Could I Really Be Autistic?: Your First Steps to Self-Discovery

by Sarah Hendrickx, Lucie McNeil (Narrator), Jess Hendrickx

Perhaps a child in your family has been diagnosed as autistic, your therapist has suggested it, or people you know have called you 'Rain Man' throughout your life. Whatever the reason, here you are, either seeking to confirm or dispel the idea that you might be autistic.

Written by two experts in autism assessment, this is a pathway for you to explore the likelihood of meeting the diagnostic threshold for autism, while offering advice on possible next steps.

With guidance on ways autism can manifest in day-to-day life, factors that prompt people to wrongly dismiss the label (I'm too old/clever/social/ married!), commonly co-occurring conditions, and alternative explanations for autistic traits - this will help you decide whether a professional assessment is appropriate, and give you the best chance of an accurate outcome should you seek one.
Filling the gap between self-identification and formal diagnosis, this rigorous, accessible guide to diagnosis will give you confidence in taking the next steps on your autism journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Audible Audio

Published October 21, 2025

About the author

Sarah Hendrickx is an autistic author, speaker and freelance writer. She is author of 8 published books on a variety of subjects - autism, cookery and overseas living. Sarah also writes monthly columns on overseas living for Standard Issue magazine and Mediterranean Gardening and Outdoor Living magazines as well as articles for web and print.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

As someone who's on a quest to validate my self-diagnosis of being Autistic and gather more evidence for a possible future professional diagnosis, this book was perfect for what I was looking for. It's easy to access, is written with a variety of examples that aren't the exact same ones you'll find in every other book about Autism, and the questions are extremely helpful.

What I really connected with in this book was the fact that whilst not being explicitly tailored to females/ people who don't identify as male, it heavily focuses on the differences and experiences women might find compared to males. I nodded at so many things that I already suspected and knew, and also found myself raising a brow or two at new things I hadn't heard of or thought about before.

I always find it hard to voice my opinions on non-fiction due to everybody's take on it being different depending on the reasoning for their reading, but I can honestly say that this book truly is worth reading for anyone who's seeking out answers to a possible Autism diagnosis or other factors that may lead them to believe they're atypical.

The book also has sections where you can write down answers, make notes, and do mini questionnaires that you can tally up at the end to see if there's a high chance you could be on the spectrum. I was using my Kindle to read so I couldn't do this, but I did make notes elsewhere.

Regardless of whether you're deep in the trenches of figuring yourself out or whether you've only just began to suspect and research, I highly recommend giving this book a read- it's tremendously useful!

5/5 🌟

[Anni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should you read this book? Sadly, no.

This book reads more like a scientific paper than a self-help book. It describes autism in a general way and does not go into great depth with any of the things described. As such, I didn't find it to be of any help in helping me determine whether I was autistic or not. Only using the descriptions in the book, I would not diagnose myself as autistic, even though I was officially diagnosed with autism while waiting for this book to be available at the library.
The book also did not provide me with any new information on the topic of autism. If you have already taken a deep dive on the internet and read/watched anything you could find about autism, then it's unlikely that this book will provide you with new information.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I read this one after finding myself strongly resonating with Hendrickx’s prior book; Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum.
This is a perfect book for people who are questioning their neurodiversity later in life. I found it accessible and not overly medical, even a bit humorous at times. It felt personal and comfortable, as if Sarah herself were sitting with me and sharing exactly what I needed to know about moving from a suspicion of autism, to being confident in a self-diagnoses of autism (and ADHD); which for me has been a huge relief. I finally have the explanation to the things I’ve always struggled with.
Thank you Sarah & Jess!!

[Carly Waldman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me, as it is more on the technical side. The diagnostic criteria is also made in the UK and the rest of Europe, with not much though given to North America or other countries. Maybe there was some more personal aspects but I was only able to get through about 20% of the book. Once again thank you to Net Galley for providing me with the E-ARC.

[Cindy]

to 43 minutes

[Mauzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and informative. Easy to read. Rach chapter ended with questions to answer to help those in the process of seeking an official diagnosis.