About Autism All About Autism Signs of Autism in Adults Although every individual on the autism spectrum has different needs and displays different symptoms, there are signs that you can look out for if you think that you or someone you know might have autism. There are many adults on the autism spectrum who have gone through life without a diagnosis and have found their symptoms manageable but as they come into adulthood and have more responsibilities, they find it harder to cope. Difficulties with social interaction or social imagination (difficulty understanding other people’s reactions and intentions and imagining situations outside of their own routine) can cause difficulties maintaining friendships or a romantic relationship. Having difficulties understanding other people’s emotions and not recognising when someone is upset can result in inadvertently hurting someone’s feelings. Also, if you have trouble recognising sarcasm or a jokey tone of voice, you might become angry or upset with someone who wasn’t trying to provoke you. You can find more information on this on our Partners page. In an employment setting you may find that: You struggle to follow instructions You like to do things your own way and you become upset if a senior member of staff tries to tell you to do it differently You become overwhelmed if you asked to do too many things at once You struggle to work in bright, busy environments such as supermarkets You enjoy and excel at jobs that require routine, logic and a high level of detail such as IT, coding, quality control etc. Other signs of autism to look out for might include Sensory issues A feeling of displacement or not fitting in A dependence on routine A lack of interest or feeling anxious in social situations Uncomfortable making eye contact or maintaining physical contact Intense interest in specific subjects For information about getting a diagnosis, click here. Manage Cookie Preferences