On the spectrum ?

[LightBright]

I had a long week and I admit I have only skimmed the forum posting rules :/ Does anyone know if we can we recommend websites, reddit subforums, or YouTube channels?

Missy, that website where I got the chart from has many excellent charts!

I’m pretty sure that’s ok here.

Also what is an HSP?

 

[Alistra]

I’m pretty sure that’s ok here.

Also what is an HSP?

HSP is a highly sensitive person. A psychologist named Elaine Aron described this personality trait and wrote a number of books about it. Some people believe that it is the same as autism or another condition that overlaps, SPD (sensory processing disorder).

 

[Alistra]

Here are some great websites:

Embrace Autism | The ultimate autism resource

Embrace Autism is THE place to find research & experience-based autism content for personal elucidation & empowerment. By autistic people, for autistic people.

embrace-autism.com

Insights of a Neurodivergent Clinician

Providing up to date research and research on autism and ADHD from a neurodivergent affirming perspective.

neurodivergentinsights.com

Autistic women and girls

More women and girls than ever before are discovering that they are autistic. Many had been missed or misdiagnosed due to outdated stereotypes about autism. But that is slowly changing.

www.autism.org.uk

Women and Autism: Diagnosis and Treatment in Adulthood | OHSU

Girls and gender non-confirming individuals with autism may be overlooked in childhood. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of autism in adulthood.

www.ohsu.edu

https://literallyausome.com.au/the-female-presentation-of-autism/ (the infographic below is from this site and is comparing common behaviors in autistic women vs. men).

 

[missy]

Here are some great websites:

Embrace Autism | The ultimate autism resource

Embrace Autism is THE place to find research & experience-based autism content for personal elucidation & empowerment. By autistic people, for autistic people.

embrace-autism.com

Insights of a Neurodivergent Clinician

Providing up to date research and research on autism and ADHD from a neurodivergent affirming perspective.

neurodivergentinsights.com

Autistic women and girls

More women and girls than ever before are discovering that they are autistic. Many had been missed or misdiagnosed due to outdated stereotypes about autism. But that is slowly changing.

www.autism.org.uk

Women and Autism: Diagnosis and Treatment in Adulthood | OHSU

Girls and gender non-confirming individuals with autism may be overlooked in childhood. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of autism in adulthood.

www.ohsu.edu

https://literallyausome.com.au/the-female-presentation-of-autism/ (the infographic below is from this site and is comparing common behaviors in autistic women vs. men).

Thanks Alistra! Based on this I guess I’m not on the spectrum. I only have a few of these behaviors and have the opposite behaviors and communication style and social interaction in many ways. So interesting. Just like others here have said. Having some characteristics doesn’t make one autistic. I was almost convinced lol

 

[AprilBaby]

64/80, not at all on the spectrum. As a child I would have had ADHD if it had existed. My husband has Asperger’s but refuses to believe it even though the counselor told him. He was in trouble a lot in grade school for being overly honest and turning other kids in. He and my granddaughter are both gifted Asperger’s. It’s difficult to deal with both of them.

 

[Alistra]

Thanks Alistra! Based on this I guess I’m not on the spectrum. I only have a few of these behaviors and have the opposite behaviors and communication style and social interaction in many ways. So interesting. Just like others here have said. Having some characteristics doesn’t make one autistic. I was almost convinced lol

How funny, based on what you wrote Greg said about you and your objections, makes it seem like a very possible fit for you. I only know you from here on PriceScope, but I would suggest some additional reading. But again only you know what you are thinking and feeling. You also might want to look into "high masking women." Again, just a suggestion. If you have your answer, that's great.

 

[missy]

How funny, based on what you wrote Greg said about you and your objections, makes it seem like a very possible fit for you. I only know you from here on PriceScope, but I would suggest some additional reading. But again only you know what you are thinking and feeling. You also might want to look into "high masking women." Again, just a suggestion. If you have your answer, that's great.

Thank you Alistra. Yes I know right? I’m definitely interested in this area now so plan on doing more reading. And thanks to you and @Dreamer_D and @lovedogs and @Asscherhalo_lover I have more info and the tools with which to continue learning. I’ll update the thread if I have any new reflections. Thanks so much for the info

 

[DAF]

I just took a free online test that does not require me to enter my e-mail address, and the result is that I am likely to be on the spectrum with a third of the symptoms in the quiz, not at all surprised as that's what I suspected.

Here is the link in case anyone is interested:

Heywise - Discover Your Autism Quotient Self-assessment Quiz

DK

Took this also - I have at least one third of the Sx.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i have been reading up on this because i too have obsessive tendensies and i dont get nor understand sarcasium and when i do get it i just think it is cruel and nasty
but i have dysgraphia
Dysgraphia isn't a form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Though dysgraphia commonly occurs in people with autism, you can have dysgraphia without having autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by: Difficulties in social communication differences.

so i also learnt i was potentially complety f***ing normal till something happened invetro
Growing up and going to school in the '70's was an unpleasent (non) learning experience till i taught my own self to read because the teachers lumped the 'slow learners' in with the naughty kids and you know, now when i look back at those naughty' kids, they wernt naughty at all , and honestly my teachers were too old and tired to care,
i went to school already knowing quite a lot from watching seaseeme st yet i stalled at school
and those naughty kids, well they probably had something that didnt have a name yet like ADHD or dyslexia, and were bored and uninterested
and dygraphia had certainy not been identifyed back then, see with dysgraphia reading is no probem, i became a prolific reader (just not the dumb stupid books the teacher wasnted us to read, i learnt to read reading the sports pages in the newspaper) and i would push myself to read harder harder books
but i can not spell for s**t, and there is no pattern to my bad spelling, i will spell the same word 50 different ways of wrong, a word i could spell yesterday i cant spell today -i like putting U's where they dont belong like in wonderful -wounderful and you know (not here) i have had well meaning people try to teach me how to spell different words because they are exsassparted but i cant help it !
so my parents sent me to spelling lessons and the teacher always tested my comprehention and reading -which was at 14 never the problem
you know i still think of words i learnt to spell at those leassons after school and i still cant spell them
when i passed my exams in what we used to call the 5th form (probaly first year high school in the US) i passed the lot with no study -imangine the better grades i could have got if i had liked school and actually studied or hand some encouragment and by the i was really good at english because they could only take off so many marks for spelling and horrible handwritings so i went from D's to A's but nothing had changed, except going from primary/intermediate school to high school
my mum had run into one of my primary school teachers just after my school cert results had come out and she was amazed and said oh we never thoight Nicky would do any good
how dear they label kids like that
nowdays i could have gone to university but i was right at the end of the generation where only the top kids went to varsity, my sister,who was in the top class at high school, got to go (i hope im not sounding like something out of Prince Harry's book Spair)

anyway i thank you all here for being so kind and ignoring my bad spelling
my hand writting is much worse, and i have trouble holding a knife and fork politly and i have too much tention when crocheting and it hurts to write neat

im just reviewing my post now trying to fix the spelling, see i know when a word is spelt wrong, i just dont know how to fix it, somedays im more inclined to google than others

can you imangine, in the days of corporal punishment, telling a teacher it hurt to write neat so i never told anyone -despite my standard 4 teacher telling my parents i was retarded (oh man did i get in trouble for that ) i was never stupid !
thats why i cant string pearls, at first i thought it might have been arthrites because I worked outside in the cold for a long time,plus i hate the feel of clothes on my arms and legs so i wear shorts and short sleeves all year long, but now i think it is dygraphia and worse i just read yesterday that it (the bad handwritting) gets worse with age, i had hoped that was just because of not working durring the first year of the pandemic and i dont write much in my job now days sigh

my nephew has dysbraxia
Fundamentally, autism is a disorder that affects socialization and communication, while dyspraxia affects motor skills and physical coordination. While coinciding symptoms aren't uncommon, the two are considered distinct disorders.
like me he had a traumatic birth, but socially i know how to make friends and be likeable where its really hard for him, he has no filter
he was diagnosed after not being able to jump on a trampoline as a little kid -how sad is that
i can remember in kindy( i was 4) it was really cold and i used to get a lot of broncitis and i couldnt zip up my jacket (because it was hard to learn that) and the stupid teacher wouldnt help me
i certainly hope they teach more kindness at teacher's college these days
Now Princess Beatrice has dylexia, she has talked about her struggles at school and HRH is a good deal younger than me, and that makes me sad for her
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden also has dylexia
and i do wonder if that can be inherited because her father the King of Swedan and her brother also have it

anyway even though my sister says everyone is somehwere on the spectrum
i would say no, i dont think that i am, as all my wierdness can be explained by the symptoms of dysgraphia

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i did the quizz but again i think most of it can be explained by disgraphia

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

So, I've worked in NYC District 75 (our city-wide district for students with special needs) for 15 years. I am not the person doing any type of diagnosis, I'm the person actually working with a kid/young adult usually consistently for 3-6 years (some kids I've known even longer).

My views have evolved along with my experiences. A big one for me, I don't fuss much over someones "diagnosis", just their strengths and needs. A "diagnosis" is often inaccurate so I don't focus on them much. I read and write IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for a living and I've met more than enough kids who don't "match" what was written about them. A label is a label, it doesn't tell us who someone is.

What I have felt, especially with my long term co-workers, is that many of us ARE "neurodivergent" without ever having been diagnosed. We are all successful and were privileged enough to have been supported and found our niche. I personally love the "wheel" which I think nicely shows how complex it all is.

Once thing that has always stood out to me, 90% of my students are male. I do truly think that the amount of neurodivergence is actually equal BUT males behavior display is more likely to be labeled as a disability while a girl is just "quiet", "anxious", "talkative", "social butterfly", etc.

I myself never realized that I actually have ADHD until my son was diagnosed and I started to think back, and pretty much trace it through my family history. My husband too, he has ADHD and dyslexia. Again, these are just labels, I focus on strengths and needs. The one things realizing all of this DID do for me is that I hardly ever mask my instincts anymore. If I'm excited and need to jump and flap my hands a bit, I do. I know I need to walk around a ton at work and hardly sit, so I do. I know I want to hum and sing random songs while I'm shopping, so I do. I know when I get the random urge to re-arrange all of my furniture or organize and purge my belongings, so I do. I'm just happier and more self-accepting which is lovely for me. I have never sought and official diagnosis BC executive functioning at this point prevents me, not going to lie. The thought of actually finding an adult neurologist that will take me seriously and do it is daunting. I accept my self-diagnosis for now.

If you want to pursue an official diagnosis, go for it! If you're content to just understand yourself well, that's just fine too. Happy to chat on this topic anytime.

 

[missy]

So, I've worked in NYC District 75 (our city-wide district for students with special needs) for 15 years. I am not the person doing any type of diagnosis, I'm the person actually working with a kid/young adult usually consistently for 3-6 years (some kids I've known even longer).

My views have evolved along with my experiences. A big one for me, I don't fuss much over someones "diagnosis", just their strengths and needs. A "diagnosis" is often inaccurate so I don't focus on them much. I read and write IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for a living and I've met more than enough kids who don't "match" what was written about them. A label is a label, it doesn't tell us who someone is.

What I have felt, especially with my long term co-workers, is that many of us ARE "neurodivergent" without ever having been diagnosed. We are all successful and were privileged enough to have been supported and found our niche. I personally love the "wheel" which I think nicely shows how complex it all is.

Once thing that has always stood out to me, 90% of my students are male. I do truly think that the amount of neurodivergence is actually equal BUT males behavior display is more likely to be labeled as a disability while a girl is just "quiet", "anxious", "talkative", "social butterfly", etc.

I myself never realized that I actually have ADHD until my son was diagnosed and I started to think back, and pretty much trace it through my family history. My husband too, he has ADHD and dyslexia. Again, these are just labels, I focus on strengths and needs. The one things realizing all of this DID do for me is that I hardly ever mask my instincts anymore. If I'm excited and need to jump and flap my hands a bit, I do. I know I need to walk around a ton at work and hardly sit, so I do. I know I want to hum and sing random songs while I'm shopping, so I do. I know when I get the random urge to re-arrange all of my furniture or organize and purge my belongings, so I do. I'm just happier and more self-accepting which is lovely for me. I have never sought and official diagnosis BC executive functioning at this point prevents me, not going to lie. The thought of actually finding an adult neurologist that will take me seriously and do it is daunting. I accept my self-diagnosis for now.

If you want to pursue an official diagnosis, go for it! If you're content to just understand yourself well, that's just fine too. Happy to chat on this topic anytime.

I love your entire post. Especially about allowing ourselves to be who we are. Agree 100%. Thank you for taking the time and energy to write it

And thank you also for taking on what I know is a challenging career. Though I know also an incredibly rewarding one. Thank you for all the good you’re doing

 

[glitterata]

i have been reading up on this because i too have obsessive tendensies and i dont get nor understand sarcasium and when i do get it i just think it is cruel and nasty
but i have dysgraphia
Dysgraphia isn't a form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Though dysgraphia commonly occurs in people with autism, you can have dysgraphia without having autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by: Difficulties in social communication differences.

so i also learnt i was potentially complety f***ing normal till something happened invetro
Growing up and going to school in the '70's was an unpleasent (non) learning experience till i taught my own self to read because the teachers lumped the 'slow learners' in with the naughty kids and you know, now when i look back at those naughty' kids, they wernt naughty at all , and honestly my teachers were too old and tired to care,
i went to school already knowing quite a lot from watching seaseeme st yet i stalled at school
and those naughty kids, well they probably had something that didnt have a name yet like ADHD or dyslexia, and were bored and uninterested
and dygraphia had certainy not been identifyed back then, see with dysgraphia reading is no probem, i became a prolific reader (just not the dumb stupid books the teacher wasnted us to read, i learnt to read reading the sports pages in the newspaper) and i would push myself to read harder harder books
but i can not spell for s**t, and there is no pattern to my bad spelling, i will spell the same word 50 different ways of wrong, a word i could spell yesterday i cant spell today -i like putting U's where they dont belong like in wonderful -wounderful and you know (not here) i have had well meaning people try to teach me how to spell different words because they are exsassparted but i cant help it !
so my parents sent me to spelling lessons and the teacher always tested my comprehention and reading -which was at 14 never the problem
you know i still think of words i learnt to spell at those leassons after school and i still cant spell them
when i passed my exams in what we used to call the 5th form (probaly first year high school in the US) i passed the lot with no study -imangine the better grades i could have got if i had liked school and actually studied or hand some encouragment and by the i was really good at english because they could only take off so many marks for spelling and horrible handwritings so i went from D's to A's but nothing had changed, except going from primary/intermediate school to high school
my mum had run into one of my primary school teachers just after my school cert results had come out and she was amazed and said oh we never thoight Nicky would do any good
how dear they label kids like that
nowdays i could have gone to university but i was right at the end of the generation where only the top kids went to varsity, my sister,who was in the top class at high school, got to go (i hope im not sounding like something out of Prince Harry's book Spair)

anyway i thank you all here for being so kind and ignoring my bad spelling
my hand writting is much worse, and i have trouble holding a knife and fork politly and i have too much tention when crocheting and it hurts to write neat

im just reviewing my post now trying to fix the spelling, see i know when a word is spelt wrong, i just dont know how to fix it, somedays im more inclined to google than others

can you imangine, in the days of corporal punishment, telling a teacher it hurt to write neat so i never told anyone -despite my standard 4 teacher telling my parents i was retarded (oh man did i get in trouble for that ) i was never stupid !
thats why i cant string pearls, at first i thought it might have been arthrites because I worked outside in the cold for a long time,plus i hate the feel of clothes on my arms and legs so i wear shorts and short sleeves all year long, but now i think it is dygraphia and worse i just read yesterday that it (the bad handwritting) gets worse with age, i had hoped that was just because of not working durring the first year of the pandemic and i dont write much in my job now days sigh

my nephew has dysbraxia
Fundamentally, autism is a disorder that affects socialization and communication, while dyspraxia affects motor skills and physical coordination. While coinciding symptoms aren't uncommon, the two are considered distinct disorders.
like me he had a traumatic birth, but socially i know how to make friends and be likeable where its really hard for him, he has no filter
he was diagnosed after not being able to jump on a trampoline as a little kid -how sad is that
i can remember in kindy( i was 4) it was really cold and i used to get a lot of broncitis and i couldnt zip up my jacket (because it was hard to learn that) and the stupid teacher wouldnt help me
i certainly hope they teach more kindness at teacher's college these days
Now Princess Beatrice has dylexia, she has talked about her struggles at school and HRH is a good deal younger than me, and that makes me sad for her
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden also has dylexia
and i do wonder if that can be inherited because her father the King of Swedan and her brother also have it

anyway even though my sister says everyone is somehwere on the spectrum
i would say no, i dont think that i am, as all my wierdness can be explained by the symptoms of dysgraphia

I for one really enjoy your use of words and the creative ways you spell them. I can always tell which word you mean, and the spellings let me hear the words in what I imagine to be your accent.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I for one really enjoy your use of words and the creative ways you spell them. I can always tell which word you mean, and the spellings let me hear the words in what I imagine to be your accent.

that is very kind of you @glitterata , i always hope people might just think oh thats the way they spell whatever word in NZ
i probably sound just like @mellowyellowgirl except she says feesh and cheeps and i say Fush and chups

 

[LightBright]

Here are some great websites:

Embrace Autism | The ultimate autism resource

Embrace Autism is THE place to find research & experience-based autism content for personal elucidation & empowerment. By autistic people, for autistic people.

embrace-autism.com

Insights of a Neurodivergent Clinician

Providing up to date research and research on autism and ADHD from a neurodivergent affirming perspective.

neurodivergentinsights.com

Autistic women and girls

More women and girls than ever before are discovering that they are autistic. Many had been missed or misdiagnosed due to outdated stereotypes about autism. But that is slowly changing.

www.autism.org.uk

Women and Autism: Diagnosis and Treatment in Adulthood | OHSU

Girls and gender non-confirming individuals with autism may be overlooked in childhood. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of autism in adulthood.

www.ohsu.edu

https://literallyausome.com.au/the-female-presentation-of-autism/ (the infographic below is from this site and is comparing common behaviors in autistic women vs. men).

EDIT - I see that you in fact do have a link to the place where you can find the Embrace Autism meta- analysis. So at least Some professionals in USA are starting to articulate the link that many are not aware of.
———————————————
Thanks for these resources.

I want to point out something that is controversial in the USA but should not be. In fact, I don’t want to get this specific convo redirected to this issue but it needs pointing out because none of the American materials you posted explicitly link Autism to gender disphoria (while they link it correctly to Eating Disorders etc.). Autistics are at risk for gender disphoria. And they are very much at risk of well-intentioned adults medicalizing and “making black or white” their gender disphoria.

American medical and psychiatric professionals should be aware that data from the UK, Finland and other parts or Europe like Scandinavia is showing a very high rate of autism in the population of gender disphoric individuals. Especially in Females. For this reason, England has changed its policy as of this week (joining many other countires), and is not immediately validating and medically transitioning gender disphoria. They are now treating it with counseling, seeing that it is part of a broader Autism or other psychiatric diagnosis. You can read the recent UK study on the Tavistock Clinic, or the works of Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala For more information. There is also plenty of data from the USA, already developed on this issue and reported on by people like Abigail Schrier if you are curious about the link between Autism and Gender Disphoria.
Here’s a link to more info:
“https://embrace-autism.com/the-intersection-of-autism-and-gender-dysphoria/#:~:text=Results from the analysis showed,population is up to 2.76%.“

 

[Bron357]

Both my daughter and I are “on the spectrum” ie Aspergers. In my day there was no such thing as “being on the spectrum” I was just a very bright but weird kid, with some strange habits and hobbies and a photographic memory. Fast forward to today and my daughter was diagnosed as such and it’s almost trendy.
Except it’s not, it’s harder on the inside than it looks on the outside. Can I explain to myself, let alone anyone else, some of my unusual habits or thought patterns? No.
My daughter is exceptional bright (winning the University Medal for Pathology) but she is also riddled with anxiety and has self esteem problems because she mostly doesn’t “fit in”. She has great difficulty focusing sometimes, has very limited food choices based on texture not taste, she finds loud noises and large groups completely overwhelming, some smells can cause her to vomit and “other people don’t get it”. So life isn’t easy.
Neither of us take medication, we both have or have had therapy and we both just try and accept that we are different to most but that’s ok.

 

[Lookinagain]

Took the quiz----

YOU TOTALLY DO NOT HAVE AUTISM.​

 

[kenny]

missy, I could have written 93% of your OP.

Over the decades, as my youth-related phoniness and @ss-kissing pleasing wore off, I recognize I'm almost certainly somewhere on this spectrum of Asperger’s syndrome and/or autism.

 

[missy]

missy, I could have written 93% of your OP.

Over the decades, as my youth-related phoniness and @ss-kissing pleasing wore off, I recognize I'm almost certainly somewhere on this spectrum of Asperger’s syndrome and/or autism.

Thanks Kenny for sharing. I never realized that I might be til recently (though my dh kept saying I was I thought he was joking...maybe half joking). And while I do not know if I am technically considered "on the spectrum" I guess it doesn't matter. We are living our lives and enjoying it on our terms.

When I was younger I was still the way I am today with regards to others. I never had lots and lots of friends. Just a few good ones. And that is how I prefer it still. I do not care for having "acquaintances" if you kwim. I do not like making small talk though I certainly can do it. And I prefer meaningful relationships over superficial ones. I also do not have the desire nor energy for gossip that some seem to take so much pleasure in...not judging but rather just sharing how I feel about it.

I am what I consider to be an "extroverted" introvert. Meaning among the people I am comfortable with I can be extroverted (one on one or two on two) but with larger groups I have to work at it and often do not want to nor do I care what others might think. I do subscribe to the school of thought...what you think of me is none of my business. I will add though I can be sensitive and get my feelings hurt until my brain takes over fully and then I do not care. Sorry for the long response.

All this to say I wouldn't change who I am and I don't think you would either...I like who I am (would I want to change some things about myself...maybe but maybe not) and yes I am different than others. I did not realize that til I was older. We all are unique/different to some degree. I do not fit in to the "norms" with regards to many many things so perhaps I am more "different" than many- but I am good with that.

One last thought. Maybe I am the way I am because I am intuitive and observe that many people suck. Big time. And I do not have the energy nor desire to deal with people like this nor do I want to "fit" in with these masses. There is a good reason I prefer animals to many people. No apologies either. It is what it is and "I am who I am" and if I am paraphrasing from Popeye so be it

As Mark Twain said (@Starstruck8 sorry if I am misquoting and please let me know if I am)
Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel.

 

[OboeGal]

Coming VERY late to this thread - as is totally consistent with my severe ADHD diagnosis, hah! - and just wanted to chime in as another neurodivergent Pricescoper (and yes, I agree that our obsessive bling interests make it likely that a higher percentage of us are neurodivergent than across the general population). In addition to the severe ADHD, I'm high-functioning autistic, and I see a lot of myself in that graph that included giftedness as well. I appreciate so much the various perspectives that have been shared in this thread.

Over the last year of so, I've started hanging around in a lot of social media groups for neurodivergent people, and feel very much that I've "found my tribe" there, similar to how I feel here but even more so. One of the things often shared there is a quote from researchers who essentially said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that they increasingly think the best way to identify neurodivergence, and autism in particular, is to simply put the person being evaluated in a room with a person with a definitive autism diagnosis and see how quickly they bond! @missy, I've always felt like you are a soul-sister from the beginning of hanging out here, both in very obvious ways and in subtle ways, and what you've shared here has only strengthened that sentiment. I don't have any idea what that means about whether or not you're neurodivergent, but I just felt the need to share it.

A quick comment about empathy and autism - I can't speak to the research or statistics across the population of diagnosed autistic individuals but I can share my own experience. I'm pathologically empathetic, and have been from an early age. I choose the word "pathologically" very carefully and intentionally - it's very much affective, not just intellectual, and causes an immense amount of suffering to me and stress to those who care about me, as well as interfering quite a bit in my ability to function and in my ability to actually be of support, service, or help to those whose suffering I'm too intensely "keyed into." Just my experience.

 

[missy]

Coming VERY late to this thread - as is totally consistent with my severe ADHD diagnosis, hah! - and just wanted to chime in as another neurodivergent Pricescoper (and yes, I agree that our obsessive bling interests make it likely that a higher percentage of us are neurodivergent than across the general population). In addition to the severe ADHD, I'm high-functioning autistic, and I see a lot of myself in that graph that included giftedness as well. I appreciate so much the various perspectives that have been shared in this thread.

Over the last year of so, I've started hanging around in a lot of social media groups for neurodivergent people, and feel very much that I've "found my tribe" there, similar to how I feel here but even more so. One of the things often shared there is a quote from researchers who essentially said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that they increasingly think the best way to identify neurodivergence, and autism in particular, is to simply put the person being evaluated in a room with a person with a definitive autism diagnosis and see how quickly they bond! @missy, I've always felt like you are a soul-sister from the beginning of hanging out here, both in very obvious ways and in subtle ways, and what you've shared here has only strengthened that sentiment. I don't have any idea what that means about whether or not you're neurodivergent, but I just felt the need to share it.

A quick comment about empathy and autism - I can't speak to the research or statistics across the population of diagnosed autistic individuals but I can share my own experience. I'm pathologically empathetic, and have been from an early age. I choose the word "pathologically" very carefully and intentionally - it's very much affective, not just intellectual, and causes an immense amount of suffering to me and stress to those who care about me, as well as interfering quite a bit in my ability to function and in my ability to actually be of support, service, or help to those whose suffering I'm too intensely "keyed into." Just my experience.

I am all verklempt reading your post @OboeGal
I feel the same way about you

And yes to feeling things too strongly. It is my downfall and it is incredibly challenging living with such strong empathy. You absolutely nailed the description..reading your post felt like you were in my head

Thank you for taking the time to share. It means a lot to me. Hope all is well.