raine_2ds: I am not officially diagnosed as autistic, but I will be getting evaluated in January. I feel distressed to change or when things don't go my way, but sometimes I do like change or new things because they can be exciting. I stim a lot---both obvious and subtle stims. I would often chew the inside of my cheek, and I get really uncomfortable/my back starts hurting a lot if I don't rock back and forth. I have a few stims but my biggest stims are vocal stims/echolalia. I generally don't like eye contact, it's not impossible, but it feels a little weird and sometimes it... physically hurts? PinksMonkey: If you think you may be autistic, it's a good idea to talk to a trusted adult if possible. That could be anyone like a parent/caregiver, teacher, school counselor, therapist, or doctor. You may also want to look at the official diagnostic criteria and honestly reflect on if you think you qualify for a diagnosis. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html , https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/dsm-5-criteria-for-autism-explained-in-picture-form and https://embrace-autism.com/decoding-autism-in-the-dsm-5/ I hope that helps! If you have any questions please feel free to ask!
