The Toothbrush Test

For six months after we realized I was autistic, I still wasn’t sure.

I argued with myself about it.

I kept wondering if I was just good at reading about things and seeing myself in them. If I was pattern-matching my way into an identity. If I was so desperate for understanding that I was convincing myself instead of discovering something true.

Then I found out about the toothbrush test.

It’s a question used in autism assessments. Not a personality quiz, not a trend. It’s designed to show how you think, not what you do.

The question is simple:

How do you brush your teeth?

Yep. That’s basically it. And here’s where it gets interesting.

When neurotypical people answer this question, they tend to act it out.

They mime brushing their teeth. Side to side. Top, bottom. Maybe they laugh. Maybe they shrug. The point is, they demonstrate the task.

They show you the behavior.

When I answered, I didn’t pantomime anything.

I explained it.

I broke it down. I talked through order, coverage, sequence, and completion. I clarified what type of toothbrush I typically use. I made sure I understood the parameters of the question before answering it.

Not because I was confused, but because my brain was saying, I need to show you that I understand the system you’re asking about.

That was the moment everything clicked.

Because I wasn’t responding like someone recalling a habit.

I was responding like someone explaining a process.

I wasn’t showing what I do.

I was explaining how I think.

That’s the part you can’t fake.

You can copy behaviors once you’ve read about autism. You can second-guess traits. You can convince yourself you’re seeing patterns that aren’t there.

But you can’t fake the instinct to clarify, structure, and systematize a question that most people answer with a shrug and a hand motion.

That’s when I realized this test wasn’t about toothbrushes at all.

It was about cognition.

Neurotypical brains often default to demonstration.

Autistic brains often default to explanation.

My mind wasn’t reaching for performance. It was reaching for comprehension. For accuracy. For shared understanding.

And once I noticed that, I saw it everywhere.

The way I explain things like I’m giving a TED Talk.

The way interruptions feel like a bomb has gone off and I’m completely lost.

The way my brain constantly checks whether I heard or understood you before I can even consider an answer.

This is why “everyone does that” misses the point.

Yes, everyone brushes their teeth.

Not everyone explains tasks like they’re teaching a masterclass.

Not everyone needs to prove understanding before proceeding.

The toothbrush test didn’t diagnose me on its own. That’s not how diagnosis works.

But it did end the argument in my head.

Because this wasn’t something I had learned or copied. It was an instinctive response. A cognitive reflex. Something I didn’t choose and couldn’t turn off.

That was my proof.

From that moment on, the question changed.

It stopped being, “Am I really autistic?”

And became, “Given that this is how my brain works, what do I need to function better?”

That shift changed everything.

If this resonates, you’re not alone. I’m writing about these moments, the small tests that quietly explain an entire lifetime.

You can follow me here on Vocal if you want to keep reading. I’m still figuring it out, but I’m no longer doubting what kind of brain I have.