Published on 12, July, 2020
I was just diagnosed today with Autism at 26 (female). I'm in the US and unsure what my next steps should be. I have some ideas and know what I need to do for the Academic portion of my life, but outside of school services,I have no idea. My psychologist recommended joining an online group, as that is the setting where I blossom the best socially. I would love advice on what my next steps should be. A little about me I currently work only part-time in my field of special interest in history. I'm in a grad program through ASU for World War Two history. And I would love all the advice you can give me.
Kitty said:Im courios where all you started.
I'm a bit of a research nerd so I sarted with:
The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome - Tony Attwood (2006)ISBN 9781843105138
Along with a lot of online research. It turns out that there are a lot of opinions out there about how autism should be approached.
Armed with the knowledge of what I had read I then set up with a therapist to work out what it was about me that I really wanted to change or come to terms with, then going through these one by one until I had go to my end goal - feeling comfortable with myself, knowing my limitations better and having the techniques to manage these limitations when they begin to become troublesome.
It was so worth the journey.
It took about 18 months for me, and in that time I have read a great deal more about it and offer some summaries of the info I found here for others when asked.
I think many on this site have a hard time post diagnosis, adjusting to the new reality and coming to terms with the heartbreaking aspects of being autistic. Maybe it is a bit different for me being an late 40s guy, but if you have issues you want to discuss to just vent, this seems like the place to do it.
On the advice front Iain and Bumper have given some great advice below, and I'll just say as well, do things at your own pace, we all process things at different speeds and in different ways, some people need to take it slow and take breaks, others need everything at once, none are wrong as they're appropriate for that person.
Otherwise if any questions pop up that you want to discuss we're all very friendly I promise.
Honestly im not even sure where to start. Im courios where all you started.
Pretty much everything at this point!
Hello Kitty, welcome to the club!
For advice it is a pretty broad subject so I would start with a quick guide to undestand the spectrum so you can work out which traits you have and decide if there are any you want to work on doing anything about:
Understanding Autism For Dummies - Stephen Shore, Linda G. Rastelli, Temple Grandin (2006)ISBN 0764525476
Most books have a bias towards male autists but there are a few for females that may offer some specific insights for you:
Aspergirls - empowering females with Asperger Syndrome - Rudy Simone (2012)ISBN 9781849058261
Why Aren't Normal People Normal - A Girl's Survival Guide to Growing Up with Asperger Syndrome - Olley Edwards (2013)no ISBN given
Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age - Sarah Hendrickx, Judith Gould (2015)ISBN 978 1 84905 547 5
If there are any specific areas you have questions about or want help with then fire away with as much specificity as you are willing to give - this helps us formulate advice more specific to your needs and wants.
I'm similar, I was diagnosed in November 2021 and have only recently started exploring autism generally for various reasons
Hi Kitty. The best advice I can give is to take your time and let the diagnosis settle in your head. You are still the same person you were before the diagnosis, but you now know more about yourself and I'm sure, in the fullness of time, it will help you to live a better life. I was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. I've only told my partner and I'm going to take my time and keep living my live as I currently do for the time being. I'm going to slowly start finding out more about autism and will start opening up to others and making changes in my life over the medium term. Good luck to you and welcome!
Hi Kitty. Welcome. I hope you enjoy the discussions here. we seem to have a few people from your side of the pond.
Hi Kitty, welcome to the group and thank you for sharing your information.
Are you looking for practical advice on strategies to support you, or just general advice and chat from other autistic people?