It's hard to believe

Flown by under an umbrella perhaps  ? :-)

"The aim of Spartan education was, according to Plutarch ... “to make them obey commands well, endure hardships, and conquer in battle." "

I've recently heard the British Boarding School education system compared to this. 

They're all areas which can drive any caring rational person to tears.

challenging misguiding authority, creating a pleasant and safe environment, preventing war - these all seem better aims for an education system to me -

but then maybe that just shows how little I know

Happy future!

To be honest I think,like far too many who were late diagnosed, I would've been bullied wherever I went to school.In terms of getting the help and support to thrive as an adult I was born several decades too early.Somehow, more by luck than anything else, I've reached the age of 68.

Same here, I'm 50 and if I'd known back then and people were told it'd have been worse. Any difference was exploited by bullies. 

There wasn't a provision for neuro diversity then either, but to be fair from what I've seen recently, there's only really awareness and ability to o diagnose it now, there's little that seems to be available in terms of help once they have.

Same here, I'm 50 and if I'd known back then and people were told it'd have been worse. Any difference was exploited by bullies. 

There wasn't a provision for neuro diversity then either, but to be fair from what I've seen recently, there's only really awareness and ability to o diagnose it now, there's little that seems to be available in terms of help once they have.

I think the hardest thing after diagnosis has been actually asking for help, I'm too worried what people will think, I'll have failed and had to seek help, or avoid things I "can't do", so I white knuckle through it.

I've spent my life trying to be strong, I've not done too bad either, in my career I've done pretty well, I've got a wife and kids who I adore, so it's very hard to just one day tell everyone that although I appear fine on the outside and how much I truly so appreciate and love it all, , how hard it is to exist through pretty much every minute of my life, without sounding like I dislike them, dislike work, friends etc. or sounding like I'm making it up.

Therapy  helped me understand that my biggest issue is me. I had spent my life thinking it was everyone else until one day I realised the odds of that being the case were slim and I was the common denominator. I don't know how to relax, have a bit of faith, trust and enjoy life, rather than  second guessing, analysing and being paranoid about every minute.

Things that happened way back in school years still haunt me, i think they drive a lot of my current massive trust issues, as I'm still expecting the same things to happen, being let down etc. Even though it doesnt happen.

I so wish I could let go of all that , it's exhausting and leaves me feeling anxious and depressed most of the time, rather than enjoying it.

I think there's  significantly more help available re neurodiversity and going to college/university, than was the case when I was in my late teens. There was nothing for people like me when I was in school 1961- 1975. I was insightful and intelligent enough to know that  my chance of coping with the non academic side of university was extremely low. That and major EF difficulties were hurdles too difficult to jump over in the mid 1970s. 

I do agree however that when you get past the age when most people go to university, there's a serious lack of help and support. There can however be a lot of character assassination, being regarded as having a defective personality if, like me, you develop a severe mental illness. Struggling without anywhere near sufficient help and support from the (mental) health professionals is damn hard. There's no way I'd have made it to the age of 68, without the support of my late wife, and now my daughter- and granddaughters.