Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
I have just been diagnosed with Autism at the age of 29. I have special interests in hamster genetics, Pokemon and Harry Potter. I’m still in shock from the diagnosis but it hasn’t yet been 24 hours since I was told the outcome of my assessment. I’m just now questioning what that now means for me, like what do I do to access support or help now I have a diagnosis. I have struggled to get a job my entire adult life as everything I am qualified for I struggle doing practically as it involves communication with others and a lot of small talk. I can do the theory behind it all but I can’t put it into practice. I was given the diagnosis at the end of the assessment as I ticked nearly every marker on their diagnostic test, there was only a couple that I didn’t tick. My parents are in denial so I can’t talk to them about it and I don’t know where to turn. The psychologist suggested the National Autistic Society as a starting point to look up information and she is going to send me some information to signpost me to other places when she sends out the official report.
We accept you, one of us one of us..Heh, silly reference aside, welcome and somewhat congrats on finally getting some answers to what could and likely is the root cause of the problems as mentioned above, had my diagnosis for pretty much my whole life, so if you have any questions, feel free to pop them my way. One of the first things I'd suggest going straight and getting started on your PIP application, like you've said, finding employment is a kick in the teeth most of the time, with about seventy percent of us failing to find it, and barely fifteen percent getting full time at that. Every little helps us in the long term financially. Gods know, we ain't getting cured any time soon, that's for sure.
That's the most crucial part in my belief anywho, outside of that, there isn't really much else, at least that I know of. Autistic people get supported right up until they leave school, and the system isn't really designed to be able to manage helping us, which sucks. You go from a decent support structure out into the big ol' world and you're screwed if you aren't able to piece together some semblance of a main streamers life. My last paragraph of moaning aside, any questions, happy to answer.
I had no support throughout education so I don’t know what it’s like to have support. I was just thrown out of lessons a lot and suspended a few times for what they thought was bad behaviour. I get PIP already as I have health conditions but it’s due for renewal soon so I will definitely include it in my next form I have to fill in. Have you had trouble with relatives knowing and not willing to accept it? I’m thinking of going back to university to do applied biology but I’m worried about what support would be available. I’ve attempted university before but I failed as it was in childcare so it needed a lot of conversation all the time and reading the child’s emotions without them saying anything.
It was a mix bag, if I'm honest. Started out in mainstream, but by primary one/two I was fast tracked towards the diagnosis. If anything, I'd say you've been diagnosed at the perfect time, well, in comparison to nineties, the theories and stratagems made are more helpful and beneficial than they ever were.
I'd say no and yes, if that makes any sense. While I was cleared when I was young, even when you're clearly been labelled as having Autism, even the 'normals' who accept us can just have their weak points, they can disagree or decide at the moment no, this just isn't the case, but reality will last a lot longer than their muddled conception of it. If they just point blank refuse to accept it after ample time and proof, then that's problem Pink, out of your hands and you should just let it flow out of your mind; enough hassle in the world to deal with to include narrow minded folk in our lives.
It would depend on which part of the UK you're in I'd imagine, here in Scotland, the colleges and universes tend to do very well in receiving and supporting us disabled dafties, it's more a case of looking into the particular resources on hand. I've a high functional pal who past through her biology uni studies easily, that was her hyper focus so it somewhat killed off the anxiety that came with your average worry in communication. Unless the samples start demanding conversation, I'm sure you'll do fine
I'd definitely suggest that, one reason, it'll help alleviate the build up of anexity that comes with entering new spaces, new people. Last thing you want to be doing is just finding out about your resources when you're starting, us autistics need to plan ahead in most cases, y'know, just to be sure and ease our nerves. Hm, if you're having trouble with people not being able to imagine the differences you're enduring, try using the thinking analogy. I'm not sure if this will be the same for you, but when I 'think', it's visual in my head, words don't really appear, so visual aides were used a lot when I was younger, smiley faces, unhappy faces, that sort of thing. There's a particular name for this - escaping me at the moment - thing, but it's one of the ways you can separate those on the spectrum and the normies.
The spectrum is so wide and varied, if you get into biology professionally finding out how we tick will be one hell of a project :P