Feel a lil on the younger side to be here, but whatevs

Honestly, I'm 35 and brand new here, but I think for anyone this place is (hopefully) a good place to just ask the things you wouldn't normally ask of someone who isn't neurodiverse, same with discussion, because it is exhausting having to explain why something is bad/ableist etc etc and that's a good big step to be able to avoid here.

Nice to meet you too!

Hi Owlie, 

I'm also in my early twenties, and I just checked my profile and it says I've been on this platform for at least 4 years (I think I joined when the minimum age was 16 not 18) so there are definitely young people on here. 

You can use the forum for whatever you like. I've generally utilised it when I've had specific problems I hadn't encountered before, e.g. diagnostic appointments, flying alone, specific medical procedures that were basically "what if we took your worst sensory texture and made it medically necessary and also you have to stay still during it" and people can offer advice, their experiences if they've done the same or a similar thing, or just commiseration. 

And then because, even though I'm young, I too have experiences I can share advice to other people, some to other autistic people, sometimes to parents. I don't think I've ever offered advice to a NT partner of an autistic person but we do get a fair few of those too, they seem to come in waves. 

I also like hanging out for general autism chitchat (see things like the 'infodump' or special interest chats) because even though I have real life autistic friends, it's nice to talk to a wide range of people about this stuff who will have some idea of what's going on

So explore, check in every once in a while, reply to things that are interesting, ask for help when you need it. Everyone's experience on this site is probably as unique as they are :) 

Hi Owlie, nice to meet you!

I have only been here for a week and I’m only in my 20s but I do feel better being here. Hope you enjoy it here too!

Welcome and nice to meet you, Owlie!

34, diagnosed at 30 here. Like you, I eyed this forum for a few years before diving in. In addition to a lot of the folks on here being on the older side, I’ve noticed that most of us were diagnosed later in life, which I have found interesting.

You might have noticed already, but sometimes people talk about some pretty dark topics on here, since some of us are going through some hard times in part due to the struggles Autism can bring. You don’t have to engage in those harder topics though.

I hope your studies go well!

Hi and welcome. Age really is just a number - I can sometimes relate to a 20 year old better than people in my own age group, and I'm in my sixties. I like playing video games, and not many older people are into that. We won't judge you for your age.

Post whatever you want - questions about autism, information about your special interests, what you've been doing lately, or anything else you want to discuss. This is not just an autism information forum, it's also a place where autistic adults come to feel a sense of community and know they're not alone. If I start a thread I usually put it in "autistic adults" but it doesn't really matter. You can also contribute to other threads like the 3 good things one.

Hope you enjoy chatting with us.

Welcome Owlie, I wouldn't worry too much about which age groups here.  Speaking for myself; the age on my ID means little when it comes to my interests and outlooks. 

It really annoys me (in the real World) when people ask me how old is so-and-so - as I rarely judge people by their "age" - I am more likely to know lots of other things, beside their age group, about someone.

You can use this forum how you choose - different ways at different times - reflecting both life's fun and frustrations.

I don't read posts particularly worrying whether they are in the "correct" category - so I wouldn't be too concerned on that front either.

How are you finding your experience of higher education studying computer science?  When I studied likewise; I found the tutors were generally really encouraging towards me as a student - as they were supportive of promoting diversity within that sector (at the time, for example, only about 4 to 6 % of the computer departments in the workplace were women).