Signs of Autism in Adults

The signs of autism are numerous and sometimes difficult to detect. They do not only affect children and are often difficult to recognize in adults. We have prepared some tips to help you recognize the signs of autism in adults.

The different signs we have highlighted can be a warning, but do not mean that the person is autistic. A diagnosis by a health professional is necessary.

Signs that are often difficult to identify

Autism is sometimes difficult to identify in adults because the symptoms are easily hidden. Indeed, they are often associated with shyness or a certain reserve.

Adults with autism will often have difficulty adapting to change. In addition, the lack of listening skills will often complicate relationships with other people.
It is not easy to identify the disorder when the manifestations are mild. We advise you to be attentive to the people around you to be able to discern the symptoms as soon as possible.

Listening to others is the first thing to do. An adult with autism has difficulties, even though these difficulties may manifest themselves in a very slight and almost imperceptible way. Even so, the difficulties exist so the person may be frustrated and feel out of place with those around them.

Signs of Autism in Adults

The signs of autism in adults can be varied, and can manifest themselves in relationships, in the sensitivity of the person or in communication.

At the level of relationships, we can see a low interest in others, the person with autism tends to isolate himself. In general, we can say that there are difficulties in maintaining social relationships. Indeed, this sign will often be linked to a lack of empathy and certain difficulties in understanding the behaviors and intentions of the people around them. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to relationships in order to detect the first sign of autism.

The signs in adults with autism can be varied, and can manifest themselves in relationships, in the sensitivity of the person or in communication. 

At the level of relationships, we can see a low interest in others, the person with autism tends to isolate himself. In general, we can say that there are difficulties in maintaining social relationships. Indeed, this sign will often be linked to a lack of empathy and certain difficulties in understanding the behaviors and intentions of the people around them. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to relationships in order to detect the first sign of autism.

The sensitivity of the person with autism is often altered, so there may be hypersensitivity or oversensitivity. Respectively, external stimuli are considered too intrusive (sensory overload) or not strong enough and therefore not relevant (no attention to the stimulus). 

This difficulty in perceiving stimuli in a balanced way can lead to sleep disorders or anxiety. 

This is why adults with autism tend to have routines. Routines allow them to have control over the environment and limit external variables. For people with autism, any unexpected events or changes are more difficult to manage.

Another important aspect is communication. People with autism tend to have special interests in certain subjects sometimes making them experts in this domain. During discussions they will only talk about their interest, without allowing others the time to talk.

In addition, for people with autism social communication is very difficult to understand. They can’t understand irony or double meanings of words or phrases.

These different disorders will not always be easy to identify in adults because they will manifest themselves in a very slight way. It is important to pay attention to the different signs. This will allow the person to benefit from an adapted treatment and a follow-up.

Also, if the symptoms are mild, the person will need support to learn how to manage their difficulties and find strategies to better live their daily life.

An autistic child becoming an adult

So far we have analyzed the problems of an adult with autism who has never been diagnosed. We must not forget that there are also children with autism, who can be diagnosed and therefore render the transition from child to adult easier.

In this case, the situation may vary depending on the person and the severity of the symptoms.

During childhood, the child has probably been followed by health professionals or has undergone therapies. This will have helped him/her improve his/her skills, but he/she will probably have difficulties in adulthood. These difficulties can be more or less severe depending on the person.

For this reason, it is important to help the person with autism also in adulthood.

Solutions

There are several possible solutions for adults with autism. In some situations people only need support to find strategies to integrate into their daily life.

Sometimes they need a major help to succeed in being part of the community.
In France there are several associations that can accompany adults with autism. The objective of these associations is to offer support in the insertion in the social and lavorative life, but also to give tools that can be used by the persons directly.

In the presented tools we can also find applications on tablet or phone. These applications can be used when the symptoms are mild but also severe.

SCARLETT and CLINT, useful apps to work on cognitive functions

The SCARLETT and CLINT apps can help people with autistic disorders. These apps offer more than 30 games to work on cognitive functions. The multiplicity of games allows each person to find an activity that corresponds to them and to work on specific functions.

CLINT is a more difficult version with timers and scores in the games.

SCARLETT does not put the players in failure, it proposes new games to keep training the brain while having fun. You can play in pairs to create a bond and progress together.

SCARLETT was voted Best Game app in 2019, with a special mention.

Both apps offer 3 levels of difficulty so they can be adapted according to one’s skills.

The CLINT app is suitable for people with milder disorders, while SCARLETT app is more suitable when symptoms are more severe.

SCARLETT

A version for autistic seniors and adults, with severe disorders