What is ASD? What are the Symptoms of Autism in Adults?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect one’s ability to communicate or socialize. Because each case has a different set of symptoms, diagnosis is placed on a spectrum with a variety of signs and distinctions in severity.
Instead of viewing Autism as a disorder, some instead define it as a unique and alternate way of thinking and processing information. They might use terms like “neurotypical,” “neurodivergent,” or “neurodiverse” in an attempt to describe autism and destigmatize other developmental differences.
Autism spectrum disorder can affect all ages, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups. Social and behavioral challenges are typically recognized, diagnosed, and treated in childhood. Children who do not receive treatment early on often grow into adults who struggle to fit in in society.
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Autism Symptoms in Adults: Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults
Awareness of the Autism spectrum in adults is improving as the demand for evaluation becomes more frequent. Understanding how older individuals fit on the spectrum is changing exponentially. Late diagnosis is becoming much more common as well. Luckily, research also shows that even delayed therapy can help to improve the functioning and life of “sensational adults” who might have trouble performing certain tasks, for example, at work or school.
Read: Recreational Activities For Children With Autism
Signs and Symptoms
Signs of autism occur in three main areas: communication, behavior, and emotion, though each individual experience is different. Noted symptoms, e.g., avoiding eye contact, can be similar to those among children, except many adults will have found ways to adapt or mask their disparities.
Adults with Autism usually get very anxious about entering social situations. They find it hard to join in the conversation, to express themselves, or understand what others are thinking or feeling. They grapple with reading body language and emotions. And, of course, they avoid small talk, get nervous with proximity, and speak in a flat, monotone voice, or not at all.
Having trouble reading social cues, adults with autism can seem blunt, rude, or uninterested, sometimes even eccentric, odd, introverted, or narcissistic. All of that is detrimental to establishing or sustaining social relationships. Issues maintaining connections with others can, in turn, cause depression and feelings of isolation. Adults on the spectrum that missed an early diagnosis may have felt misunderstood for years without explanation.
