I found this on Quora and it tells some common "signs" of Autism:
Behavior Technician at Centria Autism Care (2023–present)2h
So many people have already answered, but I would like to add some common things that are usually passed off as “quirks”, but are very real signs as autism. Not all these things are individual signs of autism, but combined with other symptoms can be very telling.
- System for things. I want to give some examples of this that people may not immediately recognize as a “system”. Keeping in mind, in this sense, a system is a mode of organization that causes distress if deviated from.
- Washing dishes in a particular order (cups first, then bowls, then plates, etc.)
- Showering in a particular order (never use body wash before washing hair, or the other way around.)
- Gaming “quirks” (that person who fills up all the resources before moving on? Who does the work for fun? Who automates stuff to make things satisfying? Who organizes every inventory religiously? That type of stuff. Also some of the people who will build those crazy maps on Minecraft 💀)
- Keeping items filled or “level” (always got the same amount of hand soap in the container? Cereal containers always level? There's a certain satisfaction autistics derive from having things “lined up”).
- Lining up toys, items, etc. For a young kid, this can be very obvious. It can be a bit harder to spot as an adult, but sometimes you'll see it in how a person organizes their desk, their dishes, maybe even their icons on their desktop.
- Only feeling comfortable eating meals in order (breakfast - then lunch - then dinner).
- Echolalia: this is the repetition of words and phrases, or even noises. It's been mentioned, but it comes in many forms. Sometimes this can be a person randomly saying something they've heard that their brain decides to echo, or sometimes it can be something stuck in their head that they say repeatedly. This can happen with song lyrics, conversations, and viewing media.
- Harsh reactions to sudden changes in ANYTHING. I will say it a million times: autism is a highly transitionary disability, meaning people with autism need extra “padding” if something changes. New plans? Try to warn them a few days in advance. Hours is not enough. Unexpected weather? That can put them in a bad mood. New people? That can cause anxiety and run their social battery dry quick. Even being late can make a difference, as that gives them less time to transition between places. Anything that breaks routine is going to be some cause for anxiety and anger.
- Picky eaters: for children, this is a bit harder to distinguish. Is this a child that simply likes junk food? Or do they like that all chips have the same crunch, but if they eat something like blueberries, every one could taste different? The key is: consistency. Texture is a big trigger for many autistic people. Maybe guacamole makes them want to puke, or beans make them gag? Maybe the difference in sour and sweet berries is too jarring to allow them enjoyment in eating them? I've also found many autistic people that spice is an easy trigger. Then again, I've found others that can't get enough spice.
- Pain tolerance: due to autism’s effect on proprioception, a lot of autistic people have a high pain tolerance. Because communication can be an issue, this is often overlooked, since the person's normal perception of pain is skewed. How is an autistic person supposed to tell you that they SHOULD be in more pain than they are? The opposite can also be true, causing some autistic people to be labeled as hypochondriacs, as they genuinely feel MORE pain than the average person.
- Neglecting needs: as mentioned before, proprioception can often be affected by autism, which causes a person to not be in tune with their bodily needs. This means they can't feel hunger correctly, the need to go to the bathroom, to sleep, to socialize, etc. With hunger, it can be easier to spot: someone becoming a bottomless pit because they just DONT FEEL SATISFIED. (An extreme example would be Tarrare, and if you don't know this man’s story, you should look it up. I've always theorized this man to have autism because of this, but autism wasn't diagnosed back then.) Alteratively, you might have someone who can't seem to keep on weight. This is also why many autistic kids are known to wet the bed much later into their childhood than neurotypicals, as they really can't feel when they need to use the restroom (along with sleep problems and sometimes their mechanoreception senses). Even as adults, some autistic people struggle to feel when they need to use the restroom, often until it becomes an emergency (me, ouchie).
- Obsessions: this is also a symptom of OCD and ADHD, so these alone REALLY CAN'T BE INDICATORS, but, again, when clustered with other symptoms, can be signs of autism. These obsessions can come in forms of hobbies, interests, people, or even ideas. That person that's been listening to the same song on repeat for two weeks in a row? Might be autistic. That avid scrap-booker that has a whole basement full of supplies, and they make crafts for everything? Again, might be autistic. Everything is foxes (lol, me)? In my case, autism. The extreme comes in the form of hyperfixation (which can be a symptom of other things, once again), where a person can neglect their needs and focus solely on one goal for an extended period of time. I can do this with video games: I've spent up to 16 hours gaming without leaving my computer for anything. Very unhealthy, but when fixated, nothing could pry me away, not even extreme hunger.
There are a bunch of others, but I feel these ones are either neglected or extremely important indicators of a person's mental health. I want to say AGAIN that one of these symptoms does NOT mean someone has autism, but many of these collected together can be a good hint.
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