Do I have autism?

Question

I don't know what it is.

I am a 17 year old girl.

I have hyper sensory issues, I can't wear certain types of clothing because of the material or if the cloths are to loose or too snug, I can't touch certain things because just looking at them makes me uneasy.

I twitch too if I touch something that I don't like, for instance,slate floors, unfinished wood and sand paper.

I am also sensetive to sound, I can't be in loud settings because it bothers me, I eat lunch in the library or nurse's office at school.

I was diagnoised with ADHD when I was very young and I have been on and off medication for that I am currently on. Is this more than an ADHD symptom?

The medication has helped with my ADHD.

listen, thanks for all the help but my meds are fine, my sensory issues have been going on longer then I've been diagnoised with ADHD...

I've never been sucidal, I had a cutting issue when I was young but that was caused by my sexuailty and my christian parents, and I'm fine now.

I feel fine other than the sensory thing.

Answer 1

A quick online search would probably calm your fears of having autism. What you have is called sensory defensiveness (namely tactile and auditory defensiveness)--a subcategroy of sensory processing disorder. While children with autism very often have sensory defensiveness, not everyone with sensory defensiveness has autism. You haven't named a single symptom that makes me think you have autism.

Sensory processing disorder (defensiveness) is also very common with ADHD and oftentimes is part of the symptomatology--explaining why the child is hyperactive and has difficulty paying attention. Imagine trying to focus on a teacher's voice and sit still in a chair when you cannot block out other sounds in the room, the feeling of your clothes on your body, smells and sights in the classroom, etc... I am sure you know what I mean.

As far as your sensory defensiveness--if caught early, an occupational therapist will provide sensory integrative therapy that helps the sensory nervous system respond more adaptively to sensory input. You are 17 and I am really not sure what treatments may exist for an adult with sensory processing disorder. If you want to know more I strongly recommend checking out "The Out-of-Sync Child" (author is escaping me at the moment but you will find it easily on Amazon). Also "How Does Your Engine Run" may help you to find activities that will be calming to your central nervous system and thus decrease your symptoms of sensory defensiveness. The first book has great information; the second book I haven't actually read but I think it may help you a lot.

Otherwise--If you feel like the sensory defensiveness is negatively affecting your life (dysfunctional)--I would recommend talking to your physician and getting a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation.

Hope I helped! Reply back if you have further questions.

Answer 2

Is there anyone in your family with Tourette syndrome (tics) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)?
With TS, I am just like you with the clothing material. I actually just like cotton or soft knit. The neck tags bug me. When my hair gets long on my neck, I can't stand it.
What you have is actually an anxiety disorder that includes TS, OCD, ADHD, mood swings and a lot of other stuff: http://www.hopepress.com/html/tourette_syndrome_and_human_be.html Most doctors don't even recognize it.

An antidepressant or Strattera, a nonamphetamine for ADHD seem to work best. I take Cymbalta; my sister takes Strattera.

Answer 3

you may have a sensitivity to the medication you are on. I heard of a doctor who did a study of 15 kids with ADHD using some supplements,,,and she really saw a big difference. The kids all did better...some within 2 weeks and others it took up to 16 weeks to notice they felt better.I'm not sure if this is something that would interest you,

Answer 4

I cannot honestly diagonse you as I'm not qualified but you seem very sensitive. I can only say meds are not good for ADD & donot really help. Please read this book, it might help. it's from avery respected, well known author & I'd recommend her other books also.
with luv

Answer 5

There is no telling,.. doctors are not so great,.. it's hard to find the exact type of doctor you need.

I need to warn you those meds only do damage to you. They destroy certain parts of your brain and certain minor things like glands that no normal person knows the name to or anything about,.. later on they are VERY important to get the correct responce to things... like a reaction that will NOT allow you to kill yourself. They also stunt and misdevelope things.

Get off the meds,.. it's probably too late,.. but why keep haveing damage done. They can take over 2 years to work out of your system and when you have side effects doctors will claim it's the normal you and shove more meds into you,.. it's not,.. it some times even takes 2 years for certain side effects to start up.

It sounds like either the meds point or it's side effect is makeing you hyper focus on things. Hyper focusing makes alot of your senses drift off and your left with one over domenateing. Hyper focusing can also disconnect you from the reality around you as others preceive it. If you are normally more sensitive then normal people check around if any places have testing that is the entire human range,.. I turned out to be off the charts until I had hearing damage in one ear and I could control my eyes so I can zoom in and out more then normal with a proper focus. So if this is normal either your enviornment is off (people around you don't clean their ears and are morons), you may have allergies (they make certain things itch and hurt others don't notice) or you may want to look into Clarvoynce (I can't spell... it just means you can have senses beyond normal human range or additional senses humans do not have). All those words people assosiate with insane people and rip offs are actually used by Psychs... just not normally to their patients (like someone can be Empathic or have Empathy).

Good luck finding a proper diagnoises... and be ready to run into alot of Drug Pushing Doctors or doctors that don't beleve in Learning Disablities... >.< (Avoid the Meds,.. they are a never ending mess,.. you take them now, they destroy your bodies ablity to produce things, you need more in 2 years to help with that,.. those only destroy more things in your body,.. so a couple years later more meds to make up for all that damage,.. it's neverending until you die or find out you DON'T HAVE TO DO what your doctor says..,... it's part of the paper work.)

Added: Given what you just said,.. children that are sexually molested supress memories or whatever but become sensitive to touch. Or even just the thought of being touched. Or.. well... they become distracted and distant or verbal and physical. The distant thing is taken as ADD or some other problem,.. the Physical and Verbal is they may be unaware they do it but they will start haveing fits yelling at someone about a situation that is not as they are saying. I sat next to someone like that on a School Bus because I was in Special Education and I was constantly getting in trouble because she was ranting like I was beating the hell out of her.. while I was just falling into the aisle trying to give her space >.< Knowing some things now she was probably completely unaware and went along with whatever anyone said to just hustle and bustle along through things,.. but she was actually haveing fits as her body was overreactting to things because of abuse that was likely blocked out of her mind or she was in denile about. If I had been next to the window I probably would have slept through it, even when she'd start beating on me because I am like that in cars and on buses.. the poor bus driver found me many times hours after I should have gotten off from me passing out and noone being able to wake me up.

Not like you'd know if you were ever abused since this normally seems to pop up in people that have it supressed or whatever in their head.

Answer 6

well actually you could have autism but it sounds like sensory defensiveness.

Answer 7

no, doesnt sound like autism...you could have a slight case though.

Answer 8

This might be helpful
http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/