Just had diagnosis aged 48. Unsuprised but in shock!

I had a diagnosis of High Functioning ASD (not affecting cognition or language) a few months ago ... in my mid 60s. 

I don't feel any relief (as others here do) but a lot of stuff from earlier in my life has slotted into place. I do mean a lot.

If I'd known this in (say) my 20s I'd have made better, more informed life decisions on a few pivotal occasions.  However, I had a fairly successful career, which gave me a good living and took me all over the world, so who knows? 

One of the professionals pointed out to me that it was probably a stroke of luck that I wasn't diagnosed in my teens because people with ASD were even less well understood in those days and some people had a brutal experiences as teenagers.  I don't think that would have happened - the diagnostic requirements were different / narrower, then.   

Tealight said:

I feel so sad for my younger self and all of the anxiety I have suffered.

Yeah, me too.  But in a sense nothing has changed.  We experienced that, and it wasn't pleasant.  The fact that we now have a formal diagnosis doesn't really change any of that, does it?  It explains it, but in practical terms, changes nothing.   

Like so-o-o-o many others with late diagnosis I can totally relate to the cliche "I've always known I was different".   

So here's my positive thoughts: 

1. You now know, and from this point you can make major life decisions from a more informed base.  You can manage your life with greater confidence, now that you're doing so with some critical self-knowledge.

2. Much more importantly, you know about your daughter, and hopefully she's young enough for the diagnosis to be of more practical assistance to her, which is fantastic.

3.  This relates to Asperger's, a term which has had no clinical significance since 2013 (Asperger's is just Autism) but which is still widely used by lay people, and you may find that some of these issues apply to you (some - by no means all - certainly apply to me):  https://aspergersvic.org.au/page-18136#:~:text=are%20untainted%20by%20the%20judgments,people%20who%20share%20their%20interests

4.  I wouldn't take any of this too literally - it is 'tabloid web-speak' for a subject which is complex, nuanced, and different for everyone -  but I also found some of this (I stress 'some' of it) applied to me:  https://www.aane.org/asperger-profile-strengths/ .  Some of it is also garbage, in my experience ... but the whole point is that each of us has a different experience.  

5.  You are actively looking for the positives, and that, in itself ... is positive.  I'm doing the same.  I think that's the way to go.

Best wishes coming to terms with it.  

I had a diagnosis of High Functioning ASD (not affecting cognition or language) a few months ago ... in my mid 60s. 

I don't feel any relief (as others here do) but a lot of stuff from earlier in my life has slotted into place. I do mean a lot.

If I'd known this in (say) my 20s I'd have made better, more informed life decisions on a few pivotal occasions.  However, I had a fairly successful career, which gave me a good living and took me all over the world, so who knows? 

One of the professionals pointed out to me that it was probably a stroke of luck that I wasn't diagnosed in my teens because people with ASD were even less well understood in those days and some people had a brutal experiences as teenagers.  I don't think that would have happened - the diagnostic requirements were different / narrower, then.   

Tealight said:

I feel so sad for my younger self and all of the anxiety I have suffered.

Yeah, me too.  But in a sense nothing has changed.  We experienced that, and it wasn't pleasant.  The fact that we now have a formal diagnosis doesn't really change any of that, does it?  It explains it, but in practical terms, changes nothing.   

Like so-o-o-o many others with late diagnosis I can totally relate to the cliche "I've always known I was different".   

So here's my positive thoughts: 

1. You now know, and from this point you can make major life decisions from a more informed base.  You can manage your life with greater confidence, now that you're doing so with some critical self-knowledge.

2. Much more importantly, you know about your daughter, and hopefully she's young enough for the diagnosis to be of more practical assistance to her, which is fantastic.

3.  This relates to Asperger's, a term which has had no clinical significance since 2013 (Asperger's is just Autism) but which is still widely used by lay people, and you may find that some of these issues apply to you (some - by no means all - certainly apply to me):  https://aspergersvic.org.au/page-18136#:~:text=are%20untainted%20by%20the%20judgments,people%20who%20share%20their%20interests

4.  I wouldn't take any of this too literally - it is 'tabloid web-speak' for a subject which is complex, nuanced, and different for everyone -  but I also found some of this (I stress 'some' of it) applied to me:  https://www.aane.org/asperger-profile-strengths/ .  Some of it is also garbage, in my experience ... but the whole point is that each of us has a different experience.  

5.  You are actively looking for the positives, and that, in itself ... is positive.  I'm doing the same.  I think that's the way to go.

Best wishes coming to terms with it.