Autistic Traits in a Neurotypical Person.

[Proa]

I was posting on another thread about autism and was told categorically that a neurotypical person cannot have traits of autism. My question is, why? It is accepted that autism is a spectrum and many have spiky profiles, so why would it not be true that some neurotypical people would possess similar spiky profiles, some being in line with autistic traits, yet not meet the threshold for an autism diagnosis.

Autism assessments are somewhat subjective (questionnaires, interviews etc) so surely there would be some people who would be on the cusp of diagnosis or who have traits but those traits do not impact their lives severely enough to be diagnosable?

In order to be diagnosed with autism, there are three categories (see photo) that the person must possess, and these criteria must ‘impair daily functioning’. Is it no possible that an otherwise neurotypical person could fit into 1 or 2 categories, thus being on the ‘cusp’ or have traits, yet not be diagnosed with autism as they don’t have the triad of impairments?

Is it not also possible that a neurotypical parent of a neurodiverse child could have ‘traits’, but these traits come out more obviously or strongly in the child, thus leading to an autism diagnosis?

I write this as a parent of an autistic and ADHD child. I have ‘traits’ of neurodiversity, which both myself and others can identify in me, yet I do not believe I reach the threshold to be diagnosed autistic and the traits I have certainly do not impair my everyday life. Many of the traits I possess I can see in my child, but his symptoms are amplified and more pronounced, to the point he needs support (I do not).

I just don’t understand why it’s out of the realm of possibility that someone could have strong ‘traits’ or symptoms of autism, yet not reach the threshold for diagnosis.

AIBU?

My DD has recently been diagnosed with ASD. She has significant sensory issues, anxiety, inability to regulate her emotions, extreme need for control and routine, social differences. Her traits impact her life on a daily basis.

Her younger brother has some traits (different sensory issues that actually don't bother DD - eg haircutting, teeth-brushing, some sounds; particular obsessions and knowledge, some literal language, some communication differences, random comfort objects).

However these do not significantly impact his life on a day-to-day basis.

He is also on the whole extremely laid-back, not bothered by uncertainty nor changes to routine and very in-tune with other people's emotions so I don't think he has ASD.

I mean it’s just language semantics I guess. I would just call them personality traits rather than autistic traits. I think probably everyone on here could talk about traits they have that they think might lend themselves to OCD, ASD, ADHD etc etc. This happens so much these days that I wonder if there is any point in having a neuro typical group as almost nobody would fit in to it and therefore it wouldn’t be ‘typical’

My understanding with any type of diagnoses is that it has to be severely impacting your life and if it isn’t, they are just your little quirks and idiosyncrasies. So it’s not language I would choose to use.

@Namechange7557 You could be describing my son and he is diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. The spectrum is wide.

I don’t think social media helps this narrative either. The amount of videos I’ve seen saying “if you do these things then you probably have ADHD or ASD” or whatever and the things they go on to describe are ridiculous such as walking in to a room and forgetting why you’re there. Imagine how many people there are trying to get themselves an unnecessary diagnosis when there is fuck all wrong with them.

No its not always just the assessors, sometimes there are a series of meetings, sometimes birth parents are there sometimes not. Not all children live with their birth parents, but even when they dont, we try to encourage birth parents to be part of the assessment process if appropriate, its not always.
Children can have a number of assessments for several reasons, criminal proceedings, family court proceedings and services being involved with the child for their minority which means that their needs get re looked at over time.

I wouldn't say they impair his life though? I also don't think he displays (m)any restrictive and repetitive behaviours...

I think my DD also has ADHD, but I'm really struggling at the moment to get her assessed as school don't (or didn't) have concerns (apart from telling me she's too chatty and needs reminding to stay on task 🙄). But they also didn't have concerns regarding ASD!!