His latest remarks therefore suggest that something has changed since 2025. What remains unclear is whether “a bit of autism” refers to the result of a full adult assessment or is Williams’s shorthand for recognising certain traits. Neither the singer nor his representatives had issued further clarification by August 14, 2026. His official schedule listed a performance at Poland’s BitterSweet Festival the following day.
Williams has also spoken about living with anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Describing ADHD, he said a person could concentrate “1000%” on one subject while struggling with everything else, before inviting anyone seeking supporting evidence to ask his children.
What are the possible signs of autism in adults?
The National Health Service lists characteristics that may prompt an adult to consider seeking professional advice. They are possible signs, not a nine-point home diagnosis, despite the internet’s enduring preference for turning healthcare into a quiz.
An autistic adult may:
- find conversations or social interaction difficult
- prefer spending more time alone
- struggle to interpret facial expressions, gestures or tone of voice
- understand language literally and have difficulty with figurative expressions
- follow fixed methods or routines
- become distressed when routines change
- make repetitive movements
- focus intensely on particular interests
- be unusually sensitive, or less sensitive, to light, sound, smell, taste or texture
Some people may also have difficulty at school, college or work, or find friendships and relationships harder to maintain. Anxiety, depression, eating disorders and ADHD can overlap with autistic characteristics, which can make recognition and assessment more complicated.
These traits also vary considerably between individuals. Having one or several does not establish that someone is autistic, while lacking an obvious characteristic does not rule it out.
Why can autism look different in women?
Autistic women and girls have historically been more likely to go unrecognised. The NHS says some may copy other people’s behaviour, appear comfortable in social settings or conceal distress when situations become difficult.
They may also be quieter in challenging environments, show fewer visible repetitive behaviours than autistic men or receive treatment for another mental health condition before autism is considered. Anxiety, depression and eating disorders can form part of that more complicated clinical picture.
This process of hiding or compensating for autistic characteristics is often described as masking. It can make someone appear to cope well even when social interaction requires substantial effort. Wider diagnostic criteria, better professional awareness and more screening opportunities have helped more people receive support, including adults whose traits were missed during childhood.
Celebrity disclosures can encourage people to recognise experiences they previously lacked language for. They can also create confusion when informal phrases such as “a bit of autism” are reported as if they came directly from an assessment letter. Autism exists on a spectrum, but that does not mean clinicians diagnose it by small, medium or large portions.
How many autistic adults remain undiagnosed?
Research from King’s College London suggests that underdiagnosis among older adults is extensive. A reanalysis of 2018 United Kingdom health-record data estimated that 89.29 percent of autistic people aged 40 to 59 had not been diagnosed. Among those aged 60 and over, the estimate rose to 96.51 percent.
That finding does not mean 89 percent of everyone over 40 is autistic and undiagnosed. It refers to the estimated proportion of autistic people in those age groups who lacked a recorded diagnosis, an important distinction when statistics begin travelling without supervision.
King’s researchers also found higher rates of numerous physical and mental health conditions among older autistic adults. Dr Gavin Stewart said underdiagnosis meant many adults “will have not been offered the right support.”
Recognition is only the first hurdle. NHS England recorded 270,701 open referrals for suspected autism in March 2026. According to the National Autistic Society, nine in ten had been waiting longer than the recommended 13 weeks. Policy chief Mel Merritt described securing assessments and support as a “constant fight” for autistic people and their families.
The NHS advises adults who believe they may be autistic to contact a general practitioner and discuss a referral. Williams’s comments may prompt more people to do that. The less appealing part is joining a queue already containing more than a quarter of a million cases.
