Late Regression?

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"A second course of development [in autism] is characterized by normal or near-normal development followed by loss of skills or regression in the first 2?3 years. Regression may occur in a variety of domains, including communication, social, cognitive, and self-help skills; however, the most common regression is loss of language."

I think I "regressed" (is it regression?) when I left school. At school I was very awkward and often called a "freak" because I was so eccentric, although some people respected me a bit because I was one of the top girls in the school (it was a girls' school) in science and mathematics, as well as being one of the best 1500m runners. But at school I would talk to people, even if it was usually scientific or political debates with teachers. When I left school I slowly lost my ability to talk to people / understand the world around me (although I never understood it well) etc, basically I went from diagnosed Asperger's to now diagnosed with Autism.

I struggle a LOT nowadays. I need support workers weekly to help me with things most people would do with ease.

Question: is it regression that I went through, or something else? I don't know the exact definition of regression.

I don't know if it's regression.

Maybe you have had a hard time adjusting to the challenge of becoming an adult.

It is really tough.

Have you considered schizophrenia instead of autism regression as the major contributing factor to losing skills and coping abilities in young adulthood?

Autism regression is a phenomenon in young children and unrecognized as a general effect in adults, while losing skills and coping abilities is recognized as what happens frequently in schizophrenia in addition to delusions/hallucinations.

Perhaps. Although my psychiatrist said that the structured environment at school may have made it easier for me.

I had severe behavioural problems as a young child though. I was probably having constant meltdowns but nobody understood.

Whatever has happened I now have a diagnosis of Autism and not Asperger's and I think Autism is correct. I don't relate to people I've met who have mild Asperger's.

I think you should discuss schizophrenia effects on functioning with your psych.
I have heard of teenagers and young adults who had big drops in functioning due to schizophrenia onset, but were able to work themselves back up to a good level with professional help.

Social and emotional regression upon moving away from a familiar place (in this case school) is not uncommon, especially for autstics. You retreat back to younger or previously eliminated methods of behaviour as you try to sort the novelty out. The same thing happened to me when I graduated from high school: I became more withdrawn and anxious, retreating into my special interests and refusing to exercise my social skills until the college environment became more familiar. Three years in, I'm much better now, almost back to the level I was at in high school, though socialisation is still challenging because there are so many more people at university and their sheer numbers can be overwhelming. Schizophrenia is a big jump to make, and a very serious mental illness; what traits did you start exhibiting that made you suspect it as an explanation for your regression?

Given your history (which I just noticed was specified in your signature ) your and btbynnr's conclusion is a sound one: the average age of onset for a Schizophrenic break is 25, slightly older for females, so I can see now why it would be a concern. Individuals with Schizophrenia or Schizophrenic tendencies can experience the same regressive patterns as autistics when confronted with change or difficulty; your regression may be a manifestation of more severe symptoms emerging, or it may simply be the natural reaction of someone with a different neurology to stress and change. This is an absurdly obvious suggestion of course, but if possible I would recommend discussing it with your doctor or psychologist, just to ensure that the symptoms aren't getting worse.

Thanks. I'll bring it up with my psychiatrist.

Tbh I don't know where the boundaries between negative symptoms of my schizophrenia and some of my autism symptoms lie.

I went through a really rough period in my life during my second year of 12th grade, and as a result I dropped out of school and was just sort of thrust into the adult world from there. For a while I regressed severely, though when I moved out of my dad's place and into my friend's basement, and got my first job, I did learn a number of things. I sort of regressed a little bit again when I quit that job over mental health reasons, though I didn't regress nearly as severely as I did when I dropped out of high school.

Right now, I'm still looking for a new job, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to go back to school in January, so I can finally get my f*****g diploma and maybe upgrade some of the high school courses I already finished while I'm at it. I also want to get my A+ certification, and start looking into other IT training as well so I can become a "legit" professional rather than just some guy who's willing to fix people's computers for below the equivalent of minimum wage.

A similar sort of thing happens to me. When ever I'm in a new environment or if I've had a traumatic experience I kind of revert to really childish behaviour.

I like you, Steel Maiden.

I wish I could help you return to your previous level of functioning.

You're still young---it's not a lost cause.