Are these things autistic? Do you do them?

[Mummiepig]

So I'm newly diagnosed and I've been thinking about some of the more unusual things I do, I wondered if they are autistic or just me?

1. Repeating the punchline to a joke, if I'm telling a funny story I ALWAYS say the ending twice, it's so annoying but I can't stop my self eg " and then he dropped the trifle all over his shoes it was hilarious and he dropped the trifle all over his shoes"

I do it incase the other person didn't hear me or didn't get it but I know it must be annoying for them

1. I love cute things so much sometimes it hurts, if I see a really cute toy or animal I always say "awwwwwwww oh my god its just too cute" and I feel like it's hurting me in my chest cos it's so damn cute,
2. Along the same lines, I like to hug soft toys really hard, proper squashing them because they are too cute
3. If I see water I want to get in it, even if its freezing I have the urge to get in, the sea, rivers, pools, I love a pool or river with sun on it, the blueness of the pool, I love swimming and anywhere we go with water I have to get in and paddle and I hate it if I can't

That's all I can think of for now, is it autism or just me? Thanks 😊

[Mummiepig]

Another one
Sometimes I hear a noise, not an unfamiliar noise, but I can't figure out what it is or where its coming from, I feel like it's all around me and it's really disorientating, it's takes a few seconds to calm down and figure out what it is, it's a very strange feeling

[Itsnotover]

I definitely repeat myself - that’s an autistic thing. The other things you describe are sensory and autistic people have differing but obvious and unusual sensory responses.

The one about hearing a noise and feeling disoriented I can definitely relate to.

[EssexLioness]

I don’t do any of the above examples but do repeat myself (same old stories). I also am sensory seeking regards to soft fabrics so can’t help touch fluffy jumpers or soft cuddly toys.
I relate to the noise thing too

[Mummiepig]

Thank you 😊 I really need to stop the repeating of a joke thing but I know I do it but I just can't help myself!

[Mummiepig]

I think I might do the joke thing as I'm unsure by their facial expressions as to wether they heard me or understood the joke so I say it again just incase

[Itsnotover]

Now that you have your diagnosis, you need to stop being hard on yourself. You can’t help doing those things and you don’t owe anyone anything. If NT people don’t like it, it’s their problem.

[Mummiepig]

I also love really bright colourful clothes, like frugi just looking at the colourful patterns gives me great pleasure

[StephieSlade]

I do two and three, but I'm Dyspraxic, so not sure whether it's just normal or not 🙈🙈!

[CannaBelieve]

i get what you mean about the cute things....how you feel it physically. i get that too

also the attraction to colour and patterns but oddly i'm attracted, but dont usually buy them. stick with safe outfits so i dont stand out

[CaffeineAndCrochet]

@Mummiepig

I also love really bright colourful clothes, like frugi just looking at the colourful patterns gives me great pleasure

I love fuchsia. It makes me happy to look at it so I've bought a lot of tops in it the past few months.

[Mummiepig]

Pink is my favourite colour, I did read somewhere that pink is the most attractive colour to people with ASD, interesting, and I just love percy pig because he's pink, soft and super cute!

[Kanaloa]

It could be or it could not be. I do one of them and I'm not autistic - my son does none of them and he is autistic. So it's one of those things, it's impossible to say 'x is autistic, it's an autistic thing.'

I would also say it might be worth trying to move your thinking away from 'is this autistic or just me?' If you can. Like my son's extreme obsession with superheroes and sea animals is definitely influenced by his autism but it's also him. Like his personality, interests etc. I couldn't remove his autism from his 'self.'

Do you feel pressured not to do these things? They are all harmless actions you enjoy. Well maybe except from getting in the water if it's really cold!

[AffIt]

It's interesting that you say you are newly diagnosed - how recently and how old are you?

I was DX'ed at the age of 33 and I'm now 42. I can tell you, from previous experience, that you will go through a period of questioning who and what you are (for me, it lasted about two years).

I don't have the professional background to be able to tell you why this is a thing, but I suspect it is common in adults who receive a diagnosis of ND in later life. Many of us pursue a diagnosis because we question ourselves anyway and it can be a bit mind-blowing to find that a DX doesn't answer all those questions (in many instances, it raises more!).

If asked, I would say that a DX is not a 'final answer': it is a roadmap that allows us to pursue those answers with more insight.

Some of the things you do will be personality traits, unique to you; some will be aspects that are common among autistic people, such as sensory-seeking behaviour; and some will be human things, that we all do to a greater or lesser extent.

I take a 'person-centric' approach to my autism - I am an autistic person, in the same way that I am a grey-eyed, two-legged person. My neurodivergence is part of me, but it is not me per se.

I know it is very tempting at this stage to say 'I do X because of Y', but I'm afraid it really isn't that simple.

Be kind to yourself, value yourself - including your quirks and talents - but don't feel that everything has to be labelled. As others on here say, labels are for jam!

Best of luck in your journey.

[gingerhills]

Whether they are autistic or not, it's great to have quirks, it's what makes our personalities unique. NT people have them too. All of yours sound endearing (except the noise one which must be a but frustrating for you.)

[Clarice99]

@Mummiepig

So I'm newly diagnosed and I've been thinking about some of the more unusual things I do, I wondered if they are autistic or just me?

1. Repeating the punchline to a joke, if I'm telling a funny story I ALWAYS say the ending twice, it's so annoying but I can't stop my self eg " and then he dropped the trifle all over his shoes it was hilarious and he dropped the trifle all over his shoes"

I do it incase the other person didn't hear me or didn't get it but I know it must be annoying for them

1. I love cute things so much sometimes it hurts, if I see a really cute toy or animal I always say "awwwwwwww oh my god its just too cute" and I feel like it's hurting me in my chest cos it's so damn cute,
2. Along the same lines, I like to hug soft toys really hard, proper squashing them because they are too cute
3. If I see water I want to get in it, even if its freezing I have the urge to get in, the sea, rivers, pools, I love a pool or river with sun on it, the blueness of the pool, I love swimming and anywhere we go with water I have to get in and paddle and I hate it if I can't

That's all I can think of for now, is it autism or just me? Thanks 😊

1. I don't tend to tell jokes and I often don't 'get' jokes so my answer would be no.
   

1. No.
   

1. No
   

1. Absolutely not! I dislike water and have a fear of some bodies of water. I hate swimming too and would never go into a public pool.
   

ps - I loathe the colour pink

So, your question 'is this autism?' - it's not how my autism looks, but we are all different.

Quote - ''If you’ve met one individual with autism, you’ve met one individual with autism.''

[BoardLikeAMirror]

(Awaiting diagnosis)

1. I do repeat myself but I'm very bad at remembering jokes and telling them with the right timing, so I very rarely tell a joke.
   
2. I feel like that about my cats, yes.
   
3. No.
   
4. Very much. Water is where I feel most comfortable, be it in the bath or in the sea.
   

(Noises) I often hear noises others can't - I think I am sensitive to low-frequency noise.
(Pink) I quite like pink, but prefer purple. I go through phases with my clothes of dressing mainly in certain colours, not necessarily colours I generally like - I had a long-running brown phase, for example.

[tiredanddangerous]

I repeat myself all the time. I know I'm doing it but I can't not

[Mummiepig]

The joke thing isn't really a telling a joke as I don't do that, I didn't explain very well, it's if I'm telling someone about something funny that happened, like some one falling over or dropping something like slapstick humour I suppose

[PeskyRooks]

Sorry late to the thread but that has blown my mind! I do the repeating thing exactly as you described and it's because people don't seem to react when I've said it so I say it again so they get it.
I'm so used to people looking at me with puzzled eyes. I always say and do the wrong thing I'm so awkward.
I also do the cute thing so does my dd. If we see something cute we can just easily burst into tears!
I felt like crying the other day because I saw a bit of tissue on the road blowing in the wind and I felt sorry for it.
I think I'm a bit mad I keep it secret usually.

[Mummiepig]

@PeskyRooks yes it's because I can't gauge people's reation so I say it again!
I often feel sorry for inanimate objects, like if I have to get a new car I feel sorry for the old one going, to the point I'm holding back tears, yet I have zero empathy for people, I hate ill people I feel like it's their own fault they are ill, strange

[PangoPurrl]

Oh god, I so get the feeling extreme emotions over the cuteness of things! And relate to having more empathy towards inanimate objects and creatures than most actual people 😳

[Hasselhoffsheadband]

I do number 1 all the bloody time - if I am telling an anecdote (I don't really tell jokes) or if I am talking about a TV show or something, I will repeat the same thing several times. I don't know why I do it, I kind of feel like it's because I think people haven't heard or their reaction makes me thing they haven't understood, but then at times I feel myself just compelled to repeat myself and I almost can't stop myself. I hate it!

I don't have a diagnosis of autism.

[user1471548941]

I’m autistic, repetitive and love pink…

My repetition is in exactly the same way as you, it’s not necessarily for jokes, but I definitely do use a phrase twice in the same sentence.

I get what you are saying about the sensory stuff- if I see something that makes me extremely happy on a sensory front, like a beautiful view, a sunset etc, I feel like I want to dive into it and be consumed by it as it’s just so wonderful!

Also, I agree, pink is just the best colour, I cannot understand how anything is more aesthetically pleasing than pink!

[Mummiepig]

Pink is just the best colour, I always say if it comes in pink I'll have it in pink, my husband despairs!!
If I see something unusual in pink, like a pink car or pink fridge I shout out "PINK" 🤣

[user1471548941]

I got married last month and my wedding dress was pink… only just and it was very pale… but it was pink!