Psychologist reveals the common traits that could show you are autistic
A top psychologist has revealed the common habits that could indicate you have undiagnosed autism.
Dr. Kim Sage, 56, a California-based psychologist, says undiagnosed autism is common in adults and that she only realized she likely has the condition a few years ago.
In the US, more than 5.4 million adults, or 2.21 percent, have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the number of autism cases is increasing and diagnoses are becoming more common in younger adults.
A Rutgers study shows that a quarter of teenagers with autism go undiagnosed and remain unaware into adulthood.
Dr. Sage says one of the most obvious symptoms is “stimming”: repetitive body movements or behaviors.
While autism-related stimulation is often associated with serious behaviors such as head banging and rocking back and forth, the mental health expert says it can present itself in more subtle ways.
In a TikTok video, she says that constantly twirling hair is a common example of stimming, as is playing with jewelry, such as a pendant on a chain.
She goes on to say that repetitive play with a soft blanket is another thing that can bring comfort to autistic people, while pen caps are often another source of fascination.
Psychologist Dr. Kim Sage says undiagnosed autism is common in adults and that she herself only realized she likely has the condition a few years ago
However, there are two bad habits that massagers can develop, says Dr. Sage: skin picking and nail biting.
The above graph shows the increase in autism diagnoses between 2011 and 2022 by age group, according to research published earlier this year in JAMA Network Open.
The last three repetitive habits that the psychologist highlights are mouth sounds, tapping the nails, and listening to the same song or sounds over and over again.
Dr. Sage says everyone excites to some degree and “if you do this, you won’t become autistic.”
But, she adds, “in autistic people, stimming can be very calming and regulating.”
The Drake Institute of Neurophysical Medicine in California notes that “autistic stimulation essentially helps a person cope with feelings of anxiety, boredom, or excitement.”
Like Dr. Sage, it emphasizes that stimming is a “common activity, even in non-autistic individuals.”
In autism, stimulation behavior varies from person to person, and some people with autism may not show any at all.
Experts say that autistic stimulation is “often used when a person feels overstimulated by things they cannot control, or when they are understimulated, or to reduce pain, or to self-soothe.”
In most cases, they say that stimming is not dangerous for the autistic person, but rather is a self-soothing behavior.
Autistic people need to calm themselves more than others because they often feel extremely overwhelmed by situations, emotions or thoughts.
However, sometimes stimulation can have a negative impact on children, teenagers and adults alike because it is misunderstood by onlookers and mistaken as deliberately aggressive behavior.
Dr. Sage emphasizes that everyone is stimulant to some degree and ‘doing this won’t make you autistic’
The experts warn that some of the stimulation behaviors, especially head banging, kicking and excessive skin picking, can cause physical harm to the autistic person.
Furthermore, this obsessive and antisocial behavior can “draw the child’s attention inward, making interaction with others even more difficult.”
Treatment for “bad” stimming typically includes behavioral therapies, environmental changes, stress reduction aids, and even medications.
In some cases, stimulation can persist into adulthood and be disruptive, but therapy can help reduce symptoms in adults as well.
In her other TikToks, Dr. reveals. Sage other behaviors to watch out for when it comes to autism.
In one excerpt, she says that some of the signs that you are an undiagnosed autistic adult include: “You have always been labeled as highly sensitive, you are chronically hypervigilant and anxious. [and] you feel like an alien, especially in social situations.”
In this context, she emphasizes that socializing is “often very stressful” and that you “need a lot of recovery time” afterwards.
Socializing can be stressful for autistic people, as they may have difficulty interpreting social cues and navigating the complexities of social interactions.
This in turn can lead to feelings of anxiety, confusion and exhaustion, which can be exacerbated when dealing with large crowds or unfamiliar situations.
Instead, Dr. Sage says that autistic people prefer to spend more time alone or be with one person at a time.
Research has shown that there is a high correlation between having autism and developing autoimmune diseases.
On this topic, Dr Sage says this could mean that as an undiagnosed autistic adult you may experience a range of health problems, including allergies, autoimmune connective tissue disorders, chronic pain and gastrointestinal problems.
Finally, she concludes the video by highlighting how autism is often misdiagnosed.
Common conditions it is mistaken for, she says, include bipolar disorder, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Previously, autism was split into several diagnoses, including Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, Kanner syndrome, childhood autism, atypical autism, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
Because each diagnosis shared features of autism, they were replaced within autism spectrum disorder, which is now the umbrella term for the group.
When it comes to treating adults with autism, there are several approaches that can help address individual needs and challenges.
Treatment options may include psychotherapy and counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), social skills training, and occupational therapy.