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Hello, forum newbie, awaiting assessment

Zem42

Hello everyone,

Hope it's okay to join while I'm still waiting on my assessment. Feeling like a bit of an imposter as I'm still on my journey of self-discovery and have nothing formal in place in terms of a diagnosis. I seem to function acceptably in many ways but have constant and consistent underlying feelings of not being the same as most people I meet/am acquainted with/am friends with (don't have too many of that last one). Bit by bit, I am breaking down my preconceptions and biases of what autism 'looks like' and finding that a lot of the anecdotal and scientific information I am reading really resonates with me.

I am hoping to learn to be more accepting (and forgiving), in relation to myself and my behaviour and to learn more about the ASD community at large. 

Also, my 11yo nephew has just been assessed and has been diagnosed with ASD, so I'd like to know more in case he wants to talk about any aspect of his diagnosis, is looking for advice/information or has any concerns.

Parents

  • Hello from America, Zem42!

    Welcome to the community! Feeling like an imposter is a pretty common reaction. I certainly felt that when I was starting up my search for answers. Didn’t help for me I had family saying there was no way it was Autism because I require too little support. Generally, if you think you have Autism, you very likely do. Do know that there are plenty of other people who frequent this site without a formal diagnosis. That’s totally okay to be self-diagnosed.

    Just as a little warning, after getting your diagnosis you might feel a wide range of feelings from relief (that’s mostly what I felt), grief, anger, and you might even feel a little empty or hollow. That’s okay. We all respond to the diagnosis in different ways.

    That’s awesome you’re thinking about how you can support your nephew! One of the reasons I so doggedly pursued a diagnosis was because we just had a daughter, and it turns out my hunch that she inherited Autism from me was right. Now we both have the ability to help each other understand why we process things a little differently. That’d be great for your nephew to have another family member he can look up to and help understand how Autism might effect him as he grows up.

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  • Hello from America, Zem42!

    Welcome to the community! Feeling like an imposter is a pretty common reaction. I certainly felt that when I was starting up my search for answers. Didn’t help for me I had family saying there was no way it was Autism because I require too little support. Generally, if you think you have Autism, you very likely do. Do know that there are plenty of other people who frequent this site without a formal diagnosis. That’s totally okay to be self-diagnosed.

    Just as a little warning, after getting your diagnosis you might feel a wide range of feelings from relief (that’s mostly what I felt), grief, anger, and you might even feel a little empty or hollow. That’s okay. We all respond to the diagnosis in different ways.

    That’s awesome you’re thinking about how you can support your nephew! One of the reasons I so doggedly pursued a diagnosis was because we just had a daughter, and it turns out my hunch that she inherited Autism from me was right. Now we both have the ability to help each other understand why we process things a little differently. That’d be great for your nephew to have another family member he can look up to and help understand how Autism might effect him as he grows up.

Children
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