just been diagnosed and i am very upset and confused

I think a lot of us on here can relate to what you are describing, Barney Kook. Although I was diagnosed six years ago, I still struggle to fully understand myself and make sense of my condition. When you read about autism in a text book, you are getting a stereotypical or clinical portrayal of what autism entails, which often does not do justice to individual experience. As is often mentioned on this forum by Longman and others, the triad of impairments model of autism does not fully encapsulate the lived experience of actually being on the spectrum. As individuals, we all deal with our challenges in our own unique ways, despite some similarities.

I am constantly analysing my past experiences, trying to understand what motivated me, and how autism might fit into the picture. When I was diagnosed, I was given a report, but no-one helped me understand my life experiences or offered psychoeducational support. I have had to find out most things for myself, and it is confusing because I still do not have a coherent picture of what it all means.

I think a lot of us on here can relate to what you are describing, Barney Kook. Although I was diagnosed six years ago, I still struggle to fully understand myself and make sense of my condition. When you read about autism in a text book, you are getting a stereotypical or clinical portrayal of what autism entails, which often does not do justice to individual experience. As is often mentioned on this forum by Longman and others, the triad of impairments model of autism does not fully encapsulate the lived experience of actually being on the spectrum. As individuals, we all deal with our challenges in our own unique ways, despite some similarities.

I am constantly analysing my past experiences, trying to understand what motivated me, and how autism might fit into the picture. When I was diagnosed, I was given a report, but no-one helped me understand my life experiences or offered psychoeducational support. I have had to find out most things for myself, and it is confusing because I still do not have a coherent picture of what it all means.