Hi Everyone

[Mat82]

Hi my name is Mat and im from Australia, Im a 37yr old male who is booked in for an autism assessment in a few weeks time. Many years ago i was told by my psychologist that i should be tested for autism but i never got around to it until now.

I have already been diagnosed with social anxiety, depression, adhd inattentive, so im stressed out because it is so hard to know if it is autism i have or just my other diagnosis making me feel that way. It is going to cost me $600 for the test which is lot of money to me and i just want to make sure that im not wasting my money.

my concerns are:
-i dont really know alot about my childhood, and my mum thinks getting a diagnosis is stupid. so im scared to really ask about my childhood.
a)I know i used to go to sleep at like 5pm in the afternoon and wake up at 3am and watch the news. even if we were out i would go to sleep under the table or wherever i could find.
b)All my report cards say i was quiet.
c) I used to play alone and i mostly was found playing cars in the sandpit

- My special interest is cars, I have heaps of car magazines, remote control cars, matchbox cars, have owned some real cars that i like. my yr 12 about me was all about cars and my yr 12 jersey name was car related.
a) but i wouldnt say im knowledgable about any of it, like i cant tell you when the first car was ever built or rebuild an engine from scratch. i can only do basic things. i feel like i like cars because of there design and the way they look and how they can be changed to be different.

- My other interest is basketball cards, but i dont know my favourite players complete stats or anything. i just like to collect his cards because i thought he was a good player.

-The only computer games i play need to be based on real life, i mostly play city building games (cities skylines) I played gta5 until they introduced a flying motorbike with a gun. now i dont play it at all.

- I dont talk to people about the things i enjoy unless im asked, but even then i dont tell them much.

Some other things about me
- I dont like to use peoples real names, even my children have nicknames
- i dont like being in loud places, or groups of people. i dont like any sort of loud or weird noises, when my wife yells at the kids i get scared.
- it takes me forever to make a decision
- i dont understand what people are saying most of the time and i really need to concentrate if they are giving me a task to do
- i always thought the saying "you have your work cut out for you" meant you'd nearly finished
I eat a really healthy diet and take supplements which has helped in some ways as i have stomach issues and food intolerances:
- i learnt to cook recently, but i need to follow a recipe or i cant do it.
- i dont go hide in cupboards when i am overwhelmed anymore
- my brainfog is not as bad

I know you cant diagnose me but do these symptoms sound like autism?
I have many other things i could write down, but ill start with this, if you have any questions feel free to ask

 

[tree]

 

[Nitro]

Hi Mat

 

[Misery]

Hey there!

To respond to a few things:

1. Honestly? No reason to be too stressed out about the autism assessment process. I think you'll find that once it's done, and you've gotten the answer.... regardless of what the answer is, you'll get a sense of relief from now having that knowledge. However, the people that do these are not perfect. They CAN miss things and give an inaccurate diagnosis (which is why some people will go for a second opinion, just in case). So that's worth keeping in mind.

2. Yeah, playing alone and enjoying solitude in general is pretty common for those on the spectrum. You'll find it mentioned alot on this forum.

3. Cars: I know absolutely freaking nothing about them... except for RC cars. I started getting into both drones and RC cars (proper RC cars, not the "toy" ones) a couple of years ago. I dont have much knowledge about them, and the fact that my area suuuuuucks makes it hard to do anything with them (nowhere to fly/drive them), but still, they are neat. ACTUAL cars though... all I know is that I push on the pedal and hope it does something. Cars generally all look the same to me.

4. I cant stand using real names either. Heck, I dont like my own name; I'm glad the internet allows me to come up with whatever I want.

5. Yep, slow at making decisions... "analysis paralysis". I sympathize with that one.


Anyway, welcome to the forum, we try not to suck here.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Hi, regardless of whether you have Autism or not, you are welcome here, as not everyone here has such official medical diagnoses, but either have some or many signs and symptoms of such, or suspect they have such, or they feel they relate to Autism in some way.

Based on what you said, I do not think any doctor would diagnose Autism, as not enough if any core signs and symptoms are very noted yet. A specialist indeed would need to inquire more, observe you more, or test for such. They could compare you against the DSM-5 for Autism, besides giving questionnaires, or give some ADOS test, which supposedly is about 80% accurate.

Our 2nd Autistic son when age 3.5 was charged about $250 for a two hour evaluation, from a doctor that specializes in Autism and ADHD. Other such specialists tried to get rich quick, charging anywhere from $2500 to $8000. “No thanks,” we told them. So, we relied on that cheapest one we found, but which was a five hour drive away. Admittedly, prior to the formal diagnosis, I performed my own ADOS test (child version) on that child, as numerous doctors refused to consider screening or testing for Autism. I posted that detailed test in this forum within the last two weeks.

After the two hour specialist evaluation, which included a questionnaire to be filled out and the doctors observations, and after he reviewed our numerous submissions supporting our assertions, including videos of that son showing his numerous sensory issues, delays, repetitive and stimming issues, hyperactivity, atypical fascinations, etc., that son got the two mentioned diagnoses.

For your case, a doctor would need to be detailed and analytical, and ask the right questions and analyze things well, as ADD and Autism are not uncommon dual diagnoses, or as one is mistaken for the other, as both conditions often involve some hyper focus, obsessions, a lack of having proper social norms, behavioral issues, sensitivities or sensory issues, difficulties understanding verbal directions, and a need to do things often not in the standard ways.

A specialist should inquire more about your youth years, yes, as often one or more signs and symptoms of either of those two neurological conditions show up early on, at around age eighteen months. I understand your dilemma regarding doing what your doctor wanted you tested for versus not upsetting your mother, and then you have to factor in the cost involved and what you personally desire, and the benefit of you having such a diagnosis or not.

I just feel so far, based on the limited information given, the social anxiety and ADD inattentive diagnoses you were given could explain most of the things you talked about, as I see less need for detail, with exception of the recipe need you talked about, and structure from the things you said. Also, when you said you did not understand “You have my work cut out for you” most non-Autistics should without a learning, cognitive or comprehension issue would know that meant “things will be difficult for you”, instead of your interpretation. That was the only other thing mentioned in your post that could seem a slight Autistic sign. Social anxiety is very common for many with various conditions.

So, if I were a doctor I would want to ask you these basic questions first:

Did you have any delays, abnormalities, restrictions, or limitations as a child or adult, like with regards to speech, social interactions, language, cognitive, motor skills, or other?

Did you have concentration and memory problems as a child?

Do you have any sensory issues other than not liking loud sounds? And is your food intolerances, related to taste, smell, texture, or aesthetic, or a combination?

Do you see yourself as more a detailed and organized person, or more as preferring abstract, general and clutter? Or a bit of both there? And explain.

Do you like rules and following routines? Or prefer more spontaneity? Or both?

What are any obsessions?

How do you handle stress, and needing things done in ways you are not accustomed too? What things trigger you for any meltdowns?

Any stimming issues as a child or adult?

As a child did you have any wandering issues?

As a child, did you play with toys in atypical ways, like through analyzing parts or inspection, more so than using the toys in traditional ways.

As a child, did you like to line things up or stack things, or were messes more common or comfortable?

Do you remember any zoning out issues, and for what types of situations?

How is your imagination? Do you have stress or difficulty telling fiction, or using humor, or deviating from facts?

Also, realize just because one doctor or specialist diagnoses one thing, that may or may not be true, so factor in that as well. It is a personal choice what you should do, because of all the mentioned, and after taking everything into consideration you learn from others and on your own. I just know most general doctors are not trained to evaluate Autism, from our research and experiences. And most specialists would need to know more than the great and helpful information you have given so far, which is a great start.

 

[Wolfnox]

Sup.

 

[Joel I]

Hi Mat, I'm also Australian. I first heard about Asperger's/Autism when I was 29 and my mother also didn't believe I had it. I was 30 when I diagnosed in the mental ward of a hospital. It explained a lot about the few memories I had of my childhood. It gives me peace of mind to know I didn't choose to grow up so different and that it's because my brain is truly different to the general population.

 

[Isadoorian]

Welcome to the Forums! I hope you make new friends and enjoy your stay in the process!

 

[Streetwise]

Hi my name is Mat and im from Australia, Im a 37yr old male who is booked in for an autism assessment in a few weeks time. Many years ago i was told by my psychologist that i should be tested for autism but i never got around to it until now.

I have already been diagnosed with social anxiety, depression, adhd inattentive, so im stressed out because it is so hard to know if it is autism i have or just my other diagnosis making me feel that way. It is going to cost me $600 for the test which is lot of money to me and i just want to make sure that im not wasting my money.

my concerns are:
-i dont really know alot about my childhood, and my mum thinks getting a diagnosis is stupid. so im scared to really ask about my childhood.
a)I know i used to go to sleep at like 5pm in the afternoon and wake up at 3am and watch the news. even if we were out i would go to sleep under the table or wherever i could find.
b)All my report cards say i was quiet.
c) I used to play alone and i mostly was found playing cars in the sandpit

- My special interest is cars, I have heaps of car magazines, remote control cars, matchbox cars, have owned some real cars that i like. my yr 12 about me was all about cars and my yr 12 jersey name was car related.
a) but i wouldnt say im knowledgable about any of it, like i cant tell you when the first car was ever built or rebuild an engine from scratch. i can only do basic things. i feel like i like cars because of there design and the way they look and how they can be changed to be different.

- My other interest is basketball cards, but i dont know my favourite players complete stats or anything. i just like to collect his cards because i thought he was a good player.

-The only computer games i play need to be based on real life, i mostly play city building games (cities skylines) I played gta5 until they introduced a flying motorbike with a gun. now i dont play it at all.

- I dont talk to people about the things i enjoy unless im asked, but even then i dont tell them much.

Some other things about me
- I dont like to use peoples real names, even my children have nicknames
- i dont like being in loud places, or groups of people. i dont like any sort of loud or weird noises, when my wife yells at the kids i get scared.
- it takes me forever to make a decision
- i dont understand what people are saying most of the time and i really need to concentrate if they are giving me a task to do
- i always thought the saying "you have your work cut out for you" meant you'd nearly finished
I eat a really healthy diet and take supplements which has helped in some ways as i have stomach issues and food intolerances:
- i learnt to cook recently, but i need to follow a recipe or i cant do it.
- i dont go hide in cupboards when i am overwhelmed anymore
- my brainfog is not as bad

I know you cant diagnose me but do these symptoms sound like autism?
I have many other things i could write down, but ill start with this, if you have any questions feel free to ask

Hello from England diagnosed at 45 no one on this forum can diagnose you the reason is autism can look like other disorders ,someone thought I had borderline personality disorder ,it can also look like brain damage or a lack of socialisation I was exactly the same as you until I was told I was autistic then I was in shock for a second, then after that it’s all mixed in with panic disorder !so I would probably be different from you

 

[Mat82]

Thankyou for welcoming me everyone.

I am stressed because of the whole misdiagnosis thing, especially when i dont understand half the stuff they ask or cant remember anything. i might say i dont do something when i possibly could have?

When it comes to cars, i can name most cars that i drive past and i know people by the car they drive.
The real cars i have owned have been
mitsubishi cordia turbo
mitsubishi lancer gsr awd turbo
r33 Skyline turbo

I absolutely love the sound of a turbo car, i get so excited listening to them
With these cars i was obsessive, i would want to make them perfect, i would replace anything that was damaged in any little way with either new parts if i could get them or the best parts i could find. When my family members went in the car i would get angry if they touched anything or put dirt on the carpet etc. I loved driving the car but i hated putting kms on them or parking them anywhere they could get damaged, so they would end up sitting in the shed under a cover and get washed once a week. Then i was depressed because i wanted to drive them but i loved them so much that i wanted to protect them. I had to sell them so i didnt go mad plus i didnt have the money to make them perfect which caused me stress.

Based on what you said, I do not think any doctor would diagnose Autism, as not enough if any core signs and symptoms are very noted yet. A specialist indeed would need to inquire more, observe you more, or test for such. They could compare you against the DSM-5 for Autism, besides giving questionnaires, or give some ADOS test, which supposedly is about 80% accurate.

I have done most of the autism tests online, i did the autism quotient test last night just to double check. my score was 40 out of 50. all tests have come back in the autism range.

I posted that detailed test in this forum within the last two weeks.

Can you link me to the test you posted so i can have a look?

So, if I were a doctor I would want to ask you these basic questions first:

Did you have any delays, abnormalities, restrictions, or limitations as a child or adult, like with regards to speech, social interactions, language, cognitive, motor skills, or other?

child - This is what i need to ask my mum, as i dont know.

Adult
- my wife needs to give me a shopping list for me to do the shopping
-i need reminders for pretty much everything
-I dont really have friends. i have a friend from high school but he lives 8hrs away
-struggle to make friends, only friends ive really had are people that have taken a liking to me, i dont really do anything.
-struggle to work, not good at multitasking, slow, perfectionism, only do basic tasks, get overwhelmed easily
-dont talk on the phone unless i really have to
Dont know how to make conversation, when i say hi, how you going to someone, it is a learned question, ive taught myself to say it. thats about as far as conversation goes.
repeat phrases from shows ive seen all the time, whistle alot
daughter is diagnosed with autism, she is exactly like me.
definately cognitive delays
i am good at sport, but trip over things all the time
left handed if that means anything
cant make decisions
i feel my vocabulary is very basic compared to people my age, not sure if that is a thing?
dont make eye contact
dont know how to act when someone is emotional

Did you have concentration and memory problems as a child?

I couldnt concentrate or remember much, same as now

Do you have any sensory issues other than not liking loud sounds? And is your food intolerances, related to taste, smell, texture, or aesthetic, or a combination?

i have sensory to certain textures. cotton balls, flour, any chalky substances, some fabrics, i use to wear my socks inside out as a child because the sewed bit was uncomfortable. some tags annoyed me

I avoid mashed potato because of sensory issues, but can eat baked potato, gluten causes brain fog and i look like a drug attic. other food intolerances seem to mess with my mood etc

I pretty much cant smell anything

I need a weighted blanket to sleep

Do you see yourself as more a detailed and organized person, or more as preferring abstract, general and clutter? Or a bit of both there? And explain.

I dont really understand the question, I have all my basketball cards put away safely and in order, plus all my special stuff put in my display cabinet, but i could also have a yard full of cars and be in heaven.

Do you like rules and following routines? Or prefer more spontaneity? Or both?

Yes i like routine, without routine im very anxious

What are any obsessions?

cars

How do you handle stress, and needing things done in ways you are not accustomed too? What things trigger you for any meltdowns?

I dont handle stress at all, i get anxious if things need to be done differently. being overwhelmed causes meltdowns

Any stimming issues as a child or adult?

not sure as a child?
i bite my finger, bite down on my teeth, rub my finger together

As a child did you have any wandering issues?

no

As a child, did you play with toys in atypical ways, like through analyzing parts or inspection, more so than using the toys in traditional ways.

not 100% sure but more likely the atypical way

As a child, did you like to line things up or stack things, or were messes more common or comfortable?

yes lining up cars and stacking blocks

Do you remember any zoning out issues, and for what types of situations?

i feel like most of my life i have been zoned out, i feel this is because of over stimulation, overwhelmed, to much noise etc


sorry ive probably missed a heap but ive done my best. if ive missed anything or you need any more info let me know

 

[Mat82]

Hi Mat, I'm also Australian. I first heard about Asperger's/Autism when I was 29 and my mother also didn't believe I had it. I was 30 when I diagnosed in the mental ward of a hospital. It explained a lot about the few memories I had of my childhood. It gives me peace of mind to know I didn't choose to grow up so different and that it's because my brain is truly different to the general population.

Did your mum end up helping you to get diagnosed? if not how did they figure out what you were like as a child?

 

[Mat82]

Hello from England diagnosed at 45 no one on this forum can diagnose you the reason is autism can look like other disorders ,someone thought I had borderline personality disorder ,it can also look like brain damage or a lack of socialisation I was exactly the same as you until I was told I was autistic then I was in shock for a second, then after that it’s all mixed in with panic disorder !so I would probably be different from youView attachment 58401View attachment 58402

Yes its all so hard, i guess it helps me to talk about it on here as i start to see things that ive missed or havent thought about. I want to be prepared as i can be for the assessment so hopefully they get it right either way.

 

[Joel I]

My mother didn’t help, I answered the questions as best I could but there was a lot of sings to an expert

 

[clg114]

Welcome to Autism Forums!

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Thankyou for welcoming me everyone.

I am stressed because of the whole misdiagnosis thing, especially when i dont understand half the stuff they ask or cant remember anything. i might say i dont do something when i possibly could have?

When it comes to cars, i can name most cars that i drive past and i know people by the car they drive.
The real cars i have owned have been
mitsubishi cordia turbo
mitsubishi lancer gsr awd turbo
r33 Skyline turbo

I absolutely love the sound of a turbo car, i get so excited listening to them
With these cars i was obsessive, i would want to make them perfect, i would replace anything that was damaged in any little way with either new parts if i could get them or the best parts i could find. When my family members went in the car i would get angry if they touched anything or put dirt on the carpet etc. I loved driving the car but i hated putting kms on them or parking them anywhere they could get damaged, so they would end up sitting in the shed under a cover and get washed once a week. Then i was depressed because i wanted to drive them but i loved them so much that i wanted to protect them. I had to sell them so i didnt go mad plus i didnt have the money to make them perfect which caused me stress.



I have done most of the autism tests online, i did the autism quotient test last night just to double check. my score was 40 out of 50. all tests have come back in the autism range.

Can you link me to the test you posted so i can have a look?





child - This is what i need to ask my mum, as i dont know.

Adult
- my wife needs to give me a shopping list for me to do the shopping
-i need reminders for pretty much everything
-I dont really have friends. i have a friend from high school but he lives 8hrs away
-struggle to make friends, only friends ive really had are people that have taken a liking to me, i dont really do anything.
-struggle to work, not good at multitasking, slow, perfectionism, only do basic tasks, get overwhelmed easily
-dont talk on the phone unless i really have to
Dont know how to make conversation, when i say hi, how you going to someone, it is a learned question, ive taught myself to say it. thats about as far as conversation goes.
repeat phrases from shows ive seen all the time, whistle alot
daughter is diagnosed with autism, she is exactly like me.
definately cognitive delays
i am good at sport, but trip over things all the time
left handed if that means anything
cant make decisions
i feel my vocabulary is very basic compared to people my age, not sure if that is a thing?
dont make eye contact
dont know how to act when someone is emotional


I couldnt concentrate or remember much, same as now

i have sensory to certain textures. cotton balls, flour, any chalky substances, some fabrics, i use to wear my socks inside out as a child because the sewed bit was uncomfortable. some tags annoyed me

I avoid mashed potato because of sensory issues, but can eat baked potato, gluten causes brain fog and i look like a drug attic. other food intolerances seem to mess with my mood etc

I pretty much cant smell anything

I need a weighted blanket to sleep

I dont really understand the question, I have all my basketball cards put away safely and in order, plus all my special stuff put in my display cabinet, but i could also have a yard full of cars and be in heaven.

Yes i like routine, without routine im very anxious

cars

I dont handle stress at all, i get anxious if things need to be done differently. being overwhelmed causes meltdowns

not sure as a child?
i bite my finger, bite down on my teeth, rub my finger together

no

not 100% sure but more likely the atypical way

yes lining up cars and stacking blocks


i feel like most of my life i have been zoned out, i feel this is because of over stimulation, overwhelmed, to much noise etc


sorry ive probably missed a heap but ive done my best. if ive missed anything or you need any more info let me know

You did great, answering to the best you could all those questions. Although most people’s original introductory posts will leave out some important detail or facts about their situations, you just added a lot more important information and I strongly recommend you submit all of that combined information you just
posted to that doctor doing the assessing. It is part of the information they should very much consider, besides their observations, additional questions, and any testing or comparing to the DSM-5.

I definitely think there are now enough signs and symptoms that a specialist should strongly consider an Autism diagnosis, too, now that you provided more information about your needs for routine and structure, intolerances to change or deviations, needs for or attention to certain detail, atypical fascinations or obsessions, comprehension and cognitive difficulties, numerous sensory issues, processing and understanding emotion and eye contact difficulties, gross and fine motor and stimming issues, and as your child has Autism, etc.

Although a specialist could say several signs and symptoms you talked about could be explained by ADD, several signs and symptoms you mention now, that I summarized above, seem more Autistic. It would not shock me if you had both conditions though, because of your concentration and attention difficulties. I recommend you continue with that evaluation, if you are leaning that way, as you have a right to know what you have or do not have, if you desire that, or if you received an incomplete diagnosis, or the wrong diagnosis.

With regards to the ADOS test I performed on our child, it was the child version of the test we used, so an ADOS test for adults will be different. Regardless, I provided a link to that thread below. Scroll farther down on that thread to see the ADOS-2 test I performed on our child, and the results. Again, that test was for a child our age though.

Does this sound like Autism?

 

[Mat82]

You did great, answering to the best you could all those questions. Although most people’s original introductory posts will leave out some important detail or facts about their situations, you just added a lot more important information and I strongly recommend you submit all of that combined information you just
posted to that doctor doing the assessing. It is part of the information they should very much consider, besides their observations, additional questions, and any testing or comparing to the DSM-5.

I definitely think there are now enough signs and symptoms that a specialist should strongly consider an Autism diagnosis, too, now that you provided more information about your needs for routine and structure, intolerances to change or deviations, needs for or attention to certain detail, atypical fascinations or obsessions, comprehension and cognitive difficulties, numerous sensory issues, processing and understanding emotion and eye contact difficulties, gross and fine motor and stimming issues, and as your child has Autism, etc.

Although a specialist could say several signs and symptoms you talked about could be explained by ADD, several signs and symptoms you mention now, that I summarized above, seem more Autistic. It would not shock me if you had both conditions though, because of your concentration and attention difficulties. I recommend you continue with that evaluation, if you are leaning that way, as you have a right to know what you have or do not have, if you desire that, or if you received an incomplete diagnosis, or the wrong diagnosis.

With regards to the ADOS test I performed on our child, it was the child version of the test we used, so an ADOS test for adults will be different. Regardless, I provided a link to that thread below. Scroll farther down on that thread to see the ADOS-2 test I performed on our child, and the results. Again, that test was for a child our age though.

Does this sound like Autism?

yeah i probably didnt explain myself properly, i do have alot of autistic traits but i was just a bit unsure on the ones i posted in the first post, but like i said the more i wrote on here about them i can see where they could fit in. you have been very helpful, thankyou for your help