Do Neurotypical people identify with traits on this list too?

[mimblewimble]

Having sat through DS's autism assessment and seeing myself in a lot of his traits, I'm now in the process of seeking an autism assessment for myself. I've been spending a lot of time reading about autistic traits in undiagnosed/high masking women, and I really identify with a lot of them.

When I read some of these things though, I am surprised that this wouldn't be how a lot of fairly intelligent, slightly anxious people feel. The people I know well enough to ask are all some kind of neurodivergent themselves. So I thought I'd ask on here.

This is an example of a list I found. I read it and just thought well obviously, that sounds quite like me but would a lot of women not see themselves in a lot of this, autistic or not?

https://the-art-of-autism.com/females-and-aspergers-a-checklist/

I would genuinely love to find out I'm autistic at this stage, I'm probably overthinking it... 😆

It's almost impossible to draw any conclusions from that in my view. I'm autistic and identify with some of it but certainly not all. Many people will have some traits that could be a sign of asd but it depends on the individual, how many they have, how it affects them. When they say when you've met one person with asd you've met one person with asd, it's very true.

Hello mimble. I'm a man but I can nonetheless identify with many of those traits. I was actually screened for Asperger's at a specialist psychiatry clinic about fourteen years ago. As it turns out, I wasn't on the 'spectrum' but the specialist did suggest I showed traits of Schizoid Personality Disorder, which I'd forgotten about but have recently attempted to investigate. I hit a brick wall very soon; SPD isn't widely understood. I hope you are more successful in your travails than I was, whichever aspect of neurodiversity you're dealing with.

Absolutely. And the fact is that most people would identify with most of the traits at some point in their lives.

The point is that those traits have to be pronounced enough to significantly impact functioning in one or more areas of a persons life in order to meet threshold for a diagnosis.

100%, both for autism and ADHD. Endless advertisements online suggesting you might be ND if you procrastinate or daydream or have any sort of internal monologue or feel awkward sometimes.

Such a long list! I think everyone would see some of their own traits in it.

Honestly, not really - maybe one or two items per section.

I think lots of people would identify with aspects of that list.

It's not really about what traits you identity with but rather how they affect different areas of your life I think.

Some people can feel them and move on and it not have any dramatic impact, others like people who have ASD maybe won't find it as easy as that.

No two ND people are the same.

A lot of these influencers don't seem to know much about the triad of impairments that lead to diagnosis of ASD (or the necessary difficulties that give a diagnosis of ADHD).
Despite everyone saying "that's not what a spectrum means", the diagnostic method for both of these IS to tick of a number of characteristics and if too many are ticked, then that is over the threshold for diagnosis. Everyone daydreams - people with ADHD can do it so much it interferes with everyday life, though some of them might never do it but they tick every single other box.

Sensory sensitivities are a particular bugbear of mine - they go along with, rather than are diagnostic of, neurodiverse conditions. They aren't on the diagnostic list for ADHD or ASD and most researchers think that "sensory processing disorder" is not a separate thing.

It's not like a broken bone where you either have, or haven't, got a visible sign on an x-ray. Though having broken a bone myself, fairly recently, there is a gradation of this particular break but obviously there's also "no break at all".

Exactly. My Neurodiverse brother believes that I am also ND because I display some of the same traits he does and many on that list (sensitive to sound, tendency to overshare, imaginary friends when younger, finds social situations tiring etc.)

I do not believe I'm ND because none of those traits impact my daily life. I think it is a spectrum that most people are on, we are all different and that is great. For my DB, finding out about his neurodiversity has been helpful, but it was impacting him much more (e.g. he struggled at school and then at work.)

FWIW, I'm NT and I don't identify with many of the items on this list.

I always thought it was not so much 'having a trait' but 'having a trait to the extent that it disrupts your ability to live.' For example, I have ADHD (now diagnosed but only because I had a child diagnosed first) and I had adapted my life to be ABLE to live with my traits, if you see what I mean. When I was young (I'm in my 60's now), I was just 'odd'.

For my child, who was diagnosed as an adult, her traits affected her ability to live and work in the way the world requires her to. She sought diagnosis so she could request 'reasonable adjustments'.

It's such a long list that my eyes gave up and refused to continue. I would imagine almost everyone can find something they relate to on a list that long. I hate most poetry, so am clearly not autistic is what I have taken from it. I already knew that though, as I am the only person in the house that isn't.

If you actually want to find out more, do one of the easily available indicator quizzes online and chat with your gp if you think you should take it further. There is a strong genetic component, so it's not outlandish to consider.

The two I remember clearest are the one where the woman goes to the doctor because she's hearing voices (reader, it was her own thoughts/inner monologue), and the "you don't know what it's like to be ND" social media post that described the hardship of working backwards from the time of an appointment to decide when to get up, eat breakfast, and shower. That second one was quite frankly bonkers with the level of validation in the replies.

Yes, I usually identify with quite a few traits on all of these ND lists, Does that mean I'm actually ND? I don't know. I've never considered myself to be so.

I would answer yes to a lot of that list, more than half of them, although it was very long and had to skim read it and would assume that most NT ppl would have a lot of these.

I have no idea if I'm NT or ND. Daydreaming so that I miss my train or misplaced something has happened more times than I can count. I have now designed an intricate life support system to keep me organised. I enjoy being me so not really sure any of it matters and it feels a bit reductionist to suggest that I am only the way I am because I'm neurodivergent.

Due to the length of the list and the open ended nature of some of the points, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't identify with at least some of them. I think I'd fit a lot of them, but I've never been diagnosed with anything and muddle along quite happily. I can't see that it's remotely helpful for somebody thinking about seeking a diagnosis.

This is so interesting to read.

I often look at my children and think they display 'traits' or behaviours that are regularly reported as signs of having neurodiversity. I don't think they are ND, I think they just have their own quirks and preferences, but it makes me question myself and whether I am missing something or downplaying certain things.

It is useful to hear that it is about whether these impact your life and ability to function. That's a helpful way to think about it.

I'm NT and I identify with maybe 2% of the things on the list.
Plus some others I experience to a lesser degree, eg "extreme relief at not having to go out" - I experience as "phew, I can stay in my jammies and chill".

Yes, section one I said no to all but then said yes to more in other sections Some of mine though are down to childhood trauma so the solitude and finding comfort in an internal world and getting easily overwhelmed so the wanting to be alone but feeling I should go out.

ALL ND traits are human traits. For example - sensory seeking. All humans are sensory seeking. The difference for ND/ASD individuals is the level to which it is necessary and occupies/disrupts their life.

hope this helps.

ND here as is my child. We would fit the majority of those. It doesn't seem to include difficulty processing conversation, as we both struggle with a processing delay and with not knowing what to say, and that is usually a major factor in diagnosis. Unless it's in there and I missed it.
Edited to add a word.

Another one dismissing us with autism.

Rude!!

The bit at the end is interesting. She says it's an unofficial list that psychologists and psychotherapists are welcome to use. She then goes onto say that she's not a psychologist and has no academic background in that area.

autism is often inherited so I would be surprised if one of your son's parents did not have traits