#asd traits

like for a while i thought i had bpd, and then i found out that bpd can look a lot like autism. and i DO have asd traits that aren’t explained by bpd, but at the same time i relate more to the bpd criteria??? and then there’s adhd and it’s similarities to asd and i just wanna SCREAM because i have no concept of what’s going on inside my body (like to the point i cannot tell if i’m having side effects from meds) and i don’t remember my childhood so i can’t pinpoint asd traits i may have had as a kid and it’s all just one big messy jumble and i HATE it

The way I like to describe it is it’s like falling in love with a subject. Some change, some are forever, but the difference between an interest and a special interest is like the difference between a coworker and a spouse. It’s more or less an obsession. I’m not totally sure why it happens, but I figure it has to do with that whole Autism Brain thing. And it can be anything. Never trust anyone that says special interests have to be about x or y but never z, because they are lying and probably allistic.

Textbook-wise, Autism characteristics do differ by gender. (Keep in mind this isn’t always the case, male-identifying people can have the same characteristics female-identifying people with an ASD have, and vice-versa. This is just based on what I’ve read.)

Essentially, Autism in women and girls is harder to diagnose and can differ a lot because female-identifying people with ASD’s:

Tend to hide certain symptoms that can be caught more easily (find less obvious ways to stim, copy other people’s expressions, etc.)

Tend to interact socially more often.

Tend to engage more in imaginative play.

Special interests may be broader and more similar to others their age.

The definition of Autism in women and girls is harder to pinpoint and diagnose in many cases, and sometimes a doctor won’t even catch the issue. From what I’ve read, Autism in women tends to have a lot more to do with internalized emotions. If you’re not diagnosed as a child due to speech or behavioral problems, it can be hard to pin down the cause.

Here are the symptoms women with Autism tend to exhibit that can get them a more sure-fire diagnosis according to what I’ve read:

Repeated speech patterns.

Social anxiety.

Sensory processing difficulties (will hear a quieter sound louder than a different, louder sound, becomes overwhelmed by a smell others do not notice, etc.)

“Scripted” conversation

Rocks back and forth and/or jiggles a leg when anxious or having difficulty focusing.

Difficulty handling changes in routine.

Becomes lost more easily, even in a place they have been before.

As you can see, almost all of these are also symptoms of other problems, so a diagnosis can be hard to pin down, especially in women, where the symptoms might be more subdued.