Your Autism Might Be Misdiagnosed as One of These 6 Disorders

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Autism Can Be MisdiagnosedAnxiety DisordersADHDBPDOCDPTSDPsychotic Disorders

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Why Autism Can Be Misdiagnosed

Anxiety Disorders

ADHD

BPD

OCD

PTSD

Psychotic Disorders

Close

Language note: Although individual preferences exist, surveys of the autistic community consistently show that autistic people prefer identity-first language rather than person-first language (i.e., “autistic person” rather than “person with autism”). This article reflects that community language preference.

Autismis a neurodivergence that manifests as difficulty interpretingneurotypicalsocial cues and rules, strong adherence to routines and rituals, and sensorysensitivity, and it occurs as a result of neurodevelopmental differences.

An autistic person might cope with difficulties associated with their neurodivergence, but they do not “grow out” of being autistic.

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. They can answer your questions about your diagnosis, and they can give referral information for a second opinion if you need one. This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

Bias, misunderstanding of neurodivergence, andmaskingcan cause evaluators to misdiagnose autistic individuals. In addition, much of the existing research on diagnosing autism focuses on presentation seen in white boys, and so other racesand genderssometimes get missed.

Autistic adults who werenot diagnosed in childhoodcan struggle to find a provider who can assess them since many tests for autism are designed for children. In addition, many autistic individuals have an additional mental health diagnosis. As such, they are sometimes misdiagnosed.

Many autistic individuals also meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder.However, prior to being identified as autistic, many are told that they haveanxietyrather than autism.

A strong need for routine, difficulty with abrupt or unanticipated transition, and sensory meltdowns can look like an anxiety disorder. In addition, if an autistic person has experienced backlash due to difficulty interpreting social cues, they might becomehighly anxious in social settings.

If someone has been diagnosed withsocial anxiety disorderand notices that their anxiety stems from unpredictable conversations or difficulty picking up body language and voice tone, the anxiety might be secondary to autism.

Similarly, if someone is diagnosed withgeneralized anxiety disorderand finds that their “anxious” behaviors do not accompany nervous behaviors, it is possible that they have been misdiagnosed.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Approximately half ofautistic individuals also have ADHD,so it is very common for someone to meet the criteria for both diagnoses. If someone has been diagnosed with ADHD but feels like the diagnosis does not fully describe all of their symptoms, they might benefit from an additional assessment that can test for autism.

There is overlap between the diagnostic criteria for these two disorders, with both autistic people and those withADHDdisplaying issues with attention, communication, and routines.The differences in presentation are detailed below:

AutismHave difficulty focusing on non-preferred activities but hyper-focus on activities of interest.Might struggle to pick up on social cues (unless these interactions are a special interest). May struggle with word finding and verbal communication.May craft specific routines that might be difficult for others to follow, and they might experience anxiety or distress if the routine changes.ADHDIndividuals 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.

AutismHave difficulty focusing on non-preferred activities but hyper-focus on activities of interest.Might struggle to pick up on social cues (unless these interactions are a special interest). May struggle with word finding and verbal communication.May craft specific routines that might be difficult for others to follow, and they might experience anxiety or distress if the routine changes.

Have difficulty focusing on non-preferred activities but hyper-focus on activities of interest.

Might struggle to pick up on social cues (unless these interactions are a special interest). May struggle with word finding and verbal communication.

May craft specific routines that might be difficult for others to follow, and they might experience anxiety or distress if the routine changes.

ADHDIndividuals 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.

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.

Borderline Personality Disorder

As with the other diagnoses discussed in this article, it is possible for an autistic person to also have a personality disorder. However, sometimes neurodivergence is misdiagnosed as a personality disorder, and this is especially common for women.

The following symptoms are sometimes attributed to BPD rather than autism:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Some autistic individuals also have OCD. However, sometimes stimming behavior is mislabeled as compulsions, as repetitive language or movement can look like compulsive behavior.

In addition, rituals and routines can look compulsive. If the routines do not develop in an effort to reduce anxiety, they are not compulsions.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Existing as some who is neurodivergent in a world created for neurotypical people is incredibly stressful, especially for those who are undiagnosed.

Masking, or trying to behave in a neurotypical way when this does not come naturally, causes a lot of stress.In addition, autistic individuals are at higher risk for bullying, abuse, and exploitation than neurotypicals.

Because of this, a high percentage of autistic people have a history of trauma.There is an overlap between autistic presentation and trauma symptoms, which may be due in part to the high number of autistic people who also have a trauma history.

This can lead to autistic people being diagnosed withpost-traumatic stress disorderand their behaviors might be attributed to trauma rather than to neurodivergent traits.

In the 1940s, autism was considered a type ofschizophreniathat began in childhood and manifested as difficulty staying in touch with reality.

As with the other diagnoses described in this article, autism and psychotic disorders have symptom overlap, including difficulty communicating effectively andsocial detachment or withdrawal.

In addition, psychosis is often identified usingpersonality teststhat ask specific questions about perception and reality.

For example, a question asking whether you hear things that others do not hear is intended to screen for hallucinations, but an autistic reader might endorse this because they heard someone speaking when other people were not listening.

A Word From Verywell

Understanding Autism and Bipolar Disorder

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hull L, Petrides KV, Mandy W.The female autism phenotype and camouflaging: a narrative review.Rev J Autism Dev Disord. 2020;7(4):306-317.

Zaboski BA, Storch EA.Comorbid autism spectrum disorder and anxiety disorders: a brief review.Future Neurology. 2018;13(1):31-37.

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Gesi C, Migliarese G, Torriero S, et al.Gender differences in misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis among adults with autism spectrum disorder with no language or intellectual disability.Brain Sciences. 2021;11(7):912.

Miller D, Rees J, Pearson A.“Masking is life”: experiences of masking in autistic and nonautistic adults.Autism in Adulthood. 2021;3(4):330-338.

Ratanatharathorn A, Koenen KC, Chibnik LB, Weisskopf MG, Rich-Edwards JW, Roberts AL.Polygenic risk for autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and neuroticism is associated with the experience of childhood abuse.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(5):1696-1705.

Eisenberg L, Kanner L. Childhood schizophrenia: Symposium, 1955: 6.Early infantile autism, 1943–55.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 1956;26(3):556-566.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?