Having both ASD and NT traits

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ASD traits:

- I've always been stimming. My mom told me I started to spin as a little kid (2 or 3) and did it a lot. Nowadays I pace and talk to myself. I also have 'visual stims', like tracing patterns (shapes and letters)
- Starting school was very hard for me. Transitions and interacting with my classmates was difficult, and my friends at school were many years older than me. I had a lot of tantrums at home, almost daily
- Going to toilet was difficult for me as a kid, I don't know why. I held my bowels and my parents were very concerned about this behavior
- Sensitive to loud noise
- I hate going to a hairdresser because of unpleasand sensory experience (someone washing my hair, blow-drying etc.)
- I get exhausted in noisy social situations and when there's a lot of people around
- When I was younger, I didn't know how to tell if someone is interested in me romantically or sexually. I was very surprised when I got to know that
- Delayed processing. I find it difficult to answer questions, especially when they're not specific
- I get stuck on interests, behaviors, thoughts, emotions
- Attachment to objects
- Dermatillomania


NT traits:

- I'm interested in people and I find it important to have friends
- I used to have problems figuring people's intentions, but the past couple of years I've noticed I've learned a lot and I think I can read people better than an average person. I notice the patterns of behavior and sometimes I can even anticipate what a person is going to say next
- I often know what is appropriate in social situations, I just don't care about it sometimes


Traits that confuse me:

- I've been a social chameleon. I subconsciously copy mannerisms, intonation and ways of speaking. I just didn't understand what "being yourself" means. A few months ago I finally got it - it means behaving naturally, not processing everything you say and do
- Even though I get very enthusiastic about certain topics (forgetting to eat,etc.), my interest is often short-lived. My strong interests almost feel like romantic crushes. At this moment my strongest interest is punk music, and listening to it makes me feel like a happiest person in the world and I'm not very interest doing anything else
- I get bored easily and I need intellectual and emotional stimulation. However, I don't deal well with change and I get easily stressed
- I have obsessive romantic interests, sometimes to the point of nervous breakdown. I feel better when I'm single, because I get obsessed and that takes all my energy. The past couple of years I've also been more sensitive to rejection than before
- I find it hard to have routines and managing my life. I'm often stuck to something (perseveration) and I have problems getting started. On the other hand, I have problems following through and finishing things


What's going on with me? I have issues that cause significant problems, but I've started to think I don't fit any diagnosis. That worries me, because it makes it harder to get help.

Your different,just accept that and live this life,that is comfortable for you.

Trust and back who you are,knowing yourself.

Sorry,that's all i have to offer,being the majority of my life,being undiagnosed myself.

I get confused of my diagnosis too. I was only 8 when I was diagnosed, but to this day I still don't understand how.

Non-ASD traits I had as a child:-

-I had a lot of imagination, with both toys and pretend play
-I could play well with other children
-I was hardly ever alone in the playground - I was always with other children (mostly my cousin, because she was a best friend to me)
-I didn't mind being touched (in fact I loved it)
-I made normal eye contact
-I didn't develop any special interests until I was 11
-I didn't stim or have repetitive behaviours
-I didn't have very good focus; I had a shorter attention span
-I was interested in other children, and I let myself get socially influenced into being part of the latest trends at school, and if another child I played with a lot had something for a birthday or Christmas, I really wanted it (which is common in children to want something new another child has got)
-I always made my toys socially interact, and during pretend play I was always interacting and imagining people. Basically everything I played or played with was based around social interaction
-I was close to my family and had a really close bond with my NT mum
-I hated being alone, I preferred being around other children
-I was good at having conversations with both children and adults, and I was easy to talk to
-I had an untidy bedroom and didn't worry about where things were put

Aspie traits I had as a child:-

-I didn't like loud noises like dogs barking (I wouldn't take my fingers out of my ears when I was at someone's house who had a dog, until I was assured that the dog was out of the room)
-I used to whine a lot and cry when on outings with family, particularly if there was a lot of walking around involved. All I wanted was to be somewhere child-friendly, where I could play. I know this is common in children but I wouldn't stop moaning and sometimes crying, especially if nobody was listening
-I liked other children to play games my way in the playground, although this was not always the case. I was quite bossy with my younger cousins, but that might have been because I was older than them and usually older children are bossy anyway
-Although I wasn't worried about toys being put back in certain places, if I was in the middle of playing a game with my toys and I went to do something else, I would want them to be left how they were so that I could continue to play where I left off, so I would cry if other children came along and mucked it all up. But I'm not sure that is an Aspie trait or not, because I've known NT children to not want their toys moved around when they were going to continue playing with them later
-I would have tantrums if I wanted something I couldn't have, but not every time. The tantrums would involve laying on the floor crying. Sometimes if things weren't going my way at home I would cry for hours, as though I thought that crying will form a miracle or something. This is behaviour of a toddler, but I did this when I was 8 or 10 or something
-I had a habit of sulking if other children were acting bitchy or whatever, and I would go somewhere and hide, as a way of seeking attention (I wanted everyone to look for me)
-I was very shy at school, and being shy was exhausting for me because sometimes when I got home from school I was really hyper, as if I had to repress all my hyperactive energy all day at school
-I got anxious a lot
-I was so afraid of the bell at school, that it ran my school life. I still am afraid of them now, and I'll never work anywhere where they have bells

"•I've always been stimming. My mom told me I started to spin as a little kid (2 or 3) and did it a lot. Nowadays I pace and talk to myself. I also have 'visual stims', like tracing patterns (shapes and letters)"
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• Starting school was very hard for me. Transitions and interacting with my classmates was difficult, and my friends at school were many years older than me. I had a lot of tantrums at home, almost daily

Both symptoms of autism. How are your social skills today?

•Going to toilet was difficult for me as a kid, I don't know why. I held my bowels and my parents were very concerned about this behaviour
Not actually a symptom of autism so its irrelevant.

• Sensitive to loud noise
Yes- loud sounds are unpleasant for mose people with ears.

• I hate going to a hairdresser because of unpleasand sensory experience (someone washing my hair, blow-drying etc.)
Same! Very common in the ASD community.

• I get exhausted in noisy social situations and when there's a lot of people around
Yeah, this could be explained by ASD, social anxiety, sensory sensitivity (SPD) or just being a introvert

• When I was younger, I didn't know how to tell if someone is interested in me romantically or sexually. I was very surprised when I got to know that
Same, this could be mind blindness.

• Delayed processing. I find it difficult to answer questions, especially when they're not specific
Not exactly a autism specific symptom but i have the same issue.

• I get stuck on interests, behaviors, thoughts, emotions
Most people do, but there is a limit of "normal", ASD is usually a very intense focous to a poitn where it takes up all the persons thoughts and they are unable to do or think about anything else. It actually can be quite dibilitating

•Attachment to objects
Atypically and prefering them over people?

• Dermatillomania
What?

NT traits:
(No such thing as a true NT, Most people have a mental disorder or a mental illness at some point in their life. I think the amount of NTs is like 8%)

• I'm interested in people and I find it important to have friends
Doesnt matter- most ASD people feel this way but are just unable to make and keep friendships.

•I used to have problems figuring people's intentions, but the past couple of years I've noticed I've learned a lot and I think I can read people better than an average person. I notice the patterns of behavior and sometimes I can even anticipate what a person is going to say next

Yeah its part of being human! Most non autistics arent born social geniuses they learn through out time, but a person with ASD may NEVER learn to adapt in social sitautions. But still, some people on the spectrum learn too.

• I often know what is appropriate in social situations, I just don't care about it sometimes



Traits that confuse me:

• I've been a social chameleon. I subconsciously copy mannerisms, intonation and ways of speaking. I just didn't understand what "being yourself" means. A few months ago I finally got it - it means behaving naturally, not processing everything you say and do

This may be a sign of Boderline Personality Disorder but also can be common in high function autism or ASD level 1

• Even though I get very enthusiastic about certain topics (forgetting to eat,etc.), my interest is often short-lived. My strong interests almost feel like romantic crushes. At this moment my strongest interest is punk music, and listening to it makes me feel like a happiest person in the world and I'm not very interest doing anything else
There is no set times on special interests, they can last anywhere from minutes to life long, depends on the person. And remember, non autistics go through this too. People tend to like things, the thing that seperates a autistic interest from a non autistic interest is the amount of focous and narrowness. And they tend to lean more towards categorizing and collecting data but it can vary from person to person.

Ps. A special interest is not ALWAYS Necessary for a diagnoses.

• I get bored easily and I need intellectual and emotional stimulation. However, I don't deal well with change and I get easily stressed
Getting bored isnt a problem. Most people dont like change, all that matters is how you deal with it.

• I have obsessive romantic interests, sometimes to the point of nervous breakdown. I feel better when I'm single, because I get obsessed and that takes all my energy. The past couple of years I've also been more sensitive to rejection than before

Again, sounds kinda BLPD to me but im not a psych. I think it could be a ASD thing but its not mentioned in the DSM unles it counts as fixated interest.

•I find it hard to have routines and managing my life. I'm often stuck to something (perseveration) and I have problems getting started. On the other hand, I have problems following through and finishing things

Could be Executive function disorder- often accompanying ASD.


What's going on with me? I have issues that cause significant problems, but I've started to think I don't fit any diagnosis.

Well ASD is just 1 diagnoses. There are literally dozens of things you could or couldnt have. Thats why its important to see a psych or research everything! All that really matters is you get the support you need.

I cant say if you have Asd or not, just wanted to clear some things up