u/vanillapod2013

I’ve been trying to get my head around autism, and I’m finding myself a bit confused by how it’s being described online.
I keep seeing traits presented in a way where both ends of the spectrum seem to point to the same conclusion. For example:
struggling to read social cues → autistic
being very attuned to social dynamics → also autistic (but “internalised”)
Same with things like empathy, sensory awareness, etc. It sometimes feels like both a trait and its opposite are being used as indicators.
I don’t mean this in a dismissive way at all. I’m genuinely trying to understand. I can see how broad and varied autism is, but I’m struggling to see how clinicians distinguish it in a way that doesn’t become circular.
For those of you diagnosed (especially later in life), what made it clearly autism for you rather than just normal variation in personality or sensitivity?
I’d really appreciate hearing how this actually makes sense from the inside, because right now I feel like I’m missing something.