Many autistic adults may not even realize they are autistic. This article explores some often-overlooked signs of autism in adults, offering insights into whether seeking a diagnosis might be beneficial.
Preference for Alone Time
Socializing as Exhaustion
Autistic adults often require more alone time than neurotypical individuals. This isn't necessarily due to disliking people, but rather because socializing can be incredibly exhausting.
Home as a Sanctuary
The home is a sacred space for autistic individuals, a place for recharging. Unexpected visits can feel like an intrusion, like a violation of their safe haven. These "pop-ins" can be overwhelming and disruptive to their need for regulation.
The Impact of Unannounced Visits
When someone drops by unannounced, it can interrupt necessary decompression or regulation time. This can lead to reactions that might be perceived as cold or rude, even though the autistic person feels that their space has been violated.
Communication Differences
Questioning and Clarity
Autistic individuals may communicate differently, often asking numerous questions to ensure clarity. They may interrupt to clarify specific words or statements, not to be disrespectful, but to fully understand the context.
The Frustration of Misunderstanding
The need for clarity can create a paradox. Asking too many questions can annoy others, but failing to ask them can lead to misinterpretations and misunderstandings, causing further frustration.
Purposeful Conversation
Conversations without a clear point can be challenging. Autistic individuals often seek the purpose or desired outcome of a conversation, struggling to understand venting or casual chatting. The autistic brain is typically more logical than emotional. This means they focus on understanding the information being conveyed and formulating a response or solution.
Inward Focus and "Living in Their Own World"
Internal World
Autistic adults often operate with a strong inward focus. They prioritize their inner world, including passions, plans, routines, and interests, sometimes missing external social cues or obligations.
Masking and Camouflaging
This inward focus can also encompass masking, where they suppress their true selves to appear more "normal." They may be simultaneously overwhelmed by unprocessed emotions while trying to maintain a facade. This isn't narcissism, but a self-preservation strategy to navigate a world not built for them.
Disconnection and Misinterpretation
Autistic adults may seem disconnected from people and their surroundings. This is because their brains might not register subtle social cues or body language, leading to missed cues and misinterpreted situations. They can also lose track of time.
Decoding a Foreign Language
The challenge of understanding social cues is like trying to decode a foreign language without a dictionary or rule book. Autistic adults did not learn social rules as children and constantly have to guess social expectations. This can be an exhausting and isolating experience.
Executive Functioning and Multitasking
Executive Functioning Skills
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects cognitive development, particularly executive functioning. These are skills are necessary to complete tasks. Multitasking is not a strong suit for autistic individuals. Task switching and managing multiple priorities can be mentally overwhelming.
Prioritization
Autistic individuals may need to prioritize tasks and complete them one at a time, rather than multitasking. This prioritization is often based on emotional urgency or passion, not necessarily logic.
Adapting and Understanding
While the autistic brain can be rigid, teaching strategies that leverage their passions can be highly effective. Interrupting this process can lead to resentment.
Sensory Sensitivities
Hypersensitivity
Autistic individuals often experience sensory sensitivities, either hyper (over-sensitive) or hypo (under-sensitive).
Sensory Overload
Sensory input can feel like an assault on their senses. This could involve sounds like cutlery clanging, loud chewing, sudden noises, high-pitched sounds, or smells. They can be overwhelmed by these sensory triggers.
Paradoxical Experiences
The sensitivity to sensory input can be paradoxical. While highly sensitive to certain external stimuli, they may not be as aware of the sensory input they themselves are creating, like slurping coffee. The impact of sensory experiences are internal. A trigger that seems small to someone else can cause internal anger for the autistic person.
The Impact on Daily Life
Sensory sensitivities can significantly impact daily life, leading to dysregulation and a need for more alone time to reregulate in a world that is often designed to dysregulate them.
Conclusion
Understanding these often-missed signs of autism in adults is crucial. Awareness can lead to clarity and potentially a formal diagnosis, which can empower individuals to better understand themselves and navigate the world around them.