I was diagnosed with #autism during my teenage years. I normally talk about my experiences on Twitter but I never really done a thread on autism experiences. I am in the mood for a thread this evening. Please share this. /1

I was diagnosed with #autism at 13 but I have been autistic since birth but I have been hiding my autism traits for years. /2

I have been diagnosed with autism after having #mentalhealth problems. I felt that I could no longer hide my feelings and traits once things became overwhelming. /3

I have never enjoyed noise in my whole life. Noise makes my head confused. I always prefer quiet environments. /4

I never socialised with people of my own age. I always prefer the company of adults. /5

I always find it difficult to understand and follow complex instructions. I prefer things to be simple, clear and concise. /6

I always preferred to eat on my own at school. Dinner halls are too noisy and overwhelming. /7

I always like to engage in my special interests. I can only talk about my special interests; nothing else. /8

As an autistic person, I am very competitive and I become upset when I lose. /9

I am normally quiet and obedient but it can sometimes be painful to be obedient. /10

I like Twitter because I can express my feelings and it is easier to chat online where it doesn't involve any vocal interaction. I find phone calls overwhelming. /11

I am quite specific with routine and structure. I prefer to have a routine and structure and it has to work for me. /12

I prefer to have more thinking time when being asked a question. It takes time for me to process information. /13

People normally tell me that I speak loudly. It is hard to understand vocal modulation. /14

I struggle to understand jokes and sarcasm. I also dislike jokes and sarcasm. It is just so confusing. /15

I need instructions repeated because it takes me time to process information. /16

I find crowds so overwhelming. Crowds are so loud and are too closely-packed. I dislike crowds. /17

I prefer things being consistent. I dislike change. /18

I am quite sensitive to bright lights. I dislike bright lights. /19

When communicating in real life, I find it easier to communicate with autistic people. I also can communicate with some non-autistic adults if I know them very well. On Twitter, I can communicate with autistic and non-autistic people. It is easier to communicate online. /20

I can only understand and interpret the literal meaning of anything that is being said to me. I can't understand any hidden meanings. /21

I find it easier to understand things when they are visual rather than when things are written. /22

I find it difficult to understand the feelings of other people. /23

It is hard to make friendships in real life. I don't have any friends in real life. /24

It is easy to become obsessed with the things I like and the things I enjoy. /25

I perceive the world in a different way to other people. /26

Being diagnosed with #autism helps me to understand why I experience all the difficulties I have mentioned in this thread. /27

Being autistic means that I can get the help I deserve for my autism. /28

On public transport (buses and trains), I prefer to either sit on my own or next to my parents. It feel uncomfortable to sit next to a person I don't know on public transport. /29

I get extra time in exams and other things that I do. My thinking process is slow; I prefer to take my time in things that I do. I don't like to rush. /30