Recognizing the Signs of Autism in Adults: Key Indicators and Insights
At North Metro Psychological Services, we understand that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often perceived as a condition only diagnosed in childhood. However, many adults live with undiagnosed autism, which can significantly impact their social interactions, communication, emotional well being, and overall daily functioning. Led by Dr. Lisa Korey, our compassionate team specializes in Neurodiversity Affirming assessments and is committed to helping adults recognize potential signs of autism. By identifying these signs, individuals can better understand their experiences and explore ways to improve their quality of life. We offer comprehensive evaluations that are accessible nationwide, both in-person and virtually, ensuring that anyone who needs an assessment can receive one, no matter where they are located.
Social and Communication Challenges
Autistic Adults may exhibit distinct social and communication patterns that can be indicative of autism:
Complex Social Communication Difficulties: Challenges with developing and using advanced social interaction skills. In addition, there may be difficulties expressing oneself in stressful situations, shutting down, or withdrawing from the interaction.
Nonverbal Communication Issues: Problems with regulating eye contact, understanding facial expressions, and interpreting non-verbal cues from others.
Language Development: Individuals may not necessarily face early language development issues; in fact, many have superior verbal skills and an advanced vocabulary.
Behavioral and Emotional Signs
Behavioral indicators in diagnosing autism in adults:
Social Interactions: Some though not all autistic adults, have difficulty in establishing or maintaining close friendships or romantic relationships, often having very few throughout their lifetime. Others may not have much desire or interest in socializing or will have developed relationships with other neurodivergent individuals. Over time, the challenges may result in reduced social motivation and withdrawal.
Emotional Expression: Challenges in identifying and expressing emotions clearly. This may present as emotional dysregulation, withdrawing, shutting down, panic/anxiety attacks, and/or hypersensitivity and highly empathic presentation.
Sensory Sensitivities: Heightened or reduced response to sensory stimuli such as sounds, touch, lighting, or food and clothes textures.
Focused Interests: Intense interests in specific subjects or objects, which can remain stable or cycle throughout lifetime.
Routine Dependence: A strong preference for predictable routines and distress over suddent changes without advanced time to prepare.
Cognitive and Executive Functioning
High Functioning Labels: While often described as 'high-functioning,' adults with autism may still struggle significantly in various aspects of life. This label can sometimes mislead others to underestimate the daily challenges faced by individuals. Despite potentially having superior cognitive abilities in certain areas, such as problem-solving or focus on specialized topics, autistic adults may encounter daily struggles in other areas of life. In addition, executive functioning may also be a challenge. This can include organizing tasks, managing time effectively, switching between activities, and making decisions. The disparity between intellectual capability and everyday functional skills can lead to frustrations and misunderstandings in work and personal relationships. Recognizing these difficulties is crucial for providing the right support systems to manage and overcome them effectively.
Masking Behaviors
Of importance is to note that many autistic individuals engage in masking behaviors, which means that above indicators may not be clearly evident to others, even professionals. Masking in autistic adults refers to the practice of camouflaging or hiding autistic traits and behaviors in social situations to fit in or conform to neurotypical expectations. Here are some examples:
Social Masking: Autistic adults may imitate the behavior of neurotypical individuals in social settings to appear more socially adept. This could involve mimicking appropriate facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, forcing eye contact, looking elsewhere on the face to emulate eye contact, even if these behaviors do not come naturally to them.
Concealing Sensory Sensitivities: Many autistic adults have sensory sensitivities, such as being sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, or certain textures. They may mask these sensitivities by enduring discomfort without expressing it, or by avoiding situations that trigger sensory overload.
Scripting and Echolalia: Some autistic adults use scripting or echolalia (repeating words or phrases heard previously) as a form of masking to navigate social interactions. They may have learned phrases from movies, books, or conversations and use them to respond to social cues, even if they don't fully understand the context.
Camouflaging Special Interests: Autistic adults often have intense interests in specific topics, known as special interests. In social situations, they may downplay or hide these interests to avoid being perceived as obsessive or unusual.
Suppressing Stimming Behaviors: Stimming (self-stimulatory behavior) is common among autistic individuals and can involve actions like tapping, leg shaking, making repetitive hand or finger movements, rocking, or pacing. In public settings, autistic adults may suppress stimming behaviors to avoid drawing attention to themselves or to conform to social norms.
Masking Mental Health Challenges: Autistic adults may mask their struggles with mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, to avoid being perceived as weak or different. This can lead to internalized stress and difficulties in seeking appropriate support.
Misinterpreting Social Cues: Despite efforts to mask autistic traits, some adults may still struggle to accurately interpret social cues or understand implicit communication. This can lead to feelings of isolation or frustration, even if they appear to be socially adept on the surface.
These examples highlight the complex ways in which masking manifests in autistic adults, often as a coping mechanism for navigating a world that may not fully understand or accommodate their neurodiversity.
Misdiagnosis
It's not uncommon for adults with autism to be misdiagnosed with conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and various personality disorders, which underscores the importance of a thorough and specialized assessment.
Next Steps: Seeking Diagnosis and Support
Recognizing the signs of autism in adults is crucial for accessing necessary support and interventions. If you suspect you might be on the autism spectrum, starting with an initial screener test can be a helpful first step, though it is not a diagnostic tool. Whether you need services in person or prefer the convenience of a virtual assessment, our team is equipped to support you nationwide, ensuring that each assessment is crafted to deliver the best possible outcomes.
For further information or to schedule an assessment, please Contact Us Here.