Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, just thought I would say hello..
I'm newly diagnosed, a mother of three children and although I always thought I was different, it didn't really occur to me I might be autistic until my eldest turned 5 and I started to see similarities between us. My eldest is now on the pathway to be assessed in the next 3 years after fighting so hard for her for the best part of 7 years.
I was diagnosed two weeks ago and it's answered a lot of my questions on my difficulties I've faced over the years and still do and the things I've done in the past that I look back and think "that's not normal". But not really sure with how else it's made me feel. How has everyone else found being diagnosed later on in life? I'm 38 by the way. What positives (and negatives) have you faced since your diagnosis?
Thanks for reading!
Hello OceanWaves, and welcome.
Like you, the realisation that I am autistic was a bit of a surprise and a great relief, at last I had some answers. My story spans decades of difficulties and is just too lengthy to put in a forum post; however, since coming here I have met a whole bunch of folk with similar back-stories; indeed, it sometimes feels like an epidemic.
My diagnosis, or enlightenment, came three years ago at the age of 67... but oh how I wish I'd known earlier.
Ben