Did you receive a very late autism diagnosis/realisation?

I think this is a great idea for a thread.

Let me start off. I was diagnosed at 54 after my partners brother who had not long been diagnosed with ADHD suggested that I displayed some traits. I did my research and discovered I related to so much. I went to my GP got put on the NHS waiting list. I was told it could be as much as 2-4 years wait. I went private (lucky I could afford it) as I was having issues at work being blamed for so many things to do with communication.

Pros of diagnosis:

• Explained a lot about me and my life.
• I would be able to ask for reasonable adjustments to help
• I could seek out meaningful support.
• I could get to know the real me, not the me who thought he was broken all his life.
• I understood my drive and focus.
• Managed to get a disabled parking badge

Cons:

• It turned my world upside down.
• Grief overcame me at the missed opportunities in my past.
• Opened old psychological wounds that I thought had healed.
• Not knowing who the real me was and what was masking.
• Discovered that masking has many layers.
• I fear that my diagnosis has ended my career due to bias and discrimination at work. It is very unlikely that I would find another job in my profession due to the niche nature of my profession. I thought that I would be supported at work but this has been used to  manage me out due to my needs meaning that I would need managed in a different way. A way my management thinks will make their jobs a little harder.

I am 50/50 at the moment well maybe 70/30 about the pros outweighing the cons but that would be dependent on winning a potential tribunal case and getting awarded reasonable damages.

I know now about burnout and have been in and out of burnout for most of my working life.

I do agree that there is so many undiagnosed adults out there and there is no real support for us.

I think this is a great idea for a thread.

Let me start off. I was diagnosed at 54 after my partners brother who had not long been diagnosed with ADHD suggested that I displayed some traits. I did my research and discovered I related to so much. I went to my GP got put on the NHS waiting list. I was told it could be as much as 2-4 years wait. I went private (lucky I could afford it) as I was having issues at work being blamed for so many things to do with communication.

Pros of diagnosis:

• Explained a lot about me and my life.
• I would be able to ask for reasonable adjustments to help
• I could seek out meaningful support.
• I could get to know the real me, not the me who thought he was broken all his life.
• I understood my drive and focus.
• Managed to get a disabled parking badge

Cons:

• It turned my world upside down.
• Grief overcame me at the missed opportunities in my past.
• Opened old psychological wounds that I thought had healed.
• Not knowing who the real me was and what was masking.
• Discovered that masking has many layers.
• I fear that my diagnosis has ended my career due to bias and discrimination at work. It is very unlikely that I would find another job in my profession due to the niche nature of my profession. I thought that I would be supported at work but this has been used to  manage me out due to my needs meaning that I would need managed in a different way. A way my management thinks will make their jobs a little harder.

I am 50/50 at the moment well maybe 70/30 about the pros outweighing the cons but that would be dependent on winning a potential tribunal case and getting awarded reasonable damages.

I know now about burnout and have been in and out of burnout for most of my working life.

I do agree that there is so many undiagnosed adults out there and there is no real support for us.

Mr T said:

I fear that my diagnosis has ended my career due to bias and discrimination at work.

I think that, for many working-age folk, this is a massive (and very real/potent) concern.