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Female 67 years old. Should I get assessment?

Ice Swimmer

Hi

I am trying to decide whether to get a formal  assessment or not.
Due to a number of events and conversation, I have reviewed my life and taken some online autism tests. In the tests I score highly. I have been shocked by how high, but I have a distrust of online tests, even though I believe I have only used ones which are offered by reputable groups with academic backing as far as I can tell.
I am 67 year old woman. If I was 20 years younger, I would definitely get tested as a diagnosis can help in the workplace. But, I am now retired and I can't help thinking that the meagre resources available should be used by those who will get the most benefit - ideally children. I have considered a private assessment but I have only seen 4 figure sums quoted, which is more than I can afford.
A diagnosis of autism would explain some character traits and a number of the difficulties I have had in life: accusations of being abrupt, finding social situations and making eye contact difficult, having hobbies, activities and interests that I focus on obsessively for a time, liking patterns which led to a love of Mathematics, being a "loner", disliking certain food combinations (e.g. custard and ice cream), meltdowns etc. It could also help with my mental health (hospitalised - including 2 sections - 4 times for extremely severe depression and anxiety + social care) and the type of support I get.
Parents

  • Hi, I'm male and was diagnosed at 67 after a lifetime of being misunderstood, misdiagnosed and misinformed.

    I always knew I had something more than just 'anxiety' and having recently discovered that stimming had a name (I'd been doing it all my life, mostly in private as the kids used to tease me for doing it in school).  I  then read that folk on the spectrum also stimmed, and things started to fall into place. I read a few books on autism and kept finding myself in the pages so went for an assessment.

    Result: ASD High Functioning.

    That was four years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Parts of my past are still falling into place, I now understand Ben so much better than I ever did before .

    There may be no cure and no treatment, but knowledge has brought me to a much quieter and happier place.

    If you go ahead with a formal assessment (and that decision is yours alone) then I hope you find it as useful as I have.

    Ben

Reply

  • Hi, I'm male and was diagnosed at 67 after a lifetime of being misunderstood, misdiagnosed and misinformed.

    I always knew I had something more than just 'anxiety' and having recently discovered that stimming had a name (I'd been doing it all my life, mostly in private as the kids used to tease me for doing it in school).  I  then read that folk on the spectrum also stimmed, and things started to fall into place. I read a few books on autism and kept finding myself in the pages so went for an assessment.

    Result: ASD High Functioning.

    That was four years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Parts of my past are still falling into place, I now understand Ben so much better than I ever did before .

    There may be no cure and no treatment, but knowledge has brought me to a much quieter and happier place.

    If you go ahead with a formal assessment (and that decision is yours alone) then I hope you find it as useful as I have.

    Ben

Children
  • in reply to Ben

    I am a 60 year old woman, diagnosed in March this year. I have also skimmed all of my life ( rocking and hand flapping mainly) in private. I have had years of struggle and fear and believing myself to be weird and unloveable. The diagnosis has helped to make sense of things but I am still struggling to come to terms with it and to know how to live differently and in a more honest way because of it, but I don’t regret it.

  • in reply to Ben

    aye there shouldnt be a cure, because its your personality, it likely also shouldnt be called a disorder but rather just a different personality type really when you think on it.

    if there was a cure for a personality disorder... it would change your personality... and if they can do that, then they will deem everyone to be ill and enforce this cure that changes everyone to the personality the government wants. a very obedient compliant worker drone personality that is easy to rule.