Autism Diagnosis in Adulthood

In this webinar, Vanessa Bal, Ph.D., talks about the presentation of autism in adults and how a diagnosis is determined. She also highlights some considerations that may influence whether an adult wants to pursue a formal diagnosis, including a brief discussion of post-diagnosis decisions. While the focus of this talk is on first-time diagnosis in adulthood, many elements of this discussion may be relevant to individuals diagnosed in childhood who are now navigating adult life.

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[Elizarge]

I went for an assessment and was told " autism is ruled out because you're married" I doubt I will ever find a professional who takes me seriously. I have struggled my whole life and have tried medication, therapy and self help books and I finally realize it's something I can't fix but also will never be validated. I am 45 years old.

[tharvus]

I'm 50, I've been battling myself my whole life: things that just seem so simple, and should be, that are nigh impossible for me to do or get done, problems I've had my whole life with interacting with other people. Yet I've held jobs even though it was very tough for me as I always had to take long rests after work just to be able to wind down and continue, I thought of myself as lazy and that I shouldn't whine about it. I have always had trouble keeping my home "functional".

Only this year I've been diagnosed with autism and the more that starts to sink in and hit home, the more angry I become about how I've "punished" myself for being different and "lazy" all these years.

[gmlpc]

Good video, particularly the recognition of the fact that almost all adults with autism will have learned masking and coping strategies and therefore their autism will not be so immediately evident. For example autistic adults will generally try to make eye contact and hold conversations; the evidence often comes from the fact that they find these things more demanding and generally don't do them so well or fluently rather than they don't do them at all. Social interaction is in many ways like a foreign language and an autistic adult is like someone who can speak that language but not fluently, making themselves understood to some degree but also making errors which show their status as an outsider; too many clinicians expect them to be like the person who can't speak the language at all or only know a few words.

[artisticendeavorsemmorris.]

Great video!:) I am an adult on the Autism Spectrum:) Asperger’s Syndrome is what I have:) I agree adults tend to mask their behaviors more. It’s deeply concerning because the diagnosis is still there. But the resources aren’t for those whom assume one isn’t autistic when they are just masking. Reading comprehension is an area where for some it can be a hint it ties in with language development:) A lot of adults are masking their autism, but still behaving in a way that is unnatural to them. They have to work 3-4x times harder which leaves them drained at the end of the day or anxious and depressed.

[drewopal]

My parents would get angry at me for eye contact being almost impossible for me, I never even realized it could mean something other than me being weird. I have had to learn many coping mechanisms to fit in, I have never been diagnosed but the more I look at it the more it seems relevant to me

[isla]

I’m going to a GP to hopefully get a referral but I’m terrified of not being taken seriously by whoever tests me, it’s hard when you’re an adult and had everything brushed under the rug when you were a child as just being “quirky” or “different”

[elhixsagh]

By the time the spectrum was established I was graduating high school...but I'm fortunate enough that when I did get tested at 24 I met the cut-off and finally received a diagnosis of Autism.

[cherylkunzelman]

I’m actually afraid to go and look for a diagnosis in case they say no no it’s not autism and then I have to get used to the idea that I’m just a freak.

[katelynknopp]

I'm 17 years old, and I have an ADHD diagnosis. However, recently I have noticed other symptoms that I suspect may warrant an autism diagnosis. I have always been very unaware as to how to change my communication style to fit my social settings. I have always found talking to adults easier than other children because they have generally catered to my desire to talk about a certain thing or they have met my formal conversational style. I seem to have a mild cognitive rigidity in that regard. The older I have gotten, and the more I realized I was supposed to be socializing with children my age, the more I have reverted to isolation. Unconsciously, I avoid social situations in which group socialization is required because I fail to navigate them quite frequently, even when I have similar interests and a similar temperament to that of my peers. I constantly create plans, like pathways through my day, down to minute detail; when something is thrown in my plan, such as a spontaneous (within about three hours) change or interruption, I will either shut down or throw what seems to be a mature temper tantrum (screaming and crying out of frustration, not communicating effectively out of frustration) even if I was planning on not doing anything for that day. A good example of this is how I would wake up late for school, and then decide that I couldn't go because I wouldn't make it on time. I also have to sound depending on random circumstances. I sometimes freak out/cry/scream/thrash around when feeling sensory overload, and at the same time I feel like the only way to soothe this is through further stimulating my senses in a different way (hitting myself in the forehead, screaming, throwing things) to feel release or I just cry until the feeling goes away. I don't know what would change if I did get a diagnosis, but I just want to know why this is happening.

[ralph]

22:08 to 22:31 You put that explanation of why some seek a diagnosis really well.

[soozshooz]

My Xmas tree is still up… VALENTINES DAY is in 2 Days! (I can’t get out of my own way & I’m definitely gonna be late to my own funeral.)

[BRR]

It sounds like me at work. :-( I work in a packing department in a hardware supply warehouse, and I have latched onto the basics of the job quickly enough. However, there are a certain questions in particular, simple things that I've had to ask others several times before the information sank in, and I've over heard a few people mention their annoyance on my asking about those simple things. 🙄 Which leads me to feel extremely drained at the end of the day, with guilt and wracked nerves, and I don't even want to eat during lunch break, and I also find that I have an upset stomach each day now, I barely eat ever since starting my new job. I'm overly stressed about making mistakes, so I double and even triple check my weights on my scale /packages, even when I see the correct numbers the first time. I really do like my job because for the most part, I work alone and don't need to really be interacting with others aside for a few times a day. I enjoy the repetitive nature and organization requirements. At 41 years old, I feel like I can relate wholeheartedly to the general symptoms. It's very frustrating to me because I'm not sure where to go from here.
I've always found it so much easier to express myself through writing, better than speaking to others in person. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I've recently gotten better with forcing eye contact, but in a natural way, with everyone that I speak to.
*sigh* I just needed to vent. 😞 Good luck to everyone here.

[JD-jbho]

This information has been so helpful so thank you! I was considering a formal diagnosis after learning that I might be on the spectrum but now, after listening to this, I can see that in my case, it would do very little to benefit my situation. It was my wife’s psychologist who suspected it and after researching, taking many assessments and tracing my struggles with so many areas all the way back to childhood, I have no doubt. It all makes so much sense now. Thank you👍

[alsoomsecatori]

I want to add that for me when it comes to eye contact, I can do it Fairley well cuz I stare at the iris of the person's eye but the black pupil elicits panic. So if at anytime I look at someone in the eye I'm looking at their iris and mentally noting the webbing and color scheme but the second that black pupil is in my direct view I panic and look away. I also look at the whites of their eyes and eyelashes and general shape of their eye. I have to consciously look away every few seconds so it doesn't seem like I'm staring. I also many times take off my glasses to look at people in the eye so they think I'm looking them in the eye but really their face is so super blurry I can look at the blurry dark area where their eyes are and not feel panic on my end and they feel comfortable on their end and also make sure not to stare cuz I can't see their face too well and instinctively I try to focus my eyes to make out features so I look away to the left or right by turning my head so it doesn't look like I'm staring. I also sometimes stare at hairline or mouths or the eyebrows or bridges of noses or if they have glasses I stare at the frames. This is just how I've been able to camouflage "eye contact" to seem normal.

[hhectorlector]

excellent presentation .. hopefully doctors in the psychiatric fields learn this stuff cuz there's still too many that don't realize there's a SPECTRUM and many people go through life undiagnosed. Thank you!

[BRR]

I really want to come forward and tell the higher ups at my new job that I'm having these issues, and am just beginning to look into this possibility for the first time. But I've been putting it off already for a few days. I keep on telling myself that when the weekend passes, and I go back on Monday that I'll be ready to talk about the issue with someone. I am actually very nervous that I will mess things up, as I'm not used to being in the spotlight in that way with people who I barely know, and who barely know me, also.

[dpseacreature]

i’m getting assessed in 10 days. i’m nervous. i’ve never been validated for what i feel and always told i’m too sensitive or don’t know what i’m talking about.

[tKrome]

I encounter so many professionals making it a point to ask why I want a diagnosis😳 like seriously? I don’t give a single fuck about any support system made by the government....but holy fuck, as a professional, you DONT believe that there’s a benefit to EVERYONE understanding their own brains!?!?!?

[WaysideArtist]

From my perspective, "neuurotypical" people are just perpetuating cruelty against divergent people by making the testing and assessment so difficult let alone the crushing disappointment of being told no, nope, sorry you don't fit. Normals take everything from us, even our souls. I've played the role of normal for so long I don't even know who I am. I'm a brilliant method actor, but that's all I am now, an actor with a part. Make it a little easier for us. Ok? We're wounded. We're frustrated. We're confused. We're tired. We're angry. And once again you hold all the cards.

[elijahdonahue]

I was rediagnosed today with autism plus my previous adhd diagnosis minus medication for it. It has been quite wye opening to say the least when it comes to my emotions and my behavior.