Newly Assessed - Any advice?

Hello and welcome to the community! 
Congratulations on your diagnosis. It’s a lot to process, especially after waiting so long, but it’s great that you’re doing the right thing by learning more about autism and how your brain works. Being part of this forum and learning from others is definitely a great start!

My advice would be to take your time to process this at your own pace, there’s no rush. It has taken me about a year to start to accept my diagnosis and deal with the imposter syndrome (although it hasn’t completely gone). 

Connecting with others who’ve had similar experiences can be really helpful. I have found watching YouTube videos from autistic people really helpful too. And just be kind to yourself. This diagnosis is just a way to better understand and support yourself moving forward.

You’re definitely not odd, you’re uniquely you, and you’re not alone in this.

I think that the imposter syndrome thing is what prevented me from saying, or even posting here. Like without the 'official' diagnosis I would somehow be watering down the experience of others who were 'properly' autistic or something. I get that it's all still a little new, but I think I've been left trying to take stock of what it means. Am I 'supposed' to be reveiwing past history for all the things I can now identify as having been miscommunications because autistic? Am I 'supposed' to tell everyone? In reality nothing has actually changed I guess. I'm the same person I was before the diagnosis, but I think the what comes next bit is what I can't figure out.

Part of me feels like I need to be patient. Like will the report the psychaitrist write detail areas I can look to improve on. He was pretty categorical that my bluntness and proclivity to cut through the waffle and obfuscations that people put into their daily communications will likely hamper my ability to communicate with others. Do I now seek out ways to better cope with that? It feels a bit like university - I've learnt something, but then there are now so many unknowns out there that I don't know...

Just to say that I heavily relate to your comments about "imposter syndrome" and not wanting to "water down" other people's experiences. That is 100% exactly how I felt over the years before I had a diagnosis. I only opted to go for assessment after a mental health crisis psychiatrist told me he thought I had "significant traits of autism". It was like I'd been given permission to take myself seriously at last.

I'm waiting for my full report and was promised a separate "suggested adjustments" letter for work, which will be interesting. As I'm definitely dealing with a serious burnout situation (both autistic and occupational burnout probably) I'm taking it slowly and attempting to concentrate mainly/solely on my current day-to-day needs. Im trying not to start planning or stressing about the inevitable "return to work" that will have to happen at some point until my every day functioning starts to recover. 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, which may be different to me but will be equally valid 

Thank you 

I'm sure I'll manage the return when it happens. I've been with the same employer c.20 years and have been through similar experiences with them before. I have bipolar as well and that's caused a few ups and downs (joke!)

I look at job descriptions as a company's "wishlist". There will be some "hard stop" requirements, in my work that's usually professional qualifications or familiarity with certain computer systems. Certainly my co. are terrible at spelling out what's really necessary versus what would be ideal. There is also the possibility that they will take a "X is as good as Y" without spelling that out. Basically if you take it literally then you may miss an opportunity.

That might just be my company, but I've been incredibly frustrated when trying to write job profiles and having more and more additions/edits away from what we actually *need* towards what would be *ideal* but putting the "ideal" stuff into the "essential" section. Dunno if that's me being too literal, or them being too vague/duplicitous. 

Good luck anyway 

Glad to know I'm not alone!

I've been self-employed for so much of my life, and now having been out of work for a while I'm very nervous about getting back to work. I've been getting so frustrated at forms that don't consider self-employment when asking about work history. Or, the mental block when the job spec lists a minimum set of requirements that I don't meet, but I'm being advised to apply anyway 'just on the off chance'. Like if it's the minimum why and how could a company ever accept less than that? I'm still sort of trying to work out now is that an Autism thing, or is that just silly HR and recruitment? I feel like that sort of literal thinking might be one of those things that now has an explaination...then the imposter thing kicks in and I wonder am I speaking too soon?

I really hope your journey back to work, whenever you choose to start on it is nice and stress free!

Glad to know I'm not alone!

I've been self-employed for so much of my life, and now having been out of work for a while I'm very nervous about getting back to work. I've been getting so frustrated at forms that don't consider self-employment when asking about work history. Or, the mental block when the job spec lists a minimum set of requirements that I don't meet, but I'm being advised to apply anyway 'just on the off chance'. Like if it's the minimum why and how could a company ever accept less than that? I'm still sort of trying to work out now is that an Autism thing, or is that just silly HR and recruitment? I feel like that sort of literal thinking might be one of those things that now has an explaination...then the imposter thing kicks in and I wonder am I speaking too soon?

I really hope your journey back to work, whenever you choose to start on it is nice and stress free!

Thank you 

I'm sure I'll manage the return when it happens. I've been with the same employer c.20 years and have been through similar experiences with them before. I have bipolar as well and that's caused a few ups and downs (joke!)

I look at job descriptions as a company's "wishlist". There will be some "hard stop" requirements, in my work that's usually professional qualifications or familiarity with certain computer systems. Certainly my co. are terrible at spelling out what's really necessary versus what would be ideal. There is also the possibility that they will take a "X is as good as Y" without spelling that out. Basically if you take it literally then you may miss an opportunity.

That might just be my company, but I've been incredibly frustrated when trying to write job profiles and having more and more additions/edits away from what we actually *need* towards what would be *ideal* but putting the "ideal" stuff into the "essential" section. Dunno if that's me being too literal, or them being too vague/duplicitous. 

Good luck anyway