Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm 62 and it's taken me until now to realise that my life has been shaped by the fact that I'm on the spectrum. Dyslexic and dyspraxic, an early lifetime of major social and personal traumas, difficulties and so much more. But I have reached a stage in my life when I am able to cope much better. I have learned, copied, practiced and rehearsed my way through life. I'm so much more aware of my difficulties, my thought processes and my limitations. The problems are still there and still rear up unexpectedly (or expectedly depending on how you view it!), but I can manage them.
Is there any point in perusing a diagnosis? When I was a child none of my difficulties were ever formally recognised, such things didn't happen in the 60s and 70s. Now I just feel happy to have come to understand who I am. Would a formal diagnosis actually make any difference?
Hi, and welcome! If you are happy, not in need of outside support, then the choice is really up to you. I'm the type of person who HAS to know, but if you're not then accept who you are. You can always explore yourself further using the forum, ask questions, and I find reading others posts very enlightening, making me feel I'm not alone in my experiences. Take your time to think k about what is right for you.
Hi, and thanks for replying.
What you have said makes a lot of sense. I would like to know but I also feel it would cause great concerns/issues within my family. I've got to the stage where possibly me knowing is enough and as you say it's just wonderful to finally know that other people have experienced similar things to me and that I'm not alone or completely weird.