Things That May Indicate Further Screening

These factors are associated with higher rates of autism and may warrant further exploration.

• Being gender queer or transgender
• Having an eating disorder or history of disordered eating
• Having been diagnosed with ADHD
• Being hypermobile or having hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS)
• Having MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) or POTS
• Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, BPD, or OCD
• Family history of autism
• Having been in gifted/talented programs growing up

Social & Communication Signs

Patterns in how you interact, communicate, and connect with others.

• Prefer to socialize one-on-one and feel overwhelmed in large group settings
• Make friends but struggle to consistently maintain friendships due to periods of burnout or fatigue
• Have a hard time reading when someone is flirting with you
• Find eye contact uncomfortable, confusing to time correctly, or tend to make overly intense eye contact
• Tend to talk too loud or too quiet without realizing it
• Tend to overshare personal information in conversations
• Either dominate conversations and have a hard time stopping talking, or tend to be very quiet unless discussing a topic you’re passionate about
• Dislike small talk and find it exhausting
• Reread and agonize over texts and emails to make sure you said it right or have the right tone
• Were more comfortable with adults as a child, or seemed very mature for your age
• Practiced facial expressions in the mirror (or did as a child)

Sensory & Behavioral Patterns

Sensory sensitivities, routines, interests, and daily life patterns.

• Sensitive to light — avoid overhead lights, wear sunglasses on cloudy days, keep blinds closed
• Need clothes to be the right fabric or texture; certain materials are unbearable
• Go on food jags — eating the same food over and over for days or weeks
• Listen to the same song or few songs on repeat over and over
• Dislike changes of plans, even small or “positive” ones
• Research the venue for an outing ahead of time (checking the menu, especially researching parking)
• Have strong, intense interests (common ones: anime/manga, video games, reading, universe or character creation, drawing/art, LEGOs, or as a kid — animals/horses)
• Struggle to juggle a full-time job and basic self-care like showering, cooking, or cleaning — feeling like you can do one but not the other
• Difficulty with emotional regulation — lots of crying spells, quick anger outbursts, or getting frozen/shut down
• Skin picking, scab picking, nail picking or biting
• Were hyperlexic as a child — reading and speaking early or at an advanced level