This article reflects that community language preference.
This article covers why autism may be misdiagnosed and what those misdiagnoses might be.
If you have concerns about a diagnosis you have been given, talk to your provider.
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This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
Bias, misunderstanding of neurodivergence, andmaskingcan cause evaluators to misdiagnose autistic individuals.
In addition, many autistic individuals have an additional mental health diagnosis.
As such, they are sometimes misdiagnosed.
Might struggle to pick up on social cues (unless these interactions are a special interest).
May struggle with word finding and verbal communication.
Individuals mayhyper-focus, but prefer tasks that do not require sustained focus.
May have difficulty with filtering what thoughts they want to share.
They might interrupt frequently or impulsively enter conversations.
Thrive with a consistent routine but may struggle to follow a routine due todisorganization.
However, sometimes neurodivergence is misdiagnosed as a personality disorder, and this is especially common for women.
Individuals with OCD can experience obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Some autistic individuals also have OCD.
In addition, rituals and routines can look compulsive.
If the routines do not develop in an effort to reduce anxiety, they are not compulsions.
In addition, psychosis is often identified usingpersonality teststhat ask specific questions about perception and reality.
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