Three Adult Autism Tests for Those Considering a Diagnosis
For those who are curious, here’s a cautious first step
It’s Autism Awareness Month, and that means it’s time for everyone who dislikes parties to speculate on whether they have a neurodevelopmental disorder.
In all seriousness, there are some people who — due to the time of their birth, financial circumstances, family intransigence, or some combination therein — never received a diagnosis that could well have helped them. They may have struggled in school, had difficulty maintaining employment or a relationship, or experienced emotional distress. And now, as adults, they’d like to answer a question that should have been asked decades ago. Hard to blame them for that.
Unfortunately, autism spectrum disorder is not an easy diagnosis even in the best of times, and adulthood is about the worst time. Most diagnostic instruments are made with small children in mind, and there really isn’t an agreed upon framework for diagnosing anyone much past puberty. This path can be a particularly long one for some.
Fortunately, there are some tools that can put you on the right track — but make sure that you understand what these are first.
To be clear: There is no self-report test that can be used to diagnose autism or ASD…
