Common Signs of Mild Autism in Adults
Do you suspect that you or a loved one might be on the autism spectrum?
What follows are some of the common signs and symptoms of mild or high-functioning autism in adults.
Avoidance of Social Situations
The main diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder is: “Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts.”
This can manifest as not understanding the unspoken rules of reciprocity when engaging with others or not knowing what information is appropriate to share in a conversation. The individual may talk over others or not at all, and may share too little or too much information at inopportune times. Feeling socially inadequate, many with ASD will avoid social interaction, and will especially stay away from settings where they must meet or interact with new people. In older adults, especially those who are widowed or have never been married, this can manifest as almost complete social isolation.
Restricted or Intense Interests
Those with ASD frequently exhibit a few intense or fixated interests related to their favorite topics or activities and can become agitated when they’re not able to pursue these interests. Their pursuit of these interests is abnormal in intensity and the individual can spend hours collecting information on train schedules or computer hardware, for example, all while shutting out the world — or the loved ones — around them.
Difficulty in Identifying Emotions
A marked difficulty in identifying and recognizing one’s own emotional states and the emotional states of others. This does not mean that those with ASD do not experience emotions, but it does mean that they often lack insight into what they’re feeling and why they’re feeling a certain way. They’re also unable or less able to decipher nonverbal cues that might allow them to know what another person is thinking or feeling. In this way, they often display low emotional empathy or an inability to put themselves in another person’s shoes. This difficulty also manifests as a focus on the external world as opposed to inner experiences.
Chronic Depression and Anxiety
ASD carries a high risk of co-occurrence with other disorders throughout the lifetime of the individual. In adulthood, the most common co-morbid disorders include depression, anxiety, ADHD and schizophrenia.
Inappropriate Eye Contact
Those with ASD often make little eye contact while conversing with another, or they make too much eye contact and may inappropriately stare.
Insistence on Routine
This often presents as difficulty accepting change to one’s schedule and may manifest as extreme frustration or anger when confronted with unexpected disruptions to routines.
