These Are 9 Major Indicators Of Autism In Adults That Often Go Completely Unnoticed

"According to Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a clinical psychologist based in Oregon, a recent study found that 80% of women with autism are still undiagnosed at age 18. There are many reasons for this: For starters, people learn to adjust their behavior to fit in with society. Additionally,the autism diagnostic tools used today were developed exclusively on white boys from high socioeconomic status, said Stephanie Gardner-Wright, a licensed master social worker and certified autism clinical specialist in Michigan."

"There is also a huge focus on the external signs and not so much the internal symptoms of autism, Gardner-Wright said. And those internal symptoms are very different from person to person. "There are so many ways that autism can show up and present," Neff added. "I think there's more diversity within autism than there is between autism and allistic." (Allistic people are folks who aren't on the autism spectrum.)"

Social media videos where people list signs of autism resonate with many, offering validation for undiagnosed adults. A recent study found 80% of women with autism remain undiagnosed by age 18. Contributing factors include learned masking and diagnostic tools developed primarily from white, high-socioeconomic-status boys. Current assessment often emphasizes external signs while underrecognizing diverse internal symptoms. Internal presentations vary widely between individuals, and autism manifests in many different ways. Feelings of lifelong difference or describing oneself as 'alien' are common experiences among autistic adults. Recognition and diagnosis in adulthood can be delayed despite significant internal challenges.

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