If you’ve always felt “different” from others, you might lie somewhere on the autism spectrum. While most cases of autism are diagnosed in childhood, some adults might go undiagnosed, which can sometimes lead to difficulty in daily functioning or just an odd feeling that something’s not right. So who can provide you with an autism diagnosis?
There are many professionals such as speech pathologists and screening centers that can provide you with an autism diagnosis but before you can get screened for autism, there are certain steps that you need to take.
Note Down Your Signs And Symptoms
Before you consult a healthcare provider about your condition, it’s important that you’re completely aware of your signs and symptoms. If possible, take out some time and create a list of signs that you experience daily and think might point towards autism.
Since most full-blown autism cases are diagnosed during childhood, you might have a form of autism called high-functioning autism. High-functioning autism is the condition’s mildest form. The symptoms are non-disruptive, which means they don’t interfere too much with normal aspects of life such as academics, social interaction, and work.
Patients with high-functioning autism can spend relatively normal lives with a feeling that something’s not right being the only problem sometimes.
Other times, you might feel significantly challenged in two areas — communication and emotional regulation.
As an adult with autism, you might find it difficult to relate with other people’s emotional states. This leads to difficulty in reading social cues and participating in conversations. This also makes it difficult for patients to read other people’s body language and facial expression, making overall communication very difficult.
Other symptoms worth noting down include finding it difficult to maintain eye contact when talking to someone, difficulty in expressing emotions, using long, made-up descriptive phrases and words, talking in the same tone with people at work, friends, and family, and finding it difficult to sustain close, meaningful friendships.
Symptoms related to emotional regulation and behavior include having a rigid routine or rituals that you just can’t see go wrong. If something unexpected happens, you find it difficult to make appropriate adjustments and instead respond with an emotional outburst.
Other times, you might fail to take social cues and engage in unexpected behavior such as making noise where silence is expected. If you feel you’ve got any of these symptoms, make sure to include them on your list.
Patients with high-functioning autism are also obsessed with a specific area of interest and are often deeply knowledgeable about it. They tend to talk a lot about one or two areas of interests, and academically, they find themselves exceptional in one or two subjects while struggling with the rest.
All these symptoms point toward a potential autism diagnosis, and if you feel you’ve got them, you must include them in your list.
Take Your List Of Symptoms To A Primary Healthcare Provider
Once you’ve made a list of your symptoms, it’s time to talk to your primary healthcare provider and tell them what you feel. This could be a GP or any other doctor that you regularly see.
Your doctor will do a basic evaluation to make sure your symptoms are not being caused by any other underlying disorder. You should ask them if they could refer you to a psychologist (or psychiatrist) for proper autism assessment.
Schedule An Autism Assessment
Once your primary healthcare provider (e.g., paediatrician) refers you for an in-depth autism assessment, you’ll be seen by a team of autism experts.
The team will evaluate you for signs of autism and will want to know the symptoms you’re experiencing regarding emotional regulation, communication, and behaviour. A list of your symptoms will come in handy here as well as it’s going to make answering questions easy.
Psychologists might also want to know about your childhood (because autism usually presents during childhood), for which they might request you to let them talk to your parents or an elder family member acquainted with your childhood.
Once they’ve gathered enough information about your childhood and present signs and symptoms, they’ll give you an autism diagnosis if applicable.
Why Get Diagnosed?
Getting diagnosed with autism has several benefits. For one, a diagnosis provides clarity in regards to why you feel “different” and why you find social interaction so difficult.
But in addition to that, it helps you explain other people why you’re behaving in a particular way. This can help other people understand your behavior better and adjust their own behavior accordingly to make things a little easier for you.
Finally, with an official diagnosis in your hands, you’ll find it easier to get support at your university or workplace, improving your productivity and helping you navigate the complex world of human interaction better!
For more information about the screening process for autism in children, refer to this helpful guide by New Vision Psychology.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting this site by buying us a virtual coffee.
