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Hello all

JennyB

Hello all, im Jenny - introducing myself :)

 I was diagnosed with autism in November 2025 and later in life - im in my 40s. Its a relief to finally know and understand challenges ive had all my life with this new lens. I have an 'internalised presentation' though its exhausting to keep it so internal and harder to as I get older! Im keen to let my autism traits break free more -though nervous about this and how it may impact my closest connections. I recently listened to Katherine Mays audio book 'The electricity of every living thing'  and found it a great comfort as I relate to much of her experience. Has anyone else read/ listened to this book?

A bit more about me:

Im a mother to a teen and work as a self-employed gardener (plants are a special interest). I went to art school as a young adult and continue to enjoy creative self expression. Currently; I enjoy creative writing - often writing and reading poetry or creative non-fiction, sometimes fiction. I love music too.

I would most like to connect with other later diagnosed folk - especially mothers and /or creative souls. I dont know any diagnosed autistic women IRL (though one or 2 friends are questioning it) Thank you for reading all this! Looking forward to connecting.

Please say hi Slight smile

Parents Reply
  • in reply to Lotus

    Hi Lotus, thank you for messaging and for the kind welcome Slight smile 

    Im wondering if you have read a great book recently that you are happy to share about? And what sort of video games do you play? My son would probably like me to get into playing video games only i find what he likes playing a little anxiety inducing! 

Children
  • in reply to Lotus

    Thanks for this detailed book report - looks great! Its a little different to what i tend to read however I can be open minded and sometimes i try something a little different 'just to see' and i have enjoyed dark humour so maybe Ill give it a whirl one day!

    Yes - My son plays games that involve shooting or sometimes one that involves a skateboarder doing the most alarming jumps! I like your suggestions - especially Sims 4 and i think my son may enjoy that too Slight smile Thanks so much for the tips

  • in reply to JennyB

    The best book I've read in the past few months is "Murder Crime on Gallymay" by RR Haywood. It's written by an ex police officer and so it shows the procedures used in modern policing, which I found interesting, and the problems a police officer - who finds himself the only member of the police service on the island due to it being cut off by a storm - has to maintain procedures with only one untrained special constable and a few civilians to help.  Here's the synopsis:

     "The remote and isolated Cornish island of Gallymay was meant to be the perfect place for a break. But things don’t quite go to plan when Jim finds himself reluctantly thrust into a murder investigation, assisted by a ragtag group of well-meaning locals, in a chaotic, heartfelt, and often laugh-out-loud “almost” cosy mystery. Told through police notebooks, witness statements, interview transcripts and body-worn video logs, Murder Crime on Gallymay blends pitch-perfect policing, with laugh-out-loud moments, heartwarming friendships, and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the final page."

    You don't say what games your son likes to play, but if you find them anxiety inducing I'd guess they include fighting and possibly racing or sports? I like role playing games which include some fighting, such as Assassins Creed Origins, which is set in Cleopatra's Egypt, or Hogwarts Legacy which is set in the Hogwarts school of Wizardry 100 years before Harry Potter attended. If you want something more gentle, I enjoy Sims 4 which is a life simulation game where you control a "Sim" character, or a whole family of them if you want. You can create your own characters, choose their outfits, build them a home, give them personality traits and an aspiration to follow - for example you might give one the "Painter extraordinaire" aspiration, and fulfilling it includes painting pictures, viewing artworks in a museum/gallery, and reaching a certain level in the painter career. If you're interested in that, there are lots of articles and YouTube videos explaining how it works.