Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults

It is not unusual for someone on the Autism Spectrum to have reached adulthood without a diagnosis of ASD.

Sometimes people will read some information or see something about autism that makes them think ‘That sounds like me.’ They may then choose to talk to their mental health professional for a diagnosis, or they may not.

You may choose to seek an autism diagnosis if:

• You have been diagnosed with a mental health condition or intellectual disability, or learning disability during childhood or adolescence, but think that you may have autism
• You have struggled with feeling socially isolated and different
• Your child or other family member has been diagnosed with autism and some of the characteristics of autism sound familiar to you

Common characteristics include:

• Difficulties interpreting social rules and body language, which can lead to confusion or misunderstandings
• Difficulty in forming and maintaining friendships
• A tendency to take things literally, which can lead to communication difficulties
• Difficulties with high-level language skills such as verbal reasoning, problem solving, making inferences and predictions
• Problems with understanding another person’s point of view
• Difficulties initiating social interactions and maintaining an interaction
• May not respond in the way that is expected in a social interaction
• A preference for routines and schedules – disruption of a routine can result in stress or anxiety
• Specialized fields of interest or hobbies

There is no specific test for Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder that is why a psychologist with experience in the assessment and diagnosis of autism is your pathway to accurate identification.