Washington Post on identification of distinct autism subtypes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

Exactly. The reason why scientists have basically have had to create new autism categories is to fix the overly broad diagnostic criteria of the DSM 5 and clinical practice. If you don’t filter out the adults who are normal in all ways except some social quirks then you cannot do any sort of meaningful research.

I’m not disagreeing with you and fully acknowledge that those currently classified as levels 2 and 3 need far more support. At the same time this comment comes off as incredibly dismissive that high functioning autistics don’t benefit from a diagnosis. We do. I’m working through a lot now that I have a diagnosis that is helping me understand my childhood and who I am that I wouldn’t be able to do without the clarity around how my mind works. Don’t dismiss my experience I won’t dismiss yours or your child’s

Nobody is dismissing your experience. We all have struggles and differences but not all of them rise to the level of psychopathology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

She’s masking at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Please tell me what makes you qualified to be the arbiter of who is impaired enough to be deemed autistic or not… why are you so concerned?

[Anonymous]

The classification system just adds confusion.

A Classification system based on what caused it and what can be done about it is the only importance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH is believed to have autism but he is really high functioning and independent. He tells me that some people may see him weird and geeky but he did well in academic and sports growing up. He lived in dorm room and shared apartment with roommates with no issues during college years. He has friends and he can hold conversation if he wants. He does well at career, and he can talk confidently and does presentation for hours on stage in front of thousands of people or in front of management. He only shows all of his autism traits at home which is some stubborn and childish behaviors because I have been married with him for 10 plus years. He lived by himself in a studio for many years, so I know that he can be independent. He talks mature and acts responsibly/professionally in front of other people. He is not worried at all on our children who also have asd and adhd.

Level one autism has nothing to do with not being independent or not having empathy. In fact, many level one ASD people are wildly independent and empathetic. I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about what autism is. Also many men are able to mask their traits when they’re young adult/teens with drinking. They seem to be able to keep up in the social scene until at least mid 20s and many cases. But the parts of them that are more childish or immature seem to Persist through the adult years while people who are not neurodivergent Mature through the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Sorry, but that’s just incorrect. It’s not that it doesn’t play a part at work. It’s that they are able to mask at work. Many many level 1s are successful not just intellectually at work but also socially. When you’re masking the impairment is still there, it’s just that you’re able to hide it by copy and paste behavior of how you think you’re supposed to act in the workplace. They rehearse conversations in their head, play out scenarios over and over. Then when they come home they’re so exhausted from putting on a show all day long even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

She’s masking at work.

Yeah that’s not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Please tell me what makes you qualified to be the arbiter of who is impaired enough to be deemed autistic or not… why are you so concerned?

It’s in the DSM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Sorry, but that’s just incorrect. It’s not that it doesn’t play a part at work. It’s that they are able to mask at work. Many many level 1s are successful not just intellectually at work but also socially. When you’re masking the impairment is still there, it’s just that you’re able to hide it by copy and paste behavior of how you think you’re supposed to act in the workplace. They rehearse conversations in their head, play out scenarios over and over. Then when they come home they’re so exhausted from putting on a show all day long even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.

If you can mask to that degree you don’t have a disability. You just don’t. You have a personality.

[Anonymous]

One thing I found really helpful here is the idea that in the last “category”, individual’s ASD can activate later.

I have always wondered if I failed our DD by not identifying her ASD early, which seems to be consistent communicated as so critical that you start intervention. But the reality is that when I look back on her early years there were things that were never issues (eg sustained eye contact) that became issues as she got older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

She’s masking at work.

Yeah that’s not a thing.

DP- it’s quite literally one of the common attributes of level one ASD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Sorry, but that’s just incorrect. It’s not that it doesn’t play a part at work. It’s that they are able to mask at work. Many many level 1s are successful not just intellectually at work but also socially. When you’re masking the impairment is still there, it’s just that you’re able to hide it by copy and paste behavior of how you think you’re supposed to act in the workplace. They rehearse conversations in their head, play out scenarios over and over. Then when they come home they’re so exhausted from putting on a show all day long even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.

If you can mask to that degree you don’t have a disability. You just don’t. You have a personality.

Please stop with the ignorant and incorrect comments. And perhaps read the article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people that seem to care are the parents of kids who have more difficult symptoms/experiences.

I’m not sure that’s quite true. I got diagnosed recently as an adult… I’m very high functioning (have a doctorate, high paying career, etc) but have struggled socially forever and sought a diagnosis after pretty much realizing it for myself a few years back. My mother refuse to accept I have autism because her vision of autism is the very high needs, low functioning type…

What symptoms did/do you have?

I’m asking because I believe my 18yo DD might be on the spectrum. She’s never really completely fit in with other girls her age. She’d try and like the same things but it wouldn’t come natural to her, at 13/14 when other girls were experimenting with makeup/fashion, she felt too young and wasn’t as interested, and now regularly says she still feels 12 and can’t imagine having the independence to do adult things like drive, work, etc.

I’m fiercely independent so not like your daughter in that way. I have always, always been perceived as weird by the people around me and was severely bullied pretty much my whole life. In high school I had a girl pretty much tell me to my face that she didn’t want me to come to a social gathering because I was weird. I never understood social cues and would end up trying to mimic things I saw on tv shows to try to fit in which just made me weirder. In my adult life I don’t have many friends. I am married (my husband is also neurodivergent and accepts my weirdness). I also get really easily frustrated at things. Oh and I never realize how loud I am especially when I get excited about what I’m talking about… my husband always has to shush me, lol.

But as I said besides socially I’m prettt successful… I’ve always been smart and excelled academically and in my career. Professionally I’m able to mask and fake my way through being collegial and I supervise a ton of folks who have all raved about me as a manager, so it doesn’t manifest there…

If how you described yourself is autism, then that tent is pretty big.

That sounds exactly like what Level 1 ASD is.

It really does not. even level 1 is supposed to be apparent across multiple domains (so you wouldn’t expect to just not be evident at work) and cause clinically significant impairment.

Sorry, but that’s just incorrect. It’s not that it doesn’t play a part at work. It’s that they are able to mask at work. Many many level 1s are successful not just intellectually at work but also socially. When you’re masking the impairment is still there, it’s just that you’re able to hide it by copy and paste behavior of how you think you’re supposed to act in the workplace. They rehearse conversations in their head, play out scenarios over and over. Then when they come home they’re so exhausted from putting on a show all day long even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.

If you can mask to that degree you don’t have a disability. You just don’t. You have a personality.

Sorry, that’s just not true. And whether level 1’s are autistic or are disabled is not up to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing I found really helpful here is the idea that in the last “category”, individual’s ASD can activate later.

I have always wondered if I failed our DD by not identifying her ASD early, which seems to be consistent communicated as so critical that you start intervention. But the reality is that when I look back on her early years there were things that were never issues (eg sustained eye contact) that became issues as she got older.

Agreed — I found it interesting that that group by and large hit their early developmental milestones without delay… definitely speaks to this being a much more complicated disorder than people realize, particularly for girls