Why understanding autistic anxiety is critical to understanding autism

There isn't a single autistic trait I have that doesn't trigger anxiety when the associated need isn't met.

- Sensory overstimulation... anxiety

- Social confusion... anxiety 

- Routine disruption... anxiety 

- Being misinterpreted... anxiety 

- Safe foods/products not available... anxiety 

- Inability to talk about topics of deep interest... anxiety

- Social conflict/confrontation... anxiety

- Inability to access self-soothing stims... anxiety

And fun fact... this type of anxiety is often (if not always) missed entirely or misdiagnosed as something unrelated to autism because it's not currently identified in the DSM and clinicians are therefore unaware that it exists.

Hence why I keep talking about it...

And why I am paying CLOSE attention to the research being conducted on what the researchers are calling "autism distinct anxiety."