Some neurodiverse conditions can have strong indications, and they might present in childhood. For example, a child that is non-verbal or struggling to acclimate to the natural development growth may be tested for conditions such as autism, or to see if they’re hard of hearing. That’s not an exhaustive list, but it will be considered.
Yet it’s also true that sometimes, our growth into adults may be affected by undiagnosed conditions that we never truly address. Yet as our life experience grows, our wondering if we simply have unique personality traits, or if those personality traits are a signifier of something more categorized, can be difficult.
This might sound silly, but we’re willing to bet more people than you know have questioned if they, at least in small part, have been affected by a condition beforehand. Moreover, sometimes people incorrectly handwave personality traits as a suspected condition – for instance, just because you’re very particular about cleaning in your household, it doesn’t mean you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
So, how can you tell if you do have a neurodiverse condition worth knowing about? Well, let’s explore that below:
Consider Your Behaviors That Seem Odd To Others
Most people have little quirks or specific preferences, which is just part of being human, but if you’ve noticed that certain habits, reactions, or challenges repeatedly come up in conversation, perhaps framed as odd, intense, or hard to understand, there might be something deeper behind them.
There are some indicators this could be something to diagnose, as maybe you struggle with loud environments, or you find small talk to be genuinely exhausting in a way that others don’t. Perhaps a close friend has commented on how rigid your routines are, or how distressed you get when they change. These aren’t guarantees of anything, of course, but they can be gentle signposts. It’s very important you don’t pathologize everything you do, it’s okay to have personality traits. It’s often more about what others pick up on that you’ve perhaps just grown used to.
Identify Your Exact Reasons For Suspecting A Condition
The rumination that something is “wrong” with you can last a lifetime if you let it, and that’s not healthy, even if vague suspicion can easily grow when left undiagnosed, and the internet doesn’t help much with that. So it’s helpful to pinpoint exactly why you think something might be worth exploring.
For example, perhaps you’ve always struggled with sensory input and thought that was just part of your personality, but now you’re noticing it’s actually impacting your work or social life, or someone you’ve met in real life has a condition and listed this as a reason for them to become diagnosed. It’s not uncommon for people to hear friends get recently diagnosed, and in hearing their story, start connecting dots that feel eerily similar.
It could also stem from childhood memories, such as teachers commenting on your behaviour, or how you struggled with tasks that other kids handled without issue. These memories might not have meant much at the time, but when looked at through a new lens, they can offer some clarity. Keeping your reasoning very precise helps stop your thoughts from just turning into into over-interpretation or projection. Instead, it gives you a clearer base to work from.
Don’t Over-Analyze Or Read Online Forums Or Quizzes
It’s highly tempting to start Googling every behaviour you’ve ever had and attaching meaning to each one. You’ll probably come across forums where people are absolutely certain of their own diagnoses despite never speaking to a professional, or quizzes that promise to give you a quick answer after ten vague multiple-choice questions. None of that will really serve you in the long run.
That’s because these platforms can be comforting when you’re feeling uncertain, and they might validate a few of your experiences, but they’re not reliable and many will add the disclaimer that they’re not offering medical or psychiatric advice very clearly. They can also lead to a bit of self-gaslighting, where you start interpreting neutral traits as signs of something bigger, just because it’s written in a thread somewhere. It can’t hurt to research a little, but be mindful about what you accept and take in as fact.
Speak To An Assessment Service
This is where things start to feel more real, because speaking to an assessment service is what can put things into motion. That might mean reaching out to your GP, or looking into private assessment clinics if that’s more accessible to you.
Such services will usually want to talk through your history, your symptoms, and how they’ve affected different areas of your life. The process isn’t always fast, and it’s rarely black and white either, but such professionals are trained to look for patterns and connections you might never have noticed yourself. In some cases, they may ask someone close to you, like a parent or partner, to provide input too, especially if it’s a developmental condition.
If you’re considering whether autism may be part of your experience, it’s worth reading up on how to get tested for autism, just so you’re not blindsided by how structured the process can be. It’s helpful to understand what to expect and what kind of professionals you might encounter.
Don’t Assume The Severity Of Your Condition
If you do suspect something and the possibility feels real, it’s easy to fall into many conclusions about how severe your condition must be. Yet even if you do have a particular condition, you’ll find that neurodiverse traits often sit on a spectrum, and two people can experience the same diagnosis in entirely different ways. So even if someone’s story is relatable, it doesn’t mean it defines your own extent.
This is where nuance is crucial to keep in mind. Just because someone you know struggles in ways that you don’t doesn’t mean your own experience is less valid. Likewise, just because certain symptoms are more pressing to you doesn’t mean you’re living with an extreme version of them. Like our example earlier, maybe you really have made over-tidiness a somewhat bad habit and compulsion in your life, but it might not be the actual, diagnosable condition of OCD that’s driving it. It could be a trauma response, or many other considerations. It’s important to keep that in mind before you pigeonhole yourself.
Keep A Record & Document
It’s smart, before speaking to anyone, to keep some kind of record. You don’t have to turn your life into a spreadsheet or be overbearing about it but jotting down certain habits, reactions, or situations can be incredibly useful later on if you’ve started to suspect they’re influenced by something deeper.
To start, you might think about moments when you felt misunderstood or out of sync with others, and write down the little things that feel unusual or exhausting that you often brush off. You can include stuff from childhood if you want to, especially if there were any school reports, observations, or feedback that stand out. It all builds a bigger picture that might be helpful to whoever assesses you.
Try Not To Stereotype Your Own Experience
Autism doesn’t always look like the rigid image people might have from TV shows or outdated media. The same goes for ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, and any number of neurodiverse conditions.
You might think, “but I don’t act like that,” and rule something out entirely, but these conditions show up differently in different people, and they don’t always match the loudest version we’ve been taught to recognise. This is especially true across gender lines, as women and girls, for instance, are often underdiagnosed with autism because their symptoms tend to present differently. Keep that in mind, and you’ll feel more confident searching for a diagnosis, but with an appropriate perspective.
With this information, we hope you can more easily tell if you’re neurodiverse and that you will seek the support that is going to best help you step into the strengths of who you are and manage your requirements a bit more healthily.
This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the operations of The We Spot—thank you for your support! The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The We Spot, its owners, employees, sponsors, or affiliates. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or therapeutic advice. Readers should consult a qualified professional before making any decisions based on the information provided.
