feels like i am moving backwards.

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I feel like I am moving backwards now that I have Aspergers. It feels like if I was diagnosed with it at an earlier age then I would be where I want to be at the age I am now (24). I feel like it’s too late to do anything because it’s like starting from step 1.

Maybe if I was 17 or 18 then got the help then I would be been moved out by now and living my own life instead of the life my parents want since I live with them

This echos similar comments in a thread General Discussion, but the difference there is it is among folks diagnosed late and approaching 40, I'm 37 and in process. I can feel for your position however as I was about 24 when they caught the ADHD. So I had the same feelings of why wasn't this caught prior to my entire educational foundation and much of my overall educational opportunity, building of relationship patterns and not to mention the nice clothesline coming out into the work force, some of which now was clearly also AS which I currently wish they had caught earlier. So, yeah, its a crap deal, but try and focus on the fact you are still very much early on given the overall scope. Honestly, I'm trying to do the same as all things considered I probably have 25-35 years left in the "productive" years of my career, so I'm at worst only a 1/3rd to a 1/2 into my total working years.

everything i want in life i would probably have now, if only i had help when i finished school.
my mom noticed the signs of Aspergers back then but never mentioned it to any doctors to see if i had it.

It's a common problem. Parent's sometimes see it, but are terrified by the possibility. It's a human reaction, hence people let that cough go for 6 months, or that lump, or that pain. I just had a very close friend die way too soon because he fell and hurt himself and was toughing it out and after 2 weeks he finally decided to call the doctor and go into the hospital to get it checked. That was the 29th of November, he went to bed that night sure he would go into the hospital on the 30th as scheduled and it would be nothing. Whatever it was killed him in his sleep that night.

So is what your mother did excusable, no, you're right, she should have done something. I'm sure there is a teacher or two out there, or some other folks in the same boat that might have seen it, but didn't want to be the one. Is it understandable? Yes. Is it forgivable? That's eventually up to you, but I'd hope so. Regardless, the only option you have now is to do the best you can to make up the difference and get to where you want to be. You owe it to yourself and spending time thinking about what should have or could have happened only delays it further.

Pretty uninspiring there I know, but its the unfortunate truth of the situation. Trust me, I've got a train wreck of a situation going that finally lead me to the discovery and it would have saved me a world of hurt, time and money, others too, but nothing I can do about it at this point, but do what I can now, with what I know now.

It's never too late?

You can catch up if you work at it. If you continue to do nothing the hole gets deeper. Don't get caught up in the past if you can help it. It's done. It's all over. Move forward. Or don't, and rot.

Do you have a plan of action? Somewhere to start? May help to define your goals, ways to achieve them, lists of potential setbacks and set a time-frame.

Define a problem and it becomes much easier to solve.

I agree, it's never too late, nothing good ever comes from looking back and wondering how it could have been if things were different.