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Help and advice for sub threshold diagnosis

Elliott

Hi, 

I'd appreciate any help/advice. I'm 34 and I've just had my feedback and I was told that although I have a lot of autistic traits (I won't list them) that it isn't enough to hit the threshold to give a medical diagnosis. 

This has left me with all sorts of questions and not really any answers as to why I am like how I am. I'm still struggling with the same things but now I can't get any support. 

What I am also finding difficult is understanding my identity now, as I can't say I am neurodiverse, or autistic can I? Because the doctors say I don't meet the threshold, despite having a lot of traits relating to social aspects, restrictive behaviours, special interests .. etc 

I've researched mild autistic traits, and I believe that I do struggle with a lot of these, but I have adapted coping  strategies to compensate for a lot, but most of these involve not being around people anymore!

I guess my question is.. how can I say I am neurodiverse, if there isn't a diagnosis? Do I have the right to call myself neurodiverse? 

Parents Reply
  • in reply to Elliott

    Post-diagnosis support is pretty much non-existent.   Smiley

    The friends thing is extremely common - and I'll give my standard answer - look to your childhood.      All the things you loved as a child are where you find relaxation and comfort - so logically, all the people doing the grown-up version will be people just like you.       They will be on your wavelength from the start so you already fit in.      Those people have friends and family so you are actually joining a bigger group than you think.       I'm into Lego and models of all sorts.      What are you into?

Children
  • in reply to Plastic

    I have been doing a lot of.geocaching to make up for.it but it still doesn't  compare! Maybe I'll feel better once I can get back to training properly 

  • in reply to Elliott

    Yeah - lockdown stopped everything.     I would suggest looking for more of your old hobbies so you have different things to talk about - also, life experience gives you more things to chat about.     If your friends are into the same things as you, they will be as chatty as you.

  • in reply to Plastic

    as a child I collected Beanie babies, i didnt play with them though i just put them in lines/orders and if any one touched them I would be livid! 


    Now I play roller derby and I pretty much just talk about it non-stop whether people want to listen or not.. i stop myself because I know other people find it very boring.  there is a big community of diverse people, but since lockdown everything stopped and I lost pretty much my whole life and got very depressed as I couldnt go to training or games etc anymore.