How to Find Out if You're Autistic: 11 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

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Co-authored byHilya Tehrani, PsyD

Last Updated: October 23, 2022Approved

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   Research the signs of autism. Fully understanding autism is important before you start jumping to any conclusions. Look through a list of autistic traits from a trusted source, and write down what traits apply to you.

   • Developmental delays, including later milestones like doing laundry, learning to drive, or living independently
   • Difficulty understanding social nuances and cues^[1]
   • Avoidance of eye contact
   • Getting overstimulated. Autistic individuals have sensory differences that can make stimulating situations extremely overwhelming. Are you bothered by sound, light, and certain textures?^[2]
   • Emotional breakdowns or shutdowns
   • Self-calming repetitive behaviors, like lining up objects or finger flicking, which others may see as odd^[3]
   • Need for routines and predictability, such as always ordering the same thing at a restaurant
   • Skill at pattern recognition, attention to detail, out-of-the-box thinking, resisting peer pressure,^[4] and/or long-term memory

   Tip: Keep in mind that some autistic people suppress their autistic traits to avoid social judgment. Many autistic people, diagnosed or not, suppress stimming, force themselves to make eye contact, and try to pass as non-autistic.

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   Learn from autistic people, either by talking to them or reading their work. The hashtags #AskAnAutistic and #AskingAutistics are used for asking autistic people questions, while #ActuallyAutistic is used to view other autistic peoples' perspectives. Many autistic people have lots of experience with autism, from themselves and any friends, and can help give you an unofficial second opinion about whether you might be on the spectrum.

   • Do you relate much to their stories?
   • Does communicating with them feel easier than communicating with non-autistic people?^[5]
   • Do certain groups of autistic people, such as autistics who also have ADHD, seem especially relatable? (If so, that's worth exploring.)

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   Stay away from unkind groups and websites. Some organizations, such as Autism Speaks, aren't well-regarded and may give you inaccurate or overly negative information. This may convince you that being autistic makes you a bad person, or that autism is bad. This isn't right, nor is it healthy for you. Be cautious about your sources, and stay away from negative groups. Here are a few red flags of a bad resource:

   • They have few or no autistic people in their leadership.
   • They only talk about autistic children. Autistic adults seem to be missing from their literature.
   • They use a lot of puzzle pieces and/or childish colors.
   • They promote trying to "cure" autism, or erase it through intense behavioral modification programs.
   • They treat autistic people like burdens on their families or society.
   • They treat autistic children like curiosities or monsters instead of people with feelings, wants, needs, and personal space.
   • They sympathize with or make excuses for people who abuse autistic children.
   • They promote or partner with organizations that do these things.
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   Learn about other disabilities. Some disabilities, like ADHD, share traits with autism. It's possible that you have something else instead of autism, or that you're autistic and have one or more co-occurring conditions. Look up the signs of...

   • ADHD
   • Social anxiety
   • Schizoid personality disorder
   • OCD
   • Nonverbal learning disability
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   See Also

   The Heywise Autism Test: A Comprehensive Evaluation for Autism Spectrum DisorderHow to Use Online Tests for AutismCan You Be Autistic and Not Know?Screening Tests and Tools for Autism in Adulthood

   Take a well-known online test for autism. These tests aren't official, but they can give you a sense of how likely it is that you're autistic.

   • Try printing it out and marking your answers to each question on paper. This can be helpful to show to a professional during an evaluation.
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   Consider getting a professional evaluation, if possible. An expert can give you a formal assessment and talk to you, to help figure out whether you're autistic and/or have a different disability.

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   Recognize that professional diagnoses aren't accessible for everyone. People who live in less wealthy countries may not have decent access to health care or health insurance, and evaluations can be very expensive. If there's a lot of stigma where you live, it may also make you think twice about whether you want your autism to be officially documented. Barriers to diagnosis can include:^[6]

   • Cost
   • Lack of services in native language
   • Stigma
   • Perception that autism is for white boys only^[7]
   • Inadequate resources for adults
   • Legal discrimination (e.g. places denying autistic immigrants or organ transplant recipients)
   • Parents who refuse to take their children to a professional
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   Know the benefits of a professional diagnosis. A professional diagnosis could help people take you more seriously, and make you eligible for some types of supports. In most countries, your government/school/workplace/etc. will not know about your diagnosis unless you choose to disclose it. A diagnosis may give you...

   • Access to accommodations at school or work
   • Potential eligibility for government supports
   • Possibly helping family members believe that you are autistic and not "behaving badly" or "doing it on purpose"
   • Legal protections from disability discrimination
   • External validation that you are indeed autistic, and not "faking it"
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   Prepare for your appointment. Print off any online tests you took, and pencil in your answers to each question. Consider bringing a list of autistic traits that you've noticed in yourself. Also, it can be helpful to have anecdotes of times when you displayed clearly autistic traits (e.g. stimming or need for routine).

   • A specialist is only as good as their information. Thus, it's important for you to tell them the full story, to help them make an accurate diagnosis.
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   Understand that the answer may not be the one that you expected. Remember that autism is a complicated disability, so sometimes it can take a long time to figure out whether you're truly autistic, whatever you expected.

   • If you're autistic, take time to adjust to the news and work on accept yourself.
   • If you suspect a misdiagnosis, speak up! Most specialists will be willing to consider your point of view, especially if you're telling them information they may not be aware of.
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   Know that you don't necessarily need a formal diagnosis. If you're not looking for services or accommodations, self-diagnosis may be enough for you. If you cannot be professionally evaluated for autism, it is perfectly fine to skip the process of formal diagnosis.

   • Without a professional diagnosis, you likely won't qualify for accommodations (though some places may not require them). However, the Autistic community will still welcome you online.^[8]

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