• Replies 11 replies
  • Subscribers 37 subscribers
  • Views 666 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Recently diagnosed with Autism at 67

notnormal

Me:

67 year old male.  Married with two grown children.  Retired for 5 years.

History:

I studied at university and have a post graduate degree.  I was a better than average student.  After graduation I worked for the same company for 40 years.  My career was successful but not outstanding.  Later on I was pigeon holed into roles that involved problem solving.  The company leveraged my talent for problem solving but, always chastised for not being a team player.  But hey I survived 40 years.

As a child I was always bullied and made fun of because I was different.  I preferred talking with adults.  In high school I was called nerd / geek.  That didn't bother me.  I just hung out with other nerds.  I could always make presentations to important people without any stress.  I even made a presentation to a CEO of a large company at the age of 15.  How did I do that?  I created a character that excelled in public.  Just like I created a character that could survive social situations (parties).

I was flabbergasted when I received the diagnosis.  I always believed the Autism stigmas.  How could I survive 67 years and then be given this diagnosis?

Parents

  • It's heartening to learn of your late adult diagnosis, especially as a diagnosis is generally taken to be a good thing that can help you to come to terms with yourself. My parents are within your age bracket and I suspect that they are 'on the spectrum' (as the expression goes) which would perhaps enable my brain to conceive of the whole 'why me?' self-pitying ritual that I have put myself through over the years - and I'm sure I still will once/if my diagnosis ever materialises in the affirmative. The stigma has certainly held me back from taking ASD too seriously, and I suspect that we're not alone. I see the very real signs of living 'on the spectrum' in my own young children, whose mum is autistic and whom I want to be a good presence for. Learning more about the variety of unique expressions within the umbrella term 'neurodiversity' does sometimes give me hope that me being the way I am is really not my fault but is a result of misunderstanding how I actually work. It does give me hope that coming to terms with who and how you are at any age can be beneficial, useful and settling.

Reply

  • It's heartening to learn of your late adult diagnosis, especially as a diagnosis is generally taken to be a good thing that can help you to come to terms with yourself. My parents are within your age bracket and I suspect that they are 'on the spectrum' (as the expression goes) which would perhaps enable my brain to conceive of the whole 'why me?' self-pitying ritual that I have put myself through over the years - and I'm sure I still will once/if my diagnosis ever materialises in the affirmative. The stigma has certainly held me back from taking ASD too seriously, and I suspect that we're not alone. I see the very real signs of living 'on the spectrum' in my own young children, whose mum is autistic and whom I want to be a good presence for. Learning more about the variety of unique expressions within the umbrella term 'neurodiversity' does sometimes give me hope that me being the way I am is really not my fault but is a result of misunderstanding how I actually work. It does give me hope that coming to terms with who and how you are at any age can be beneficial, useful and settling.

Children
No Data