Autistic or emotionally immature, struggle with my conscience

Whether it is due to my autism or not I am definitely immature in every sense of the word. I am just a very old child. When the assessor asked me if I already identified as an autistic woman, I actually struggled with the word woman more than the word autistic. It sounds so grown up to me and I'm so not ready to be a proper adult. I am definitely emotionally immature and have always been referred to as highly strung. I struggle to let go of things.

I diagnosis for you definitely would not be an excuse for not making an effort with people. It is a reason that you have found things like that difficult. Autism is a part of people - it does not define them. It isn't something that others should judge you on and certainly shouldn't be seen as an excuse. Part of what my assessor said to me was I need to start accepting me for me and not dwelling on the comments that have been made in the past such as weird, annoying etc.

I had that woman thing too during the interview, although in my case I said I didn't identify myself as being a woman. She asked whether I saw myself as a man. But that is also not the case, nor do I want to be a man.

I do think there is a word lacking between 'girl' and 'woman'. Although at 44 I should see myself as a woman I guess ️

I had that woman thing too during the interview, although in my case I said I didn't identify myself as being a woman. She asked whether I saw myself as a man. But that is also not the case, nor do I want to be a man.

I do think there is a word lacking between 'girl' and 'woman'. Although at 44 I should see myself as a woman I guess ️

I’m almost the same age. Shakespeare’s ages of man has been given a reboot in a female context but unfortunately from an achievement mile stone point of view rather than developmentally ... oh, and it’s very NT.

“In the interests of parity, and with profound apologies to William Shakespeare, here’s my take on the seven ages of women, 21 st century:

1. Okay, mewling and puking still, but anyone who has ever really looked at a baby can tell that she (like her infant male counterpart), is also working hard to catalogue and make sense of her surroundings, and is discovering what works to help her get what she wants.

2. Our schoolgirl has a shining morning face, but it’s also a sleepy one, since her school district mandates class attendance by 7:30 a.m. Her backpack includes her clothes for after-school gymnastics, followed by music for piano lesson, and 2 nd grade homework that takes over an hour to complete.

3. Act three finds our girl dealing with pimples; sanitary pads; instant messages; what to do about her hair, and taking SAT prep classes for three long years before the actual event. Sighing and singing, however, are still de rigeur.

4. Dressed for success, she hunts for that first job. Over and over, she hears: “You’re over-educated and under-experienced. Come back when you’ve built a good resumé.” Job as intern (unpaid), or trainee, or assistant to assistant finally obtained, she works three times as hard as everyone around her, with good effect. That’s when suspicions that “biology is destiny” begin to knock at the back door of her brain.

5. She interrupts her career in order to bear children, and then re-starts it (with difficulty) to save for their college tuitions. Or, if motherhood was not her choice, she worries that her career may be threatened by cute young things who are willing to work for almost nothing (as she once did). Success in her career has taught her a great deal, however, and she finds herself serving as mentor to younger workers, which, it turns out, is a great way to keep an eye on their ambitions.

6. She deals with the empty nest syndrome, although it seems unfair that it often strikes in conjunction with menopause. She is given to sudden tears, angers, and hot flashes. She throws out her birth control gear with a smile on her face. She ups the schedule of appointments with her hair colorist. She considers the merits of Lasik versus reading glasses. She deals with the death of loved ones, and begins to think of retirement and possibly relocation. She welcomes grandchildren or great nieces and nephews with a grateful heart. She weighs the expense and discomfort of plastic surgery against saying “what the hell,” and decides to embrace looking like her grandmother (whom she loved and thought beautiful).

7. She once hoped never to reach the age where it all falls apart, but now that she’s there, she fights like the devil to transcend it. She may be sans eyes, sans ears, and worst of all, sans car, but her sense of humor is as lively as ever. She seeks pleasure in the attentions of her family. Her sense of smell and taste and touch remain, and she is fond of stroking smooth objects (an old comforter; the bowl of a sterling silver spoon; the cat). She sniffs appreciatively at the smell of supper in the oven, although she will eat almost none of it, and the crumbs of that none will be spilled all over her. She savors her breakfast toast and bacon, something her figure-conscious younger self never allowed her to eat. And almost the last thing she says to her daughter is: “Inside, I still feel like me.”

   http://www.seniorwomen.com/articles/julia/articlesJulia031905.html

Samantha Craft pens it from an autistic point of view as the 12 stages of realisation:

“What can a late-age diagnosis offer? I can only speak of my own autistic journey, as one neurodivergent on her path of truth. In totality, if given time, I imagine my testimony would be pages thick. Yet overall, there is an overlying theme, key words that can ultimately wrap up the experience in a tight, bright bow—the color of your choice. My top twelve glad tidings, in ascending order, would include:

12. Hope
11. Connection
10. Relief
9. Understanding
8. Realization
7. Truth
6. Healing
5. Love
4. Self-Care
3. Processing
2. Recognition
1. Peace”

You still count as a girl then

I agree there should be a middle word. I'm not yet 30 so have slightly more excuse than you. Haha. I can't see my thoughts on that changing though.