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Diagnosed with Autism and ADHD at 56

Ash101

I am new to this forum so apologise if i this has been asked before.

Im 56 year old male. Yesterday i met with the consultant and was told i have Autism and ADHD after 8 months of tests, interviewx, question, etc.

3 years prior to this, they did a screening but I wasnt convinced and wanted them to look at it in detail and conduct a thorough test and diagnosis (which was very involved and lasted 8 months).

Throughout the process i always asked them that if its not autism/adhd will they be able to let me know what it is and how to resolve it. They did explain that was their intention and they would conduct further tests if needed. That was reassuring to know. I just wanted to knoe what conditions i have and how to resolve it. I really wasnt so concerned what the name of the condition was. At some point i thought it may just be made up in.my head and would have been ok if they told me that and said there is nothing wrong with me. 

They then confirmed that i was Autistic and have ADHD.

It was a bit of a shock and i am sure it will take time to understand what this exactly means. They didnt really explain how to resolve it? I am sure they will explain it in the report they will issue to me and the GP. They also said that once i get the report i need to make an appt with GP for follow up support. So i am guessing that the gp will explain what happens now. 

I havent told anyone except my wife and not sure if i should or not? Not even sure if they will believe me?

Can anyone tell me what treatment there is for Autism and adhd for newly diagnosed  people

  • Hi Ash101,  Congrats on your diagnosis

    Anyway I'm similar age and late diagnosed at start of this year, still processing but I'm happy I know although I disclose to a limited few.  Had Therapy (last session paid by health insurance finished today) following diagnosis now need to find some support for social anxiety. 

    Sorry my experience is you'll get nothing from your GP, I've not heard in 4 months since dropping off my diagnosis, and NHS Talking Therapies - have cancelled my screening appointment twice and now scheduled next months so around 3-4 months wait just to then perhaps get on their books.

    I can recommend a couple of books: "Untypical" as the most relatable book for me , and two Dr Luke Beardon "Autism in Adults" and "avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Adults".  

    Wish you well and look forward to seeing you on this forum

  • I should add, if you feel that you’d benefit from a general overview of autism, this is a great place to start:

    NAS - What is autism?

  • Hey Ash101!

    I also have ASD/ADHD (some of us call it AuDHD, since that’s a common combination). I was also diagnosed later in life (30 for me, I’m 33 right now). Okay, you’ve got a lot of questions, so I’m going to try to answer all of them as best as I can:

    1. How to resolve Autism? Well that’s a tough one. There isn’t a cure for Autism. Therapy can definitely help with working through social and sensory difficulties (especially if you’ve also got anxiety/depression like me), but there isn’t a pill that can get rid of it. There is a huge movement right now towards self-acceptance of Autism where rather than try to hide our Autism (also known as “masking”) we accept our quirks and sensory troubles for what they are. But the best option for getting help is therapy.

    2. How to resolve ADHD? So that can potentially be treated (but not cured) with medication. That’s why the follow up with your GP will be pretty important, because it is possible they might recommend a medical treatment to help with attention. I’m currently on a medication for it, and surprisingly the improvement to focus the medication brings also has helped with my socializing a bit as well.

    3. Not sure if you should tell others or not? That’s completely up to you. I’m usually pretty vocal about my Autism to most people because it’s generally a condition I’m actually kind of proud of, but there are situations I definitely don’t feel comfortable. I live in the Midwest of the United States, so there’s a stigma in certain regions where Autism is freakish disease children catch from vaccines. Around people that believe that? Yeah, I’m not as comfortable disclosing my condition.

    4. Will they believe you? Some, no. But with an official diagnosis most will have to believe you. My own wife didn’t believe I had Autism until I got officially diagnosed. You’ll hear a lot of crap like “You don’t look autistic” or “But you’re so capable!” We’re all so used to it; I’m a little desensitized to the disbelief.

    I hope that helps? If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to ask. Best wishes!

  • Congratulations on your diagnoses and welcome to the community!

    There are a lot of other late-diagnosed people here, so it's a great place to share your thoughts, connect with others, and/or just to pick up tips and learn by reading others' posts.

    The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or helpful:

    NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis

    NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    In combination - and along with their various further linked resources - I suspect that these articles will address many of the autism-related questions that you’re wondering about right now.

    Therapy (or counselling), in particular, is often recommended after a diagnosis, as one of the follow up actions for your GP to arrange. In anticipation of that, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    As you said, your assessment report, once received, should prove a helpful basis for identifying any other specific recommendations for your GP to follow up on. But autism is for life, with no treatment to erase or “resolve” it, so welcome again to the club Slight smile