Today, awareness of autism is at an all-time high. As an adult, you may look back on your childhood and realize that you’ve possibly had an autism diagnosis overlooked. If you’re a parent, you may have come to realizations about yourself after observing behaviors in your child. However you’ve come to notice the signs, you may suspect that you have autism. You may be wondering: can I, or should I, seek therapy for autism?

Adult Autism Diagnosis

It can be challenging for an undiagnosed adult to be evaluated for autism. The standardized diagnostics checklists commonly used for diagnosis were designed for children. While there is no diagnostic criteria available for adults, it is currently being developed.

However, it is still possible to be evaluated as an adult. A trained mental health professional, such as Sarah O’Donnell at Orleans Psychological Service, can help determine what behaviors do and do not resemble autism and the degree to which they may interfere with your ability to function in different areas.

Why Seek Help?

While you’ve been successful thus far in moderating your possible symptoms of autism over the course of your life, you may have run into some challenges along the way. Working with a specifically trained therapist can help you in several ways.

• Work Life – An adult with autism may have difficulty with social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication. You may have difficulty making eye contact with your boss, make involuntary noises during meetings or have trouble communicating with your co-workers. These symptoms can interfere with your ability to advance your career and reach your desired goals.
• Relationships – Adults with autism can sometimes have trouble making or maintaining friendships or intimate relationships. If you’re in a quiet place, such as a movie theatre or library, you may make involuntary noises such as clearing your throat over and over. You may have trouble in social situations, or difficulty getting along with family or friends.
• Everyday Life – You may have repetitive, obsessive or ritualistic behaviors that are interfering with your daily life or social interactions.

Therapy is available to help you manage and control these behaviors. Working through these issues as an adult can help you find solutions to symptoms that are interfering with your daily life.

Are you or a loved one living with autism? A specifically trained and licensed mental health professional, such as Sarah O’Donnell, LISW (https://orleanspsych.com/sarah-elder-lisw/) at our office can help you address compulsions or social skills, teach you coping methods to deal with anxiety and help you better manage your symptoms. Give our office a call today, and we’ll schedule a time to talk.