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Moving on from your past/ letting go of the pain

NAS85436

Hello, I am a new voice to the community. I have been reading through all the tragic stories from people who have been late-diagnosed. Their experiences have clearly left some very deep wounds which still remain unhealed; others seem to have found a way of moving on from their past. 

I would be really interested to hear about how people have discovered their way through it all. I am a parent of a late diagnosed daughter (with some Autistic traits myself). There are many celebrity stories out there of success despite their neurodiversity, but I think that peer experiences are so much more powerful and meaningful. Anyone in a position to shine some beacons of hope? 

Sue 

Parents

  • I was diagnosed about 7 months after I took early retirement. I went through my childhood, adolescence and entire working life having no idea I was autistic. I was hugely relieved at my diagnosis, as it meant that I had a reason for so many of the problems and limitations I have had. I could also forgive myself for past 'failures'. I was not a rather poorly functioning, in some areas, allistic person, but a remarkably successful autistic person, operating in a society that was badly designed for my needs. I worked for most of my career in biomedical research, I have a molecular biology PhD and I helped, in a small way, in overcoming drug resistance and drug design in a disease that kills over half a million people (mostly children) each year..

  • in reply to Martin

    Martin, this is a very impressive repertoire of achievements. You are probably aware that the sciences and research are potentially areas where people with Autism flourish. Thank you for sharing, Sue

  • in reply to NAS85436

    Yes, in retrospect I could see how working on a very focused project, problem solving on a daily basis, in a smallish research group, played to autistic strengths. The things that didn't, such as presenting work in seminars and at conferences and being involved in strategy meetings, I just scrabbled through as best I could.

  • in reply to Martin

    What a wonderful tribute! I have some Autistic traits and my "career"  is in leadership development. Amazing how you will push yourself forward when you are passionate about what you do. After a long stint of facilitating, I need my downtime. Sue. 

  • in reply to NAS85436

    That would be ideal. Luckily, I was never asked to do much teaching, just postgrad students and undergrads doing their practical projects, and that was mostly one to one. I'm still in touch with some of my former protégés. One made me a 'T' shirt, saying, "Fount of Benevolent Knowledge" on it.

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  • in reply to NAS85436

    That would be ideal. Luckily, I was never asked to do much teaching, just postgrad students and undergrads doing their practical projects, and that was mostly one to one. I'm still in touch with some of my former protégés. One made me a 'T' shirt, saying, "Fount of Benevolent Knowledge" on it.

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