Signs of autism in adults

If you are an autistic adult, signs may be similar to the signs of autism in children.

You may have learned to adapt so that signs of autism are not always noticeable.

This is called masking and can make everyday activities and social interactions feel exhausting and stressful. 

You may:

find it hard to talk to other people
spend more time alone than with other people
find it hard to understand people’s facial expressions, gestures or tone of voice
take things literally and find it hard to understand phrases such as "it's a piece of cake" (meaning "it’s easy")
have fixed ways of doing things
get distressed when there are changes to your routine
do repetitive movements (stimming), such as rocking, flapping your hands or flicking your fingers
be very focussed on specialist interests
be very sensitive, or not sensitive at all, to light, sounds, smells, tastes or textures (sensory differences)

If you're autistic you may also have:

It may be difficult to see signs of autism if an adult has other conditions, such as a learning disability, anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, or ADHD.

It can be harder to see signs of autism in women due to masking (not showing the signs). If you’re an autistic woman you may be more likely to:

copy how other people behave
appear to cope well with social situations
be very quiet in situations you find difficult and hide your feelings
show fewer signs of repetitive behaviours than autistic men
have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or an eating disorder

Although autistic women may be more likely to mask, autistic men can also mask autistic behaviours.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

They may refer you for an autism assessment and let you know what support is available in your local area.

There may also be support available while you're waiting for your assessment.