have autism not sure qhat to do about it or who to talk to dad and sister like making life hard for me cos I have trouble understanding

[Dan1995]

how doI get tested for autism and isthere any groups I can attend or join not keen on people love going to heritage railways watching riding behind steam engines qould be nice to meet other people who have the same condition as me help me understand more about it

[NotJim]

Hi Dan1995

Nice to meet you. I also have ASD.

If you're seeking a diagnosis for autism, one of the best things to do is speak to your doctor/GP, and they can help you with the next steps. There is an article about it here:

autism.org.uk/advice-and-gu...

Depending on where you are, your GP might be able to direct you towards some support groups and organisations. There are also independent facebook groups for neurodiverse people, which are often created by and for people on the spectrum as a safe space to talk about their experiences facebook.com/search/top?q=a...

And there's also various websites, like wrongplanet.net/

I know from my own experience it's not always easy when you're wondering if you're autistic, and can be tiring and frustrating when it's hard to understand others. If things stress you out, or it feels all a bit too much, it can help to find a safe place where you can feel ok. It might just be listening to something nice on headphones, having an hour's quiet time out in your room, or wherever you might feel safe, or doing an activity that cheers you up, like something to do with steam trains for example. A diagnosis might help give some answers, and might also raise some new questions, but it's all part of the journey as we grow and understand who we are.

I hope this can help

(I also think steam trains are also marvellous! I don't get to see many where I am, but they are great! Makes you feel like going back in time).

[Dan1995 in reply to NotJim]

thank you will have look in to that off on adventure to derby see if theres any class 37s kicking about this morning not usually what am in to but love the noise 😁😁😁😁 cheers dan 😀😀

[PINKfrog]

NotJim has given you a fantastic answer.

May I suggest also watching Autism from the Inside on YouTube. The guy is autistic himself and gives very clear explanations of different aspects of autism in mostly short bite size videos.

This could also be helpful for your dad and sister to better understand you if they are willing to watch it.