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ASD & Me, Note: The criteria for the DSM-5 are very deficit-based and…
ASD & Me
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DSM 5 Criteria
Criteria E: These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay.
Criteria D: Traits cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
Criteria C: Traits must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learning strategies in later life.
Criteria B: Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. Only two of the four subcategories of Criteria B must be met.
B2: Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of behavior (verbal and non-verbal).
B3: Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus.
These are known as special interests. Some are lifelong, but others may be short-lived. In girls, special interests may go unnoticed because they are more societally acceptable (ex. having a favorite boyband, being interested in horses, etc.)
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Personally, I have logged into Genshin Impact every single day for over two years... I have written essays about Neuvillette. I have multiple Childe builds, including a physical plunge DPS build.
B1: Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech.
This may include stimming (hand-flapping, pacing, skin-picking), repetitive uses of phrases or similar words, echolalia, or lining up toys or organizing collections.
B4: Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment.
It's important to note that some people are hyper-sensitive, but others may be hypo-sensitive to sensory input. Within a person, there may be differences between the senses, as well.
Some autistic people are very sensitive to food smells, taste, and texture, so have a few select "safe foods." The response to hypersensitivity to sounds may be to wear noise-canceling headphones. But some autistic people are sensory-seekers who may instead always be blasting music. Unique forms of seeking out sensory input might be by fixating on visual patterns.
Personally, I have a hard time driving because there's too much to pay attention - too many sounds and too many things to keep an eye on. My mind has difficulty sorting it all out.
In some autistic people, there may be difficulty with internal sensory perception, such as interoception and proprioception. For example, having particularly bad balance or not recognizing when you're hungry.
Personally, I often get so hyperfixated on a task that I forget to eat or go to the bathroom. I used to go the whole school day without going to the bathroom because I couldn't stand the smell of the toilet.
Criteria A: Persistent differences in social communication and social interactions across multiple contexts. All three subcategories of Criteria A must be met.
A3: Differences in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships.
These difficulties may be attributed to black-and-white thinking, executive dysfunction, lower social motivation, and sensory demands involved in interactions with friends/social groups.
Common difficulties are with beginning and maintaining friendships, navigating arguments, engaging in imaginative play (brainstorming) with others, and context-shifting.
These difficulties may be eased when engaging with other neurodivergent people who may relate to these difficulties.
Personally, I have had very few friends growing up. I'm not really sure who to call a friend at times and have used it either too loosely or too strictly. At one point, I figured friendship had a shelf life of about four years. Most of my long-lasting friendships have been due to mutual interests and similar patterns of behavior, like not talking for a long time but being able to jump back into things as soon as we meet again. I've also always spoken to everyone roughly the same way and it has gotten me into trouble with authority figures.
A common pattern to notice is an ever-changing list of friends, no close attachments. Girls tend to have higher social motivation, so they may have a few friends at a time, but still have difficulty keeping them long-term.
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A1: Differences in socio-emotional reciprocity. This is the ability to fluidly and flexibly engage in back-and-forth conversation.
Common difficulties may include not recognizing context cues, not knowing what to expect from casual conversation, slow processing speed, being distracted by the background environment, focusing on too many things going on with the conversation partner, focusing on the topic at hand.
These difficulties may be eased when engaged in a topic that you particularly care about, or when you are able to relate the topic back to yourself and it becomes more familiar and easier to follow. They may not be present of the conversation is entirely focused on the other person and not yourself.
These difficulties may not be noticeable due to masking, but can make regular conversation feel especially tiring as you try to remember the social rules of engagement
Personally, I have a tendency to info-dump and have become wary of monopolizing a conversation. I mask by remembering to pause to let others respond or letting others "go first." I also have difficulty initiating conversations and practice a script in my mind before I can confidently engage with others. I have difficulty with small-talk because it feels like a few scripted lines without any real depth. My literal thinking also makes it hard for me to keep up with the conversation.
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Note: The criteria for the DSM-5 are very deficit-based and its wording is based on the medical model of disability, making it very difficult for autistic people to relate to it. Thus, I have looked at notes from "Neurodivergent Insights" to help me interpret the criteria from an internal perspective of autism, rather than an observational standpoint.
For some, B1 & B2 behaviors may be borne of a desire to make the world feel a little safer, a little more predictable.
Some of these are what many late-diagnosed autistic people are misdiagnosed with prior to finding out about autism. Some of these are common comorbidities that occur as a result of living a life undiagnosed. Some could be a mix of both. I recommend looking into these and getting a professional opinion to help you sort through anything you might be confused about. CPTSD in particular has many traits similar to autism. Chronic abuse can have a permanent effect on your brain chemistry. Many autistic people may also suffer through traumatic experiences due to their needs not being met.
Most of these assessments can be found through the Embrace Autism website. These are formal assessment quizzes used during the diagnostic process.