Do you suspect you may be neurodivergent? Autism and ADHD are being diagnosed in adults more frequently, due in part to more awareness.

Many people, especially women age 30 and over, are beginning suspect that they may have autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD.) Because of neurodivergent creators on social media like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube sharing their experiences, people who never suspected that they may be autistic or have ADHD are seeing themselves in that content. Mental health professionals are seeing more and more people who are wondering if they are neurodivergent or who have self-diagnosed autism but not all professionals are neurodivergent affirming.

To date, all of the clients that I have referred for autism testing have been confirmed to be autistic and all were told by past therapists that they were not autistic. It’s important to find a professional that is knowledgeable about neurodivergence who won’t dismiss you.

What Are The Signs of Autism in Adults?

Adults who are diagnosed with autism often hear “You don’t look autistic” from people around them. The portrayals of autistic people in pop culture are usually a non-verbal little boy and a rude and rigid adult man. It’s easy to see why women don’t see themselves in these characters and their friends and family think that autism looks only like that. Here are some of the signs of autism in undiagnosed adults from the NHS:

1. Feeling anxious in social situations.
   
2. Finding it difficult to make friends or being socially excluded and not understanding why.
3. Having difficulty identifying your emotions.
4. Interest a deep in subjects that are considered “niche” and preferring to talk about those subjects.
5. Being easily overwhelmed in public places that are bright, noisy, or when overheated. This may look like irritability or “bitchiness.”
6. Preferring reading books or playing video games to interacting with peers and/or feeling like characters in books and other media are your friends.
7. Copying the way others act in situations where you are unsure what is expected of you socially.
8. Liking routine and feeling anxious if you have to change your routine. This can look like preferring to eat the same lunch every day for years or driving the same route to work every day and feeling upset if you have to choose a different lunch or take a different route.
9. Getting irritated by clothing seams, fabric textures, or things that fit tightly.
10. Making up “scripts” for conversations that you will be having in the future and practicing them in your head before they happen.
11. Preferring to avoid direct eye contact. You may have come up with a way to avoid this by doing something like focusing on someone’s nose or forehead.
12. Being sensitive to smells and sounds. Smelling things that others cannot smell and hearing things that others cannot hear such as electrical appliances.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I will be writing some blog posts about this soon where I will go more in-depth into signs and symptoms.

What Are The Signs of ADHD in Adults?

If you have made it to adulthood with ADHD that has not been identified, you probably have some systems in place that make functioning easier. If you are a woman or assigned female at birth (AFAB) symptoms of ADHD may worsen as you approach menopause. The average age of menopause, defined as going for one year without a period, is 51. Perimenopause, the time leading up to menopause can last 5-8 years so it is possible that women in their early to mid 40s may begin noticing changes in attention. Here are some signs of ADHD in adults from the Mayo Clinic.

1. Impulsive decisions, such as making purchases you didn’t intend to make in a store or ordering something online when you have committed to not spending money. This can also look like making decisions quickly such as changing careers, going back to school, or having sex with someone you just met but really connect with.
2. Having difficulty doing something early in the day if you know you have an appointment later on.
3. Losing things, even if you put them someplace specifically so that you would not lose them.
4. Having systems in place so that you do not forget or miss something, such as using multiple alarms and detailed calendars. Forgetting something that you do every day day if you miss an alarm or if your routine is thrown off. An example might be forgetting to take your medication if you turn off your alarm by accident or if you go on vacation having difficulty remembering to take your medication once you are home.
5. Starting things but having difficulty finishing them. This could be small things like cleaning out your closet or larger things such as writing a book.
6. Difficulty forcing yourself to do housework and chores, like doing the dishes or laundry.
7. Putting off tasks until the last minute and then rushing to get them done on time. For students this can mean writing a paper the night before it is due or for those working putting off a work assignment until you have to work late to finish it up.
8. Irritability and difficulty managing your emotions. You may be described as “passionate” or “dramatic” or “a hothead.”
9. Hating boredom and becoming restless or irritable if you do not have anything to do or any entertainment.
10. Trouble focusing on a task if you are not interested in it but no trouble focusing if it is something you want to do. You might have trouble reading a book for a class assignment but no trouble reading your favorite novel.

What Is Therapy For ADHD Like?

More details on this soon!

What Is Therapy For Autism Like?

More details about this soon.