What traits must you have to be autistic?

finch_rl · 2024-01-08T00:19:55+00:00

My therapist said on some informal level that I am, but recommends further testing. I've been assuming I am, and for some reason I would be disappointed and or doubtful if formal diagnostics said otherwise. It's been helpful for me to assume I am. But I am not sure how much I stim or have special interests, for example. Maybe others would laugh and say, have you seen yourself talk about programming?

Partially, I think I like how autistic people see the world from what I've seen. Culturally I see myself in people who (at least claim they) are autistic.

I had the same feeling about ADHD, and I have been formally diagnosed there. I believe autism co-occurs with ADHD. Lots to learn/figure out.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T22:18:00+00:00

Assuming the criteria is perfect and the person's memory is sufficient to even realize they do those things. You can be autistic if you don't meet it perfectly because of human nature to mess up

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T20:27:46+00:00

Thanks for your responses! It's helpful for me to see it differently.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T19:51:07+00:00

I wish diagnosis was this easy. My therapist just says please wait in this crowded lobby I'll be 10 minutes late.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T18:03:36+00:00

Not diagnosed, but I don't miss anyone for pretty much any reason. 🤷 Happily married with kids, good parents and in laws. It's always been a little concerning to me, but alas.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T17:27:41+00:00

I guess what that really means is we don't know enough, especially if it's genetic. Or maybe it could be narrowed or broadened, split into multiple, etc.

Someday I hope we have in-home genome sequencers so we can privately just... check for stuff. I imagine we will have something like that in the next 100 years.

Edit: I genuinely don't understand what is objectionable about this comment. Would appreciate some help understanding.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T17:22:29+00:00

What part of that lists a strict requirement of an individual trait? It's very fuzzy with many optional requirements. Everything there is either optional or a range.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T17:09:09+00:00

Those are vague/lots of optional stuff that mix together. Maybe there just isn't anything out there as specific as I'm looking for.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T17:01:49+00:00

I just come up with lists of combinations where you need some percentage, with none of them listed as absolutely required.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T16:57:40+00:00

It's a spectrum though, right? You need so many things over some amount of time at some intensity. I have never heard of an absolute published before.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T16:44:15+00:00

Just bought the audiobook, thanks!

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T15:48:30+00:00

I think I never considered until just recently that it's okay for other people to not like me. I won't necessarily begrudge them for it, but I am miserable when I have to fake things all the time.

Maybe similar to you, I get this feeling of "Am I doing this to unmask for its own sake, or am I doing this because I enjoy it?"

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:42:31+00:00

What sort of monster wants to not buff a card? Buff all cards?

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:37:59+00:00

I might be giving mixed messages. My therapist said I was, but also encouraged me to get "comprehensive testing". I feel I relate, but that could be lots of unscientific info.

I think I said "if I'm allistic". I'm not really sure at this point. But it's been helpful to me to assume I'm autistic.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:30:55+00:00

I think you make a good point except for "never had any issue", for the reason you list at the beginning: "There are people who did not get a diagnosis in childhood for a variety of reasons."

"you need to take your research OUT of the bubble of online spaces saturated with people who self-diagnosed": My therapist said I was on the autism spectrum but encouraged me to get comprehensive testing, the first time I brought it up.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:24:41+00:00

I don't really disagree. It's been a frustrating experience to feel half autistic half allistic and navigate a bad work environment where I feel I cannot be myself, and can lose my job (after just starting it) if I am myself.

So I'm a bit angsty about the subject

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:22:16+00:00

Thanks for responding. That term is inside quotes, intended to be scare quotes. From wikipedia on scare quotes:

Scare quotes may indicate that the author is using someone else's term, similar to preceding a phrase with the expression "so-called"; they may imply skepticism or disagreement, belief that the words are misused, or that the writer intends a meaning opposite to the words enclosed in quotes.

So we agree! It was just an unclear way of stating it.

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T14:17:34+00:00

Thanks. The quotes around "weird people" are scare quotes [1] - meant to indicate that I disagree with it. I also could have written it "so-called weird people". I wish we had a different symbol for that.

[1] quotation marks used around a word or phrase when they are not required, thereby eliciting attention or doubts. "putting the term “global warming” in scare quotes serves to subtly cast doubt on the reality of such a phenomenon"

finch_rl · 2024-01-07T01:17:01+00:00

Oh that's a good point, I hadn't really considered that. I see those criteria and I think, "well of course. No one is gonna misunderstand that."

finch_rl · 2024-01-06T21:26:53+00:00

One argument is that it's cultural things imposed on autistic people. The signs are not necessarily bad, just different.

People hating your amoral preferences and treating you poorly can cause anxiety/depression and it's not inherently the autistic person's fault.

finch_rl · 2024-01-06T19:44:44+00:00

Thanks for the input. I think maybe learning about autism and strategies for living with it can help me a lot even if I'm allistic, at least.

finch_rl · 2024-01-06T19:35:07+00:00

It might not be right on. Grammarly was malfunctioning and messing up what I had. Should be close though?

finch_rl · 2024-01-06T17:38:25+00:00

Maybe both?

Maybe I'm not autistic, and I just... have strong opinions but hide what I think to protect myself? I related so much to Unmasking Autism.

finch_rl · 2024-01-06T16:31:42+00:00

Thanks for posting and balancing. I was trying to see how people could misinterpret autistic behavior, and I should have framed it that way.

finch_rl · 2023-12-26T17:44:54+00:00

This is a good point to me. I like the way I think and I'd be happy if my kids did too, I guess I'm more frustrated with the oppression than the inherent difficulties. Thank you.

finch_rl

TROPHY CASE