider if you're having nervous breakdowns or blackouts. A breakdown is a hit, run, or freeze response that can be confused with hysteria in childhood. It is an explosion of emotion that occurs when a person with autism can no longer repress their stress. The so-called autism disconnection is similar in nature to a nervous breakdown, only in this case the person with autism becomes passive or may lose certain skills (for example, the ability to speak).
   • You can think of yourself as sensitive, hot-tempered, or immature.
7. 7 Think about your executive function. Executive function is the ability to stay organized, manage time, and move smoothly from task to task. People with autism often have difficulty with these skills. They often have to use special strategies (such as a tight schedule) to adapt. Executive dysfunction symptoms:
   • you do not remember information (for example, homework, conversations);
   • forget about the basic principles of self-care (forget to eat, take a shower, brush your teeth, comb your hair);
   • losing things;
   • you postpone everything for later and do not know how to manage your time;
   • it is difficult for you to start a new task and switch;
   • it is difficult for you to maintain order in your home.
8. 8 Think about your interests. People with autism often have strong and unusual hobbies called "special interests." These can be fire trucks, dogs, quantum physics, autism, favorite TV series, and writing fiction. Special interests are distinguished by their intensity, a new special interest is tantamount to falling in love. Here are some signs that your crush is stronger than non-autistic people:
   • you have been talking about your special interest for a long time and want to share it with others;
   • you can concentrate on your hobby for hours, you lose track of time;
   • organizing information for fun, such as making graphs, tables or charts;
   • you can give long and detailed explanations of the nuances of your hobby, all this from memory, perhaps even with quotes;
   • you feel delight and bliss from your passion;
   • you correct people who understand the issue;
   • are afraid to talk about your interests because you are afraid that you will annoy people.
9. 9 Think about how easy it is for you to speak and process speech. Autism is often associated with problems with verbal communication, the extent of which varies considerably from person to person. If you have autism, you may experience the following:
   • as a child, you started to speak later than usual (or did not start at all);
   • lose the ability to speak when you are overwhelmed with emotions;
   • you find it difficult to find words;
   • when talking, take long pauses to think;
   • you avoid difficult conversations because you are not sure that you can express your point of view;
   • Difficulty perceiving speech when the acoustics change, for example, in an audience or in a movie without subtitles;
   • you don't remember well verbal information, especially long lists;
   • you need additional time to process speech (for example, you do not respond in time to commands such as "Catch!").
10. 10 Analyze your appearance. One study found that children with autism have certain facial features — a wide upper face, large, wide-set eyes, a short nose / cheek area, and a wide mouth — in other words, something like a baby face. You may look younger than your age and often receive compliments that you look attractive / cute.
    • Not every child with autism has these traits. Perhaps they are characteristic of only some of them.
    • Unusual airways (double branching of the bronchi) have also been found in children with autism. Their lungs are completely normal to the double branching of the bronchi at the end of the pathways.

Part 2 of 4: Search the Internet for Information

1. 1 Look for tests for autism. Tests such as [1] and [2] can help you get an idea of ​​whether you are on a given spectrum. They will not replace professional diagnostics, but they are still a useful tool.
   • Professional questionnaires are also available on the Internet.
2. 2 Find organizations primarily run by people with autism spectrum disorder. These organizations help create a much clearer picture of autism than organizations run solely by parents or family members.The life of a person on the spectrum is best understood by another person with autism, so these are the organizations that will be most useful.
   • Avoid toxic and negative organizations related to autism spectrum disorders. Some of these groups say terrible things about people with autism and can promote pseudoscience. Autism Speaks is a prime example of an organization that uses terrible rhetoric. Look for organizations that express a more balanced perspective and support people with autism rather than exclude them.
3. 3 Read the work of writers with autism. Many people with autism love the blogosphere, where they are free to express their thoughts. Many bloggers discuss the symptoms of autism and give advice to those who have doubts about whether he is on the spectrum or not.
4. 4 Contact the social network. Many people with autism can be found by hashtags such as #ActuallyAutistic and #AskAnAutistic. As a rule, the society of people with autism welcomes people who are wondering if they have autism, or who have diagnosed themselves.
5. 5 Start learning about therapy. What types of therapy are sometimes needed for people with autism? Do you think any of them would be useful to you?
   • Remember that all people with autism are different. The kind of therapy that works for someone else may not work for you. And that which has not benefited another in any way may be just what you need.
   • Keep in mind that some therapies, especially ABA therapy, are sometimes practiced by people who are not competent enough in their field. Avoid any methods that seem punitive, cruel, or based on obedience. Your goal is to expand your boundaries, not become more obedient and malleable to other people.
6. 6 Explore similar diseases. Autism can be associated with sensory processing problems, anxiety (including OCD, general anxiety, and social anxiety), epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep problems, and a variety of mental and physical illnesses. Check to see if any of these disorders are similar to yours.
   • Have you mistook another disorder for autism?
   • Is it possible that you have autism AND some other medical condition? Or even more than one?

Part 3 of 4: Dispel misconceptions

1. 1 Keep in mind that autism is a congenital and lifelong condition. It is transmitted mainly or completely genetically, and begins in the womb (although behavioral signs do not appear until early childhood, or even later). A person born with an autism spectrum disorder can never get rid of this disorder. But there is nothing to be afraid of. The lives of people with autism can be improved with the right support, and adults with autism can very well lead happy, fulfilling lives.
   • The most popular myth about the causes of autism is that it is triggered by vaccines, which has been refuted by more than a dozen studies. This myth was developed by one researcher who falsified data and hid financial conflicts of interest. His work was completely denied and he lost his license for such a conflict of interest.
   • Diagnosed cases of autism have increased not because more people with autism are being born, but because people have become better at identifying autism, especially among girls and people of different races.
   • Children with autism become adults with autism. The stories of people who have "recovered" from autism are either about people who have learned to hide their autistic traits (and, as a result, may suffer from mental health problems), or about people who did not actually have autism.
2. 2 Autism doesn't necessarily mean a lack of empathy. People with autism may find it difficult to understand the cognitive part of empathy, but they are deeply indifferent and kind to people. Many people with autism:
   • are capable of full-fledged sympathy;
   • know how to show empathy, but do not always understand social signals and, accordingly, may not understand what a person is feeling now;
   • Can't fully empathize, but still care deeply for others and are good people;
   • want people to stop talking about empathy.
3. 3 Understand that people who think autism is a disaster are wrong. Autism is not a disease, it is not a burden, this disorder cannot ruin your life. Many people with autism are capable of living dignified, productive and happy lives. People with autism found organizations, write books, organize nationwide or worldwide events, and improve the world in a variety of ways. Even those who cannot live or work on their own can still improve the world with their kindness and love.
4. 4 Don't assume that people with autism are lazy or intentionally rude. They just have to work harder to meet many of the social expectations of politeness. Sometimes they fail. Perhaps, in this case, the person himself realizes this and apologizes, or maybe he will need someone else to tell him about his mistake. Negative assumptions are the fault of the person making those assumptions, not the person with autism.
5. 5 Understand that autism is an explanation, not an excuse. In most cases, when autism comes up after controversy, it serves as an explanation for a person's behavior, rather than an attempt to avoid the consequences.
   • For example: “Sorry that I offended you. I have autism, and I just didn't understand that it was rude to call you fat. I consider you a wonderful person, and I brought you this flower. Please accept my apology. "
   • Typically, people who complain that people with autism "use this disorder as an excuse" have either met a single bad person or are upset because people with autism exist and have a voice. This is a very rude and destructive assumption about a group of people. Don't let it influence your outlook on people with autism in general.
6. 6 Get rid of the idea that stimming is bad. Stiming is a natural mechanism that helps you calm down, focus, prevent relapse, and express feelings. Preventing stimming in humans is both harmful and wrong. In some situations, self-stimulating behavior is inappropriate:
   • It causes physical harm or pain. Banging your head on objects, biting or hitting yourself are all bad things. All this can be replaced with harmless stimulation, you can, for example, just shake your head or bite chewing bracelets.
   • It violates someone's personal space. For example, playing with someone else's hair without that person's permission is a bad idea. Anyone - with or without autism spectrum disorder - must respect the privacy of others.
   • It prevents people from working. Be quiet in places where people work, such as schools, offices, and libraries. If people are trying to concentrate, then it is better to do quiet stimulation, or go to a place where it is not necessary to be quiet.
7. 7 Stop seeing autism as a puzzle to be solved. People with autism are holistic individuals. They bring variety and important perspectives to the world. There is nothing wrong with them.

Part 4 of 4: Ask Those You Know

1. 1 Ask your friend with autism about this disorder. (If you don't have such a friend, try to find people with autism and make friends with them.) Explain that you suspect you have autism and that you are wondering if your friend has seen signs of autism in you. He may ask you questions to better understand what you are experiencing.
2. 2 Ask a parent or guardian about your early developmental characteristics. Explain what you are interested in learning about your early childhood and ask when you have reached different stages of development. Children with autism are characterized by late or disordered attainment of typical stages of developmental development.
   • Ask if there are videos from your childhood that you can watch. Pay attention to stimming and other signs of autism in children.
   • Consider also the early schooling and adolescent age stages. When did you learn to swim, bike, cook, clean, wash and drive?
3. 3 Show a close friend or relative an article about the signs of autism (such as this one). Explain that when you read it, it reminded you of yourself. Ask if he sees the signs in this article. Self-awareness is difficult for people with autism, so loved ones may see things in you that you are not aware of.
   • Keep in mind that no one can figure out what's going on in your head. People don't see all the adjustments you make to appear more "normal" and therefore may not understand that your brain works differently. Some people with autism can make friends and connect with people without anyone realizing that they have an autism spectrum disorder.
4. 4 Talk to your family when you're ready. Consider seeing a specialist and getting a diagnosis. A good therapist can help you improve your skills to better adapt to the neurotypical world.

Tips

• Remember that you are a positive and important person, whether you have autism or not. Autism and personality are not mutually exclusive.

Warnings

• Don't go to anti-autistic organizations. These sites are often inaccurate at best and inhuman at worst. In general, it is worthwhile to be critical of sites that insist on treatment, proclaim “people first,” mourn “broken” families, or present autism as the enemy. Sites like these are neither kind nor accurate.