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New here :)

NAS51517

Hello

I am 27 years old and have recently been diagnosed with autism; it was revealed that my teachers knew in primary school but as there was not enough known back then  there wasn't anything that could be done

it was quite a battle to get a diagnosis, doctors had written me off as just being shy/awkward or saying it was just symptoms of my anxiety/depression. I am glad to finally get a diagnosis and hope that people will be more understanding and not just assume Im being rude/weird when I cant talk to them easily 

but now I don't really know where to go from here, I attend the job centre as I havent been able to find work and they dont offer any support/dont seem to care at all really. I feel a bit lonely as I already dont have any friends (except for online ones)  and Im just looking for a bit more help :( 

  • Hi,

    Remember the NAS helpline is always there to answer any questions you may have. You can contact the team via telephone on 0808 800 4104 (Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 3pm). Or alternatively, should you prefer to send a message, you can do so via their webform:
    www.autism.org.uk/.../questions.aspx

    Hope this helps,

    SteveMod 

  • Hi. I am the same age as you, and just been recently diagnosed too. I also had teacher suspecting it when I was in school, but I think maybe either due to lack of knowledge, or more probably due to the stigma, I have never been referred for a formal diagnosis. I started looking into it several years ago, but also worried about the stigma so it took a few years before I went to ask for an assessment. I also feel really lonely and would like help. I've been starting to look for a job since late last year, and haven't been able to secure one yet - maybe I was too picky, so I'm going to try to be less picky now... What kind of job are you looking for?

  • Welcome and I can relate to what you are saying about anxiety and depression. I am 46 and was only diagnosed last year after suffering problems since childhood. I am sure others can offer lots of advice but I would encourage you to think about your strengths - it is all too easy to focus on what we find difficult when I am sure you have loads of strong points about you.