Hi my name is Steve and I've recently been diagnosed with Autism.
I first became aware that I might be autistic when my manager asked me when I was diagnosed with Asperger and when I told her never, she told me that her brother as Asperger's and that I share all the traits he has. So I started to look it up and do my research on it and I researched the hell out of it, and I was ticking a lot of the boxes for what is now known as ASD. But I left it at that.
I did not feel comfortable about getting a referral or going though the processes as I felt like my family would not understand and that my ex girlfriend might say I'm not autistic etc... So I left it, but always wondering if I was autistic, which always lead me to my memories as a kid, that I felt special, that I did not belong.
But when I became single and now had to live alone, I decided to go though the processes, though when I read the doctors note, I was not happy that he was basically calling me dumb. Two years later I started to go though the assment with the first one been with my mum. and then another two times on my own, and about two weeks later the diagnoses that I was looking for.
I'm Autistic and it answer a lot of question about myself and my childhood, but also I've started to notice stuff that I never noticed before.
I've told work about it, and gone though the risk assement, but I still think sometimes there forget that I'm autistic and still expect the same performance I've given that always ends in burnout later on down the line, which as always left me getting into trouble.
