So, for the past couple of years my mom has told me that she sees autism traits in me (She works with high school students with autism). So I got a big list of symptoms and other traits of autism in teenagers (I'm 18) from the website: Signs of ASD in teenagers | Raising Children Network and I'm going to highlight/bold and make the text a different color the ones that i show. So, I'm sorry if this is a long, drawn-out post.

Social communication signs of autism spectrum disorder

Older children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically have trouble with both verbal and non-verbal communication for social purposes.
An older child or teenager with ASD might:

• have trouble when taking turns in conversations – for example, she might like to do all the talking or find it hard to answer questions about herself (never really sure when it is my turn to talk, don't like social chit-chat and don't really like answering questions about myself)
  
• talk a lot about a favourite topic, but find it difficult to talk about a range of topics
• be confused by language and take things literally – for example, she might be confused by the expression ‘Pull your socks up!’ and actually pull up her socks (not specifically expressions, but i do take most things literally, and can't really take a joke)
  
• have an unusual tone of voice, or use speech in an unusual way – for example, she might speak in a monotone or with an accent
• have a very good vocabulary and talk in a formal, old-fashioned way
• find it hard to follow a set of instructions with more than one or two steps (this really depends on the situation, if I'm really distracted it is hard for me, but when I'm on task and focused, this isn't a problem)
  
• have trouble reading non-verbal cues, such as body language or tone of voice, to guess how someone else might be feeling – for example, she might not understand when an adult is angry based on tone of voice or gestures
• use eye contact in an unusual way – for example, she might make less eye contact than others, or not use eye contact when she’s spoken to (eye contact makes me feel uncomfortable, so i tend to look at the person's mouth while they are talking)
  
• express few emotions on her face, or not be able to read other people’s facial expressions
• uses very few gestures to express herself
• prefer to spend time on her own, rather than with friends (don't really like spending time with other peers, there are times when it is fun but then there are times when i really don't want to)
  
• need other children to play by her rules ( don't like other peers rules, especially if it is a group project of sorts i really like being in charge, and have things go my way)
  
• have trouble understanding the social rules of friendship
• have few or no real friends (I have some really good friends, but only a small group of them, which is fine)
  
• have trouble relating to children her own age, and might prefer to play with younger children or adults (Sometimes i don't really like people my age, i really do like hanging out with my 1 year old niece and my cousins that are 13, 11, and 4. Also, i like hanging out with my sister 25 and her friends)
  
• have difficulty adjusting her behaviour in different social situations.

Behaviour signs of autism spectrum disorder


There are some behaviour signs that a child or teenager might have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For example, the child might:

• have unusual interests or obsessions – for example, he might collect sticks or memorise the train timetable
• have compulsive behaviours – for example, he might line things up or have to close all the doors in the house (I like to make sure doors are locked and make sure the things on my desk or around me are in an order that i want...might be more OCD but never know)
  
• be unusually sensitive and get upset easily (I get upset really easily, Sometimes i don't know why, but it could be as simple as, i didn't get to do something i wanted to do, or possibly couldn't do something the way i usually do)
  
• have an unusual attachment to objects – for example, he might carry a toy around as a teenager, or collect unusual items like chip packets or shoelaces
• be easily upset by change and like to follow routines – for example, he might like to sit in the same seat for every meal or have a special order for getting ready in the morning (this isn't too bad, but if someone tells me we are going to do something, and then later says we aren't doing it i get very upset...this is one thing my mom has pointed out)
  
• repeat body movements or have unusual body movements, such as hand-flapping or rocking (I rock on occasion and tend to 'twiddle' my fingers alot)
  
• make repetitive noises - for example, grunts, throat-clearing or squealing (This happens a lot, i honestly don't know why i do it but, i do it a lot)
  
• be sensitive to sensory experiences – for example, he might be easily upset by certain sounds, or will eat only foods with a certain texture (certain sounds bother me, also flickering lights)
  
• seek sensory stimulation – for example, he might like deep pressure, seek vibrating objects like the washing machine or flutter fingers to the side of his eyes to watch the light flicker. (I twiddle my fingers a lot, and also like to spin in the desk chair i have at home, and i use lotion a lot for the smell and the softness)
  

Other signs of autism spectrum disorder

Older children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have other difficulties as well, which might include:

• difficulty with sleep – for example, they might have difficulty falling asleep, or might regularly wake up at 4 am
• anxiety or feeling overwhelmed – for example, they might feel anxious about going to a new place, or in social situations (Social anxiety around new people, places and events)
  
• depression – older children and teenagers who are aware of their differences are also often aware of how others see them and can feel like outsiders. These feelings might be intensified by changing hormone levels during puberty
• aggressive behaviour – they often have sensory sensitivities that can lead to sudden aggressive behaviour. They might have difficulty understanding what’s going on around them, which can lead to frustration building up
• eating disorders – for example, they might have difficulty moving to secondary school and might develop an eating disorder to cope with feelings of anxiety
• school refusal or not wanting to go to school – they might feel overwhelmed or confused at school.

So, what do you think?