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Greetings programs!**

Mark (formerly Spikey)
2 months ago

Hello,

After many years (50+), I finally have an official diagnosis. I've hung around here a bit to get the lay of the land but up until yesterday, I did not feel that I had the right to contribute.

I am happily married to my beautiful NT* partner of over 20 years. (I hope that this diagnosis will help even more, explaining things like why I would just *have to* leave social events without any notice - always a big point of contention) *Actually, she's dyslexic, maybe I should say allistic.

I was lucky in that I had a great family this didn't try to change me too much and let me just get on with it. I am lucky that I have a great in-law family that doesn't try to change me and just let me get on with it too.

I am lucky that I don't have meltdowns, but unlucky because it is all internalised and I have shutdowns and I have been burned out for several years now (causing the journey to my diagnosis)

I didn't think I stimmed, but it gradually dawned that my permanently bouncing leg and ravaged finger cuticles with little flaps of peeling skin said otherwise.

Why "Spikey"? - because I was pretty pleased with my ADOS-2 test story of Spikey the ball going for a ride in a car, putting up an umbrella, finding a playing card in the car and then using a paperclip to keep them together from then on. I think it should be a Netflix series - ha ha.

What I lack in confrontation skills, I more than make up for with extreme stubbornness.

I have a fairly typical story of feeling different to everyone else my entire life. Reading other people's stories, I related a little bit more with some of the ladies due to me being high masking.

Fern Brady's stand-up and TV/Podcast appearances have really helped me a lot recently.

I also heartily recommend Steph Jones's "The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy", which I think would help a lot of people here after reading some of your posts. (It explains why many of the typical therapy 'fixes' don't work for us. Who doesn't like some validation?! It's a great book.)

Thanks for listening!

**Tron (1982) was probably my special interest when I was a youngster - even writing a program on m ZX Spectrum that emulated Kevin Flynn's entire logon experience from the film - no, my password is no longer "Reindeer Flotilla"

Parents
  • 2 months ago

    Welcome to the community, glad you finally got your diagnosis. Thank you for the book recommendation I'll try to pick that up when I can.

    I never used to think I stimmed either, it was first pointed out to me during my assessment when I was tapping my fingers together rhythmically. It used to bother me but now I embrace my stims.

Reply
  • 2 months ago

    Welcome to the community, glad you finally got your diagnosis. Thank you for the book recommendation I'll try to pick that up when I can.

    I never used to think I stimmed either, it was first pointed out to me during my assessment when I was tapping my fingers together rhythmically. It used to bother me but now I embrace my stims.

Children
  • 2 months ago in reply to Paige

    Thanks Paige. I find this site a bit hard to navigate, but I did click around a bit. It's brilliant that you like some of the older TV shows from my generation. Simon Pegg is brilliant and I hope that you like "Spaced" - if you've not seen it, get it now! :-) I think if you read the book, you would have so many relatable moments and I am sure it could help you out a bit.