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Hello

BeaE

Hello!

I am new to the community and recently diagnosed autistic, aged 20, after having suspected it for eight years!

I found the diagnostic process quite distressing and wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience. If so, how did you manage this? I feel as though I'm suddenly more aware of all the 'deficits' I have.

I don't really know what to do now I have the diagnosis. Do I disclose to my employer/university? I've managed pretty well so far thanks to help from my family and carefully managing my routines to avoid burnout, and I am worried that disclosing the diagnosis will be met with stigma rather than support.

My apprenticeship is my biggest interest at the moment, but I'm starting to struggle to balance everything. It's been great in that this route allowed me to avoid the university lifestyle, which I don't think I would have coped with, and entering the workplace young has seemingly worked in my favour, as coming across a bit odd is more expected for us youths. However, the workload and social/sensory aspects are becoming difficult, so any advice is appreciated.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to being part of the community and finding some like-minded people.

  • Hi BeaE - congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!

    Following a diagnosis, it can be common for us to experience a lot of emotional dysregulation - I've linked to an article below about this. It's also common to feel more aware of our traits. This is good information to have, because it enables us to better understand and accommodate ourselves - whether directly, or by asking others for supports. So please don't worry, both are normal!

    In respect of getting the right support in your apprenticeship, there's plenty of useful advice here, including about your legal rights and about reasonable adjustments that you might like to request - including to address the kinds of issues that you mentioned:

    NAS - Employment

    As for many others, my diagnosis turned out to be the start of a new journey of learning and adapting, rather than a conclusion with instant solutions.

    The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them helpful:

    NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis - includes perspectives from other autistics

    NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    Therapy (or counselling) is often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before arranging it, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    Finally, I'll just mention a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:

    Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

    How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)