So I'm 63 and just found out I'm level 1 high-functioning autistic. What do I do now? I have let work know so done that. Can I get some nice guru to guide me through life now?
All advice welcome.
So I'm 63 and just found out I'm level 1 high-functioning autistic. What do I do now? I have let work know so done that. Can I get some nice guru to guide me through life now?
All advice welcome.
Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!
There are plenty of late-diagnosed and late-realised autistic people here of a similar age, so you're in good company!
As for many others, my diagnosis turned out to be the start of a new journey of learning and adapting, rather than a conclusion with instant solutions. I'd suggest taking extra care to be patient to, and kind with, yourself - and to take your time with processing everything.
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, and others covering the kinds of support that you can access. You might find them helpful as a starting point:
NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis - includes perspectives from other autistic people
NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis - including:
Therapy or counselling are often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you might instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.
Before arranging anything 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
In respect of support and addressing any issues at work, there's plenty of great advice here:
Finally, I'll just mention a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:
Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!
How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)