Adult Autism

Were you aware that today is Adult Autism Awareness Day? I have often paid attention to certain days of the year, designated to honor certain individuals or celebrating food. Before I became vegan I could recall National Ice Cream Day. Did I honestly feel that it was imperative to eat my way through a quart of Ben and Jerry"s? Well of course I did. The next day should have been devoted to National Guilt Awareness because I was certainly embracing that one. However, when it comes to our mental and physical well-being, there are certain days I feel compelled to pay homage to. And today is no exception. When I was in elementary school, none of my peers were ever evaluated for ADHD. They were referred to as underachievers or classroom disrupters and they suffered the consequences of this ignorance among educators and parents. And then there were children who stood apart from the crowd. They may have been spotted in the playground, standing alone with an inability to relate, an inability to look you in the eye. They may have been labelled as "odd" because of ritualistic or repetitive behaviors. What if these special individuals were suffering from undiagnosed autism? Today there is a plethora of information on autism. Pediatricians and parenting books have improved the diagnosis of autism in children. But diagnosing adult autism is more challenging. These individuals have been living with this disorder and have developed their own coping mechanisms to try to "fit in" and, unfortunately, mask symptoms. Adults may not be able to provide a complete physical or developmental history of childhood years, complicating matters further. The purpose of today's post is to provide information to those individual's wondering if they, or a loved, has autism. Common symptoms are listed below. Please note that having one or two symptoms does not indicate a disorder. But an adult having several symptoms may be a cause for concern. - Difficulty forming friendships or relationships: When one is afflicted with language limitations and idiosyncratic behaviors, it is difficult to develop meaningful relationships. And when an autistic adult has inability to understand nonverbal cues, how can they ever hope to be successful in pursuing a romance - a relationship very dependent on reading the nonverbal behaviors in another. - Verbal communication difficulties: 40% of individuals diagnosed with autism may nay never be able to speak and are completely nonverbal. Those adults that can converse often have difficulty in processing thoughts into spoken language. It is difficult for them to make their needs known or to maintain a conversation. - Non-verbal communication difficulties: As noted above, relationships are hampered by the impairment in interpreting facial expressions and gestures. - Lack of empathy: Many autistic adults have the inability to understand what other people might be thinking or feeling. This lack of appreciating another's perspective again interferes with developing relationships. - Preoccupations: Adults with autism are likely to have very limited interests and may be extremely knowledgeable about certain subjects such as history, word-origins, etc. This hyper-focus presents many challenges. - Sensory processing difficulties: This over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to sensations such as smells, sounds, sights, and other input can cause an autistic adult to avoid social situations. - Repetitive behaviors: Some autistic individuals repeat words, phrases or behaviors which provides a sense of comfort. It is predictable and under the control of the individual but does not serve a purpose. - Need for routine: Examples of this behavior include a refusal to try new foods, following the same schedule day after day and having increased anxiety and discomfort when this cannot be accomplished, inability to change plans, and obsessive/compulsive type tendencies. - Savant tendencies: I always remember the movie "Rainman" when Dustin Hoffman demonstrated the skill seen in approximately 10% of autistic individuals. - Insomnia: As many as 70% of autistic people have problems with sleep secondary to sensory issues. Though this symptom is not diagnostic of autism, the disorder is more likely if other symptoms are present. - Anxiety: A common problem in adults with autism, it can present as temper tantrums, depression, obsessive/compulsive tendencies and poor concentration. The above individual symptoms can be common in the general population, but if you are able to identify several characteristics in yourself or a family member, then please consider consulting a professional such as your family doctor or a psychiatrist for further assessment. Please be reassured that you do not have to suffer needlessly. Treatment is available and can improve the quality of your life.