Autistic aging

I’ve seen a few posts recently about differences between older and younger autistic people and their attitudes, and I remember at least one thread about whether or not we look younger than neurotypicals.

I’m curious to know whether the “older” among you actually feel your age.

I know I look much younger than my age and I’m in great physical health but I also feel psychologically much younger than my true age. Perhaps because I feel I’m still learning social rules everyone else mastered by the age of 20? Or because I never got to be a parent, which must be one of the life experiences that truly signals to people that they are no longer the younger generation?

My dad felt very much that the world had changed and left him behind and so he had nothing in common with the young, but I never really felt I had anything in common with other people even why I was chronologically young myself so I don’t feel any more alienated now that I’m older.

Parents
  • Approaching 40 in a few weeks time and still get mistaken for a 20 year old. Also asking me are you at school, college or university? I show them the upcoming meetings in a group belong to. Some people understand.

    Think age is creeping up and it's just a number. In my town news spreads quickly.

Reply
  • Approaching 40 in a few weeks time and still get mistaken for a 20 year old. Also asking me are you at school, college or university? I show them the upcoming meetings in a group belong to. Some people understand.

    Think age is creeping up and it's just a number. In my town news spreads quickly.

Children
No Data