This question is more common than you might think: do I have autism? 

First of all, let’s start out by saying that even if you do have a form of autism or Asperger’s syndrome, that doesn’t mean that you’re alone. A network of caring individuals are here to help you through this process and professional help is available to get you the most out of your life.

Living with a form of autism doesn’t mean you are doomed to be single forever. It also doesn’t mean that you will never be able to make good friends.

Autism Prevalence and Other Statistics

Autism is becoming increasingly common from year to year as awareness of the disease spreads as does accurate diagnoses. It is not entirely clear if actual cases of autism are becoming more prevalent or merely the diagnoses.

As you can see from the autism prevalence chart above, autism diagnoses have been on the rise. 

It’s difficult to find accurate statistics on the prevalence of autism after 2014 because the CDC’s latest 2018 study is based on 2014 results.

You will find other pages, such as this one, claiming that the CDC determined “in 2018” that 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with autism, when in fact, the data that was used in that study was from 2014.

The most recent statistics that we were able to find concerning autism prevalence comes from a report published in 2018 by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). However, even this report is drawn from 2016 statistics.

Autism is increasingly common and doctors are becoming more aware of the disorder and getting better at diagnosing it. As awareness spreads, so does the amount of people who are willing and able to help treat autism

Do I Have Asperger’s Syndrome or Autism?

Although Asperger’s is considered to be under the “autism umbrella,” and is now categorized as “autism spectrum disorder,” or ASD, there are some distinct differences between what might be considered “high-functioning autism” and what was previously referred to as Asperger’s syndrome. Knowing the difference can help you deal with confronting your unique situation.

The Difference Between Autism and Asperger’s

To get rid of some of the confusion and to figure out if you have autism or Asperger’s, let’s go through the signs of each of them.

Here are the two biggest differences between autism and Asperger’s:

• One big difference between the two is that children with autism tend to be disinterested in their peers and aloof while a child with Asperger’s usually is very interested in fitting in with their peers. 

The child with Asperger’s syndrome, although interested in making friends, is usually socially awkward and not sure how to make (and keep) friends.

• The second obvious difference between the two is that a child with autism will have a hard time developing speech and cognitive abilities relative to their peers. Talking, reading, and social skills will come more slowly when compared to a neuro-typical child.

A child with Asperger’s syndrome, on the other hand, usually develops normally with no cognitive setbacks. In fact, a person with Asperger’s may actually appear to be more intelligent than their peers due to some obsessive tendencies that may lead them to accumulate vast areas of knowledge and expertise.

Autism Signs in Children

There are many potential signs of autism in younger children, but high-level, or mild, autism can be a little bit harder to detect.

If you are a parent of a child who you may think has autism, you can download our free comprehensive autism signs checklist that can help you determine if your young child has autism. Otherwise, keep reading!

If you believe that you may have autism, take a look at this short list of potentials signs of autism in anyone from an older child to an adult:

• People with autism are often inflexible, following a rigid routine. (e.g. insists on taking a specific route to school or finding it exceedingly difficult to cancel an assigned task that was scheduled on a calendar)

• Has difficulty adapting to changes in schedule or environment. (may throw a tantrum if the furniture is rearranged or if bedtime is different than usual)

• Unusual attachment to toys or strange objects such as rubber bands or keys

• Preoccupation with a narrow topic of interest, often involving numbers or symbols. (e.g. memorizing and reciting facts about maps or train schedules)

• Spends long periods of time rearranging toys or school supplies in specific ways, watching moving objects such as ceiling fans or the wheels of a car.

• Repeats the same actions over and over such as hand flapping, rocking, or twirling (known as self-stimulatory behavior)

Signs of Autism and Asperger’s in Adults

While Asperger’s and autism seem very similar in some ways and some symptoms may overlap, there are signs of Asperger’s that high-level autism does not share:

• Asperger’s syndrome typically does not show a drop in IQ, and a person with Asperger’s, as previously mentioned, might even seem to be more intelligent than average.

• Will not usually show any signs of struggle in speech or reading development

• May show trouble understanding the subtleties of conversation such as sarcasm, idioms, and some jokes. It may also be hard for a person with Asperger’s to tell if a person is annoyed with them.

• May seem to lack empathy, but that is unlikely the case. What is more likely is that the person will have trouble expressing themselves properly or they will feel exceedingly awkward when faced with the task of comforting someone. 

• Is typically very aware that they do not fit in with their peers the way they want to and may struggle in their attempts to be more normal, make friends, or seem “cool”. This also may lead young adults with Asperger’s to develop coping mechanisms to defend themselves from the shame of not fitting in. (e.g. an “I don’t care” attitude. May show this by repeatedly saying something along the lines of “I just say it how it is”)

• Peers may find them awkward, rude, or “creepy”

As we currently don’t have any biological or psychological markers that separate Asperger’s from autism, the two may always inevitably be intertwined and diagnosed as one and the same. The difference in “labeling” may vary from person to person and place to place. 

Don’t Self-Diagnose — Get Checked By A Professional

Hopefully, the above information helped you to understand if you have autism or not. However, if you have any suspicion that you might have autism, don’t self-diagnose! You should always seek help from a professional. 

Get a proper diagnosis from a doctor. It can help you to find resources, a community of help, as well as government funding for assistance that can radically change your life.

So, I Have Autism: Now What?

If you have been properly diagnosed, it’s time to jump into the community of autism resources! Normal Life Inc. is here to help when it comes to autism issues of all types. Get a referral from your doctor for any kind of therapy that you might think you may need, and lend a helping hand to others in your very situation!

If you are a parent of a child with autism, we have a helpful Youtube series that is designed to assist parents through troublesome childhood years with autism.

Whether you are a parent of autism or an individual with autism or Asperger’s, we welcome you with open arms to our Facebook group, #autismarmy.