coming from an autistic person, here are some things that MAY mean you’re autistic.
-you had abnormal & intense interests when you were a young child (even 7 and under). for example: pirates of the caribbean, wilderness survival, fighter jets, etc.
-you were called “quirky” as a kid. in the tone that’s a polite way of saying “weird.”
-as a kid, you got along much better with adults or older kids instead of your peers. perhaps you were called an “old soul.”
-a lot of your peers didn’t/don’t like you, and you didn’t/don’t know why.
-you walked on your toes as a kid, maybe you still do.
-your body movements can be described as “stiff” and it’s noticeably different from your peers. especially as a kid.
-you tend to have a monotone voice unless you forcibly emote.
-you had a very rich inner world as a child. for example, preferring to talk to your imaginary friends, even as you passed the “typical” age for that.
-you talked/talk to trees or other inanimate objects.
-you have bad proprioception, which means you have a hard time knowing where your body is in space. this can manifest as clumsiness, bad hand-eye coordination, bumping into walls or tables, misjudging distances, etc.
-you crave stimulation such as spinning around, rocking back and forth, hanging upside down, etc.
-you have bad auditory processing skills. for example, when someone speaks to you, you HEAR them perfectly well, but it may take you longer to PROCESS/UNDERSTAND what they say.
-you often speak too loudly or too softly without realizing it.
-you are bothered by things that other people tune out or don’t notice. for example: the sound of electricity or your own heartbeat, tags on clothing, sock seams, slightly flashing lights, traffic, the texture of your skin, etc.
-pretend play was difficult or impossible for you as a child.
-you practice/practiced smiling, small talk, facial expressions, etc in the mirror.
-you mimic what the people around you do in conversation, or in any social situation, to help you fit in.
-you often express yourself by quoting lines from your favorite media. more than just for fun - to a level where people don’t just laugh along and “get it,” but think you’re weird or don’t understand what you mean.
-you have a difficult time regulating your body temperature, and might swing between being too hot and too cold even though the actual temperature hasn’t changed.
-you have an unusually high pain tolerance. alternatively, you may have an unusually low pain tolerance.
-you can’t stand or sit still. you are always swaying and/or shifting your weight from one foot to the other.
-you have bad interoception, which means you often don’t realize that you are hungry or thirsty or need to use the bathroom until the sensation is painful.
