Yep. I have learnt it this summer (I'm over 20) through a guy listing symptoms from DSM-5. All match to some degree. Knowing that earthshatteringly changed totally nothing. I was already well aware of my tendencies way before that, naming them doesn't make them any different. I don't really have any hard to cope with ones too. Well, limited menu is a time bomb, so I can't be sure about this one yet. Generally, not having a hard proof of something as well as for a strategy against it makes me very reluctant to do anything about the problem, this can be a slight issue. At least when it comes to food I recently got a very clear prescription on how to change the diet and what exactly it would prevent (meaning I can verify, since it already happened
and stopped very quickly too). Being a weirdo is pretty easily solved by just finding people who don't mind. Which happens to be a lot of people. Maybe it's the way I talk about it. (As something interesting rather than a depressive outcast. Being a meme works much better than being an unfitting failure.) I also don't remember when holidays are and often forget about things planned earlier than about 3 days before they happen. Or names, names are damn hard to remember. Imagine not being able to name over 3/4 of your class after a year. When every single day they check who's present by going through the list. And having little to no problems from it
People also say I say a lot of random things. You might have noticed by now XD But some symptoms are very useful, for example making theoretical models for everything and looking for patterns. When you dig a lot, you eventually dig something out. Usually at least. Dunno, I'm pretty content with my model of reality so far, most people don't think this deep. Habits are also a huge plus if you have good ones like EDC (things you take with you everyday) or saving up. Ok, those might not be from autism. Anyway, I am me and that's it.
I sometimes without knowing start picking at stuff, like paint or glue,
Yup. Drilling rubbers with a pencil, anyone?
I no longer do that. Mostly because there are no rubbers around anymore
Apparently, one of the symptoms can be questioning social norms a lot. So just from this one I expect statistically more autistic people in our community (less likely to just shut up and comply).