Self-Assessment Tools

I find social situations exhausting and need significant alone time to recover.

I have intense, specific interests that I immerse myself in for hours.

I'm sensitive to sensory input - lights, sounds, textures, or smells can feel overwhelming.

I struggle with changes to my routine or unexpected plans.

I notice patterns, details, or systems that others seem to miss.

I find myself masking - copying others' expressions, forcing eye contact, or hiding stims.

I have repetitive movements or behaviours (stimming) that help me regulate - like hand-flapping, rocking, pacing, or spinning.

I take things literally and sometimes miss sarcasm, jokes, or implied meaning.

Eye contact feels intense, distracting, or uncomfortable - I have to force it or avoid it.

I experience meltdowns or shutdowns when overwhelmed - I may withdraw completely or lose control of my emotions.

I prefer to do things the same way every time and feel distressed when my routines are disrupted.

I often feel like I'm "performing" being normal - my social interactions feel scripted or rehearsed.

I struggle to start tasks, even ones I want to do (executive dysfunction).

I lose track of time frequently or have "time blindness."

My mind races with multiple thoughts at once, making it hard to focus on one thing.

I interrupt people or blurt things out without meaning to.

I rely on adrenaline, deadlines, or urgency to get things done.

I feel restless - fidgeting, tapping, or needing to move even when I should sit still.

I have poor working memory - I forget what I was doing, lose items constantly, or walk into a room and forget why.

Small rejections or criticisms feel devastating to me (rejection sensitivity).

I hyperfocus on things I'm interested in, to the point of forgetting to eat, sleep, or take care of myself.

I struggle with boredom - I need constant stimulation or novelty to stay engaged.

If I can't see something, it essentially ceases to exist for me - out of sight, out of mind.

My sleep is affected by my racing thoughts - I either can't fall asleep or have an irregular sleep schedule.

I crave routine but also get bored by it - I'm torn between structure and novelty.

I can hyperfocus intensely on something but also get distracted by everything around me.

I need alone time to regulate but then feel lonely or understimulated.

My mood and energy levels swing rapidly - I can go from energized to completely drained.

I simultaneously want deep connection and find it overwhelming to maintain.

I experience sensory seeking (craving stimulation) and sensory avoidance at different times.

My need for sameness clashes with my need for novelty - I constantly feel pulled in opposite directions.

I mask both autistic traits and ADHD traits depending on who I'm with - it's exhausting maintaining both.

I experience a unique burnout where I'm both overstimulated and understimulated at the same time.

I can plan things in immense detail but struggle to execute even the simplest step.

Social situations feel both understimulating (I get bored) and overstimulating (too much input) simultaneously.

I cycle through hobbies intensely - each one feels like a special interest, but I abandon them when the novelty fades.