Of course not everyone is a bit autistic...

[PeacefulPrune]

...but do you think some people can be a bit autistic?

I know there's that analogy about a pregnant person. That just because you have lower back pain and have morning sickness but not a baby growing inside you, you can't be a bit pregnant. You just are or you're not. But that makes it sound as if autism is always caused by one factor. Which it's not is it?

My issues are that my processing speed slows right down when in a new place and meeting new people.
Separate to that I would say I have good social skills, can read between the lines, body language and facial expressions etc.

I don't have meltdowns. But I am very emotionally sensitive. I don't feel anger I just cry.
I struggle with eye contact if I'm talking but not when listening though.

Unless the slow processing speed in new situations is classed as a sensory issue I don't have any sensory issues.

I struggle to switch and start tasks but have built up ways to manage this.

I can't stop overthinking whether I'm autistic or not. I've already spoke to GP about it, hopefully I'm on a waitinglist to get assessed but in the meantime I keep trying to work it out.

I'd welcome any insights or further reading on any of this.

Also I'm not trying to I wriggle out of being autistic I completely support the neurodiversity movement and would be proud to be autistic I just don't relate to all of it.

Maybe this should be another thread but how about can someone be a little neurodivergent?

Neurodiverse is a much better term to use and no, it's been suggested "everyone's a bit - insert condition of choice" and rebutted many times on here over several years that I'm aware of.
One of the worst analogies for that is people saying they're a little bit OCD then people with actual diagnoses posting to say how insulting and derogatory that viewpoint is.

OP I think you're giving the online tests much more validity than they deserve. They are just a pointer for the possibility that someone may have the condition, they're not diagnostic at all.

Actual diagnostic tests carried out by qualified medical professionals are very comprehensive and leave no room for doubt. The person being assessed either will have the condition, or they will not have it, there's no 'little bit' diagnosis because that would make a mockery of the diagnostic system.

A person can't be neurodiverse though because it's a description for a group of people. A person can only be neurodivergent or neurotypical.

Yes I take your point about the actual assessment being much more rigorous than an online test. I just need to chase up this assessment with my GP. I wish I could stop the over thinking though.

One of the worst analogies for that is people saying they're a little bit OCD then people with actual diagnoses posting to say how insulting and derogatory that viewpoint is.

I think the problem with OCD is that people can completely misunderstand what the condition entails. People tend to equate liking/needing a clean, ordered house with OCD when that's not what the condition's about at all.

It is possible for OCD to be mild, moderate or severe though and for its impact on a person's life to vary considerably. What often happens, of course, is that the severity can vary and fluctuate over a person's lifetime. The same is true for many other conditions, both mental and physical.

'A little bit autistic' - I'm not sure. I guess, as with other conditions, the diagnostic bar is set quite high. You can be anxious without suffering from an anxiety disorder. You can share many of the traits of autistic people without reaching a diagnosis of autism. For example, I have a DS with autism. His brother, who is NT in every other area, displays far more sensory sensitivites than his autistic brother. If he had other issues, I know those sensitivities would be taken as an indicator or autism. I suppose some people do come close to the threshold for diagnosis but don't quite reach it, so it would be quite accurate for them to say they have many of the traits of autism. However, saying they're 'a little bit autistic' seems disrespectful to the autistic community, though I'm not sure why that should be if they have come close to diagnosis. I guess the problem is, like 'a bit OCD', the phrase is often used flippantly, by people who have no real understanding of the conditions.

A person can't be neurodiverse though because it's a description for a group of people. A person can only be neurodivergent or neurotypical.

I have at least 2 different ND “conditions” - I think I am a group all by myself 😂

I identify, as do many others, as being neurodiverse rather than neurodivergent. Use whichever language you feel comfortable using for yourself, but please don’t tell me I can’t identify as my chosen term.

I feel like autism can’t be compared with OCD because OCD can only be considered an illness or a disorder. It cannot be reframed as a difference.
So when it comes to OCD the diagnostic bar can be defined by whether there is a negative impact on your life. For autism, you can’t really use that as the central tenet, and things are moving away from that perspective.

I know what you mean ShiftingSands21.
There has certainly been a reframing in how autism and neurodiversiry is perceived.
The DSM diagnostic criteria still focus on deficit and impairment though.

• autism and neurodiversity are perceived

Thanks @BessieFinknottle. Yes I definitely have accepted in myself that I have autistic traits but whether there are enough of them for me to be classed as autistic I don't know and I will probs never know until I get assessed!

@BachAndByte l didn't mean to sound as if I was saying that you can't identify a certain way. Sorry! I was just thinking about it grammaticaly. I respect that you identify yourself as neurodiverse.