purplepuffin
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 26 Mar 2023
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: Australia
28 Mar 2023, 6:11 pm
Hi everyone, new here 
I am 36, in Australia. Just got diagnosed with moderate combined-type ADHD in January (having started the process early last year, and been meaning to try and get diagnosed the last 5 or so years). In the report the psychologist said that she thought I might have ASD as well (flat affect, poor reciprocal conversation) so I decided to get tested for that as well. Early March I had an ADOS test, and she emailed me two questionnaires the other day, the SRS-2 and ABAS-3. Two of each, one for me and one for my partner. So in a few weeks I might have a report. For the ADHD testing, she gave with the WAIS and the WIAT, a general interview, and some questionnaires for me, my partner and my mother to fill out (can't remember what they were called).
When I read that I might have ASD I was in flat-out denial, but I have done a lot of reading in the last few months and it really does make sense. As a young child, I never played with any of the other kids in daycare or preschool, I only chatted to the staff. The staff loved me and were always buying me new books to read or puzzles to do. In early primary school I was a violent demon, breaking children's belongings, screaming, etc. My parents took me to a child psychologist, but all he did was test my intelligence which came out well, and because I was very engaged and chatty with him he didn't see any problem with my behaviour 
so nothing really came of that. In later primary school and high school I rarely interacted with any other children and mainly read books on my own. Reflecting on that, and challenges faced as a young adult and middle age adult, it kind of should have been obvious? It is interesting to reflect on whether my life would have been any different if I had been diagnosed earlier (well I haven't been diagnosed yet so I am counting chickens there).
Anyway, nice to meet you all.
funeralxempire
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28 Mar 2023, 6:14 pm
28 Mar 2023, 6:20 pm
AnonymousAnonymous
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28 Mar 2023, 6:35 pm
Welcome to Wrong Planet!
Double Retired
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28 Mar 2023, 10:34 pm
29 Mar 2023, 4:39 pm
purplepuffin
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 26 Mar 2023
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: Australia
29 Mar 2023, 5:49 pm
I don't think that it should have been obvious at all. ADHD can make some of the symptoms look different. I probably would have been formally diagnosed over a decade ago if not for the ADHD and OCD being in the mix.
Also, keep in mind that those of us that make it well into adulthood undiagnosed are far better than average at masking and you may well have forgotten the knowledge you had about how to manage things. Personally, I'm officially possibly ASD, possibly not, who can even tell with the other diagnoses involved. But, even if you do turn out to not technically be diagnosable doesn't necessarily mean that the traits can't be there and significant enough to have a significant impact.
Just knowing can be a big deal or no deal, it really depends, but at bare minimum knowing means that you can cut yourself some slack on some of the stuff you're struggling with, or find ways that are more appropriate of managing.
I'm guessing that you'll probably start to notice the things that are seemingly odd for a more neurotypical person to do that are more or less the norm for the neurodiverse. I didn't even realize that even when I'm seemingly giving people eye contact that I'm not really giving them eye contact. I'm doing the same basic stuff that I used to do when I had a camera in front of me. And you may well notice similar things that weren't obvious without the power of hindsight.
Thank you, yes I think you are right about ADHD hiding some of the traits. I get wrapped up in my special interests when alone, but with other people I can't gather my thoughts together well enough to give them monologues
There are lots of things I do that I had no idea other people didn't do, until I started reading about ASD. Like eye contact. I thought everyone looked at the person they were speaking to for 3 seconds, looked away for 5 seconds, and repeat. Or had to try hard not to bump into people, and watch out to make sure you didn't accidentally walk through the middle of two people who were talking (and everyone else was just better at it/more careful than me). And other things that I thought were just bad habits, like scratching holes in my scalp, rhythmically hitting myself with a particular letter opener, flicking my fingers, or wanting (or *needing*, it feels like) to pull stray hairs off my partner, which he tolerates).
Do you think you'll try and get diagnosed one day, or not bother? I guess if you find strategies for minimising problems stemming from ASD useful, then there isn't really any need?
29 Mar 2023, 7:10 pm
29 Mar 2023, 8:55 pm
I don't think that it should have been obvious at all. ADHD can make some of the symptoms look different. I probably would have been formally diagnosed over a decade ago if not for the ADHD and OCD being in the mix.
Also, keep in mind that those of us that make it well into adulthood undiagnosed are far better than average at masking and you may well have forgotten the knowledge you had about how to manage things. Personally, I'm officially possibly ASD, possibly not, who can even tell with the other diagnoses involved. But, even if you do turn out to not technically be diagnosable doesn't necessarily mean that the traits can't be there and significant enough to have a significant impact.
Just knowing can be a big deal or no deal, it really depends, but at bare minimum knowing means that you can cut yourself some slack on some of the stuff you're struggling with, or find ways that are more appropriate of managing.
I'm guessing that you'll probably start to notice the things that are seemingly odd for a more neurotypical person to do that are more or less the norm for the neurodiverse. I didn't even realize that even when I'm seemingly giving people eye contact that I'm not really giving them eye contact. I'm doing the same basic stuff that I used to do when I had a camera in front of me. And you may well notice similar things that weren't obvious without the power of hindsight.
Thank you, yes I think you are right about ADHD hiding some of the traits. I get wrapped up in my special interests when alone, but with other people I can't gather my thoughts together well enough to give them monologues
There are lots of things I do that I had no idea other people didn't do, until I started reading about ASD. Like eye contact. I thought everyone looked at the person they were speaking to for 3 seconds, looked away for 5 seconds, and repeat. Or had to try hard not to bump into people, and watch out to make sure you didn't accidentally walk through the middle of two people who were talking (and everyone else was just better at it/more careful than me). And other things that I thought were just bad habits, like scratching holes in my scalp, rhythmically hitting myself with a particular letter opener, flicking my fingers, or wanting (or *needing*, it feels like) to pull stray hairs off my partner, which he tolerates).
Do you think you'll try and get diagnosed one day, or not bother? I guess if you find strategies for minimising problems stemming from ASD useful, then there isn't really any need?
I probably will, but mostly because every accurate diagnosis out there helps justify funding for programs that help those that need it more than I do. Plus, if I ever have autism related issues at work having a formal diagnosis is easier to use as a defense even though it's not required.
I'm in the same boat about the stimming. The best option is clearly a therapist with experience dealing with these issues. Next best is just to find other stims that use the hands and get used to using those as soon as you become aware of it. It will take time, but I think that as I get what I'm looking for out of the skin picking, that it won't be nearly as mindless and attractive to engage in.
01 Apr 2023, 9:03 am
RandoNLD
Toucan
Joined: 16 Mar 2023
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 291
Location: 90º north Lat, 90º south Late
01 Apr 2023, 5:24 pm
02 Apr 2023, 10:03 am
