A psychiatrist has revealed five secret signs that suggest you might have autism.Dr Sohom Das is a forensic psychiatrist, from London, who also runs a YouTube channel called A Psych for Sore Minds, where he shares content about crime, mental health conditions, and other topics.Describing in the video how he has come across people with autism in the course of his particular career, Dr Das said: ‘I’m an expert witness – I’ve assessed thousands of cases in court in my career. I give evidence in court. I assess people in prisons, usually offenders. ‘I wouldn’t say autism is a very common diagnosis in the people that I see, and in fact, the vast majority of people with autism obviously do not commit violence, but occasionally I come across somebody in my career who already has violent tendencies, like Antisocial Personality Disorder. Having Autism can exacerbate those traits, so it doesn’t cause it, but it kind of exacerbates the underlying propensity towards violence.’ In the video titled 5 SECRET Signs you might have AUTISM – PSYCHIATRIST explains, he first defined the condition, describing it as a disorder related to brain development. He added: ‘What I’m saying is that it’s there since birth. It’s not something that you can catch.’ In his video, Dr Sohom Das (pictured) revealed five subtle signs that you may have autism – and some may seem unexpected According to Dr Das, the symptoms of autism can ‘broadly be categorised in to three areas, which are social interactions and communication, inflexible or repetitive thoughts or patterns or behaviour and hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation’. Describing how this theory can be applied practical, he gave examples from each of the three categories. He said: ‘ Category one for autism in adults is social interactions and communications. So that could be difficulty making conversation. It could be difficulty maintaining close friendships, discomfort making eye contact during conversations. ‘It could be struggles in understanding sarcasm here whatever or idioms, and it can be trouble understanding facial expressions and body language. And on top of all that, there can be some problems in reading the emotions of other people. All of this, understandably, can lead to social anxiety.’Moving onto the second category – inflexible or repetitive thoughts or patterns or behaviours – he said: ‘These individuals can have repetitive like movements, or that could be routines or interests, or they might say the same thing again and again without any discernible reason. ‘But specifically, they might have issues with dealing with changes, and they might need to arrange things in specific order. They might have limited, restricted range of interests so only a few activities that they do those things intensely, and they might have a preference for solitary activities.’The third category of autism in adults, sensory processing, could manifest, for example, as ‘a hyper sensitivity to sensory stimulation, such as sounds or smells that don’t seem to bother other people, or bright lights’. Dr Das also noted that: Autistic people can excel in certain areas, certain subjects, so typically things like maths, art, science or music. And they can be very strong auditory or visual learners, and they might be able to learn and remember things in great detail and hold on to information for a very long period of time.’He then moved onto five secret signs you may have autism.  Dr Sohom Das (pictured) is a forensic psychiatrist and content creator, with a YouTube channel called A Psych for Sore Minds, based in London1. ‘The smell of a croissant is intoxicating’Explaining this point, Dr Das said: ‘Obviously, I’m talking about sensory sensitivities. So people with autism often have usually heightened, occasionally diminished senses, which can lead to sensory overload and it can lead to avoidance. ‘So this can manifest insensitivities – to not just sounds, but also even textures and smells. So basically, it’s almost like you’re a human mood ring. ‘So here’s an example. You and your friend, you go into a cafe, and you both get a double mocha cappuccino and you both get a croissant each, and you both enjoy it. But your friend, she’s she’s taking some huge bites like a slob. ‘She’s speaking with a mouthful. Bits of crumbs are flying out everywhere, and she’s just droning on […] She’s spitting crumbs all over the table, and it’s sacrilegious, and it’s kind of ruining your vibe, because from your experience, the smell, the textures that, that flakiness in your mouth […] are all amazing to you, and you want to savour it.’He continued to explain that the reason you could be feeling this way is because of ‘your heightened sensitivities to sounds and in this case, the textures, the taste, the smells’.2. ‘You get really upset when you have to take a new route to work’According to the expert, this deep sense of upset could be down to the ‘disruption in your deep, loved routine’.He explained: ‘So you’ve got a strict schedule for everything. Everything’s got a time and a place. From your morning routine to your snacking habits.’ Dr Das added that any deviation from this could be unsettling. ‘Although most people are used to, and might even enjoy their routine,’ he said, ‘autistic individuals thrive on predictability and routine. So changes in their daily schedule are not just slightly mildly annoying, they can actually be overwhelming and they can be quite distressing.’3. ‘Only a couple of your friends get your jokes’ According to Dr Das, by this, he means that ‘your jokes are so inside that only a couple of your friends get them’. He added: ‘But that’s okay, because you find them hilarious. Maybe you don’t even care what other people think […] autistic individuals may have a unique sense of humour, or they might struggle to understand other people’s humour, especially if it relies on social cues or implied meanings. 4. ‘You have a deep connection with animals’Speaking in the video, Dr Das said: ‘The number four, hidden, subtle sign that you might actually have autism, is that […] you have a deep connection with animals.’Your comprehension of empathy is different from other people. So you believe that animals understand you on a level that humans never will. They’re not just your pet. They’re your silent confidants, and they’re your furry best friends.’He added: ‘So whilst autistic individuals can definitely experience empathy, they might experience it in a different manner, and they might struggle to understand the emotions of other people. ‘ Do you feel uncomfortable around large crowds, loud noises, and people brushing into you? That could be a secret sign you are autistic, according to the expert (stock image)5. ‘You’re secretly hoping that you don’t get into the club’ ‘The number five, secret sign that you might have autism is that you’re actually secretly hoping that you don’t get into the club,’ said Dr Das.’So you were having a great time in that old man pub […] around the corner. The jukebox was broken. It was half empty. It was perfect for you. Toilets did smell a little bit, but there was a lot of space and there was lots of free seating.’He continued: ‘So basically, what I’m saying is you’re a fan of the quiet life. Loud noises, crowds around you, people brushing into you, spilling your drinks – that’s your kryptonite. ‘You prefer the peace and quiet of your own company, or maybe just one or two friends. Autistic individuals might prefer solitude or small social groups, due to this sensory sensitivities, and separately, also due to difficulties with social interactions.’