Extremely strong or inhibited emotions Feeling different from everyone else, though perhaps not knowing why Difficulty forming and maintaining relationships Social difficulties Enjoyment of being alone Hyperactivity or passivity Startling easily Repetitive movements Sleep issues Perfectionism and need for control Stress-related troubles Avoidance of eye contact
Abuse or neglect (including emotional neglect) Name-calling, ignoring, or frequent criticism from mentors or loved ones Bullying victimization Long-term exposure to crisis conditions Discrimination Stalking victimization Gaslighting Other types of mistreatment
A healthy autistic person usually wants to have some friends. Someone with CPTSD may feel safer when they’re alone. An autistic person may struggle to understand what others are thinking. Someone with CPTSD may be overly pessimistic about what others are thinking.
Autistic people usually have Sensory Processing Disorder, which can make their senses over- or under-sensitive. They may avoid things for sensory reasons. People with CPTSD can have emotional flashbacks and trauma triggers. They may avoid things that remind them of their trauma.
People with CPTSD may or may not like routine. If they do, it may help them avoid triggers and hypervigilance. Autistic people rely on routine. Routines make it easier to get things done,[8] X Research source and a change in routine can be startling and distressing to them.
Developmental timeline: Milestones may be met late or out of order. Consider early childhood milestones as well as later ones like riding a bike, swimming, doing laundry, driving, and living independently. Interests: Autistic people usually have one or a few subjects that they’re very passionate about. They love talking about them, and can hyperfocus on them for a long time. They may also feel lots of empathy for animals and objects. Trouble understanding speech: An autistic person may have a hard time understanding verbal speech, especially if the acoustics are different (e. g. in an auditorium, or sound from speakers). They may be confused by figurative language. Differences in speaking: Their speech may be halting, slow, and/or unusual in pitch or tone. They may lose the ability to speak when they are too stressed, or be unable to speak at all. Co-occurring issues: Autistic people are likely to have Sensory Processing Disorder, and often have dyspraxia (which can look like clumsiness). Auditory Processing Disorder is also common.
What’s stressful or scary to a non-autistic person could be traumatic to an autistic person. If the symptoms are real, then the trauma is real, even if other people don’t consider the events “traumatic enough. "
ADHD Social anxiety Schizoid personality disorder Reactive attachment (in children) Attachment disorders Something else
Come prepared. Try writing down a list of symptoms. If you took any online tests, fill out your answers to each question in pencil, and bring it along. Speak up if you’re concerned about misdiagnosis. A specialist is only as good as the information they have. If you think that there’s a piece of the picture that they’re missing, talk about it.
