Hi all:

I have suspected my entire adult life that there is something different about me, and whatever it is is apparent to other people, but not me. I learned many things about myself while going to college, and it was one course in particular that opened my eyes to my problem. The course was about teaching children with autism.
When I was about 5 yrs old, I started talking to myself - aloud. I remember being that age, walking to school, and talking away! It is a behavior that has been pervasive my entire life, and every counselor or psychiatrist I went to could not tell me why I did this. Until I read a book about autistic children that said that many talk to themselves all the time.
Then other things began to make sense-why I have always withdrawn from people, my social awareness and ability being so poor. Since then, I have found out that it is my family on my father's side. My father, I'm sure, has some form of autism, as well as my nephew.
The reasons that many people with autism/autistic traits are dx with personality disorders is because the reactions of other people, especially for those of us who are older than 50, has an effect on the development of the personality, so many do develop overlapping personality problems.
I am 56, and I have done so much research, and soul searching, and every day I learn something new.
As for being assessed, my psychiatrist told me that I could request a full neuropsych evaluation, but it's pricey. Ins. won't cover it.
I've learned a lot through soul searching, and google searching but it's not a simple process. We have to learn to be kind to ourselves, and not to worry about the unkindness of others.