Intro - Late Diagnosis, Interests, etc.

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Introduction

:: Autism Diagnosis ::
Hello, I'm Befuddled Clarity. I am currently awaiting an appointment to receive a diagnosis for autism soon. I screened high on the unofficial CAT-Q & GQ-ASC and have many traits of ASD. I have 4 relatives officially diagnosed with autism (cousins and my son) and 3 relatives that I suspect also have it (younger brother, father, and maternal uncle).

I'm joining to better understand myself and my son (who is level 2).
Would be interested to hear from other autistic parents how it is like being a parent to autistic children.
My son and I haves some similarities (similar sensory issues), but also some differences(different ways of stimming).


Curious, were you guys diagnosed at a young age? Late diagnose? How was your experience with the behavioural health field?
Mine has not been so great...I also happened to be diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and I have chronic pain.
Also, how has relationships (romantic, platonic, and familial) been like for you guys?
My mother doesn't believe in autism and was physically, verbally, and other types of abuse towards me that I am unsure if I can write it here.
I'm not close to any family members, I have an easy time making friends but difficult time keeping them...
I have had a rollercoaster ride with relationships, and end up masking a LOT of the time. It's difficult sometimes...

Did you guys feel that the diagnosis helped a lot to navigate the world a bit better?
I am hoping to find some sort of direction or methods to cope...it's been difficult...

Anyhow, if you're interested in connecting, my interests and world view is down below.

:: Interests ::
* Art
>> Drawing, Animations, Pottery, Painting, etc.
* Coding
* Cooking
* Health/Fitness
>> Eating healthy, Skincare, Haircare (curly 3a/3b), and General Health
>> Martial Arts, MMA, Gymnastics, Calisthenics, Weightlifting, and Yoga
* Learning Languages
>> I speak both English & español, and VERY basic in 中文/普通话，日本語、and português.
>> I am also interested in many other languages.
* Reading
>> Articles, Books, Comics, Manga, Manhwa, Manhua, and Online Novels
>> Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Medieval, Medieval Fantasy, Psychological Horror, Romance (mostly as a B-plot not main though, WLW is cool too!), Sci-Fi, and Thriller.
* Researching
* Psychology
>> To better understand others.
* Tech
>> Specs on Phones & Computers, Cybersecurity, Degoogle, and Privacy/Security.
* Videogames
* Writing

:: World View/Perspective ::
* Philosophy
>> Secular Humanist who wants to help out as much as possible. Also, interested in secular Buddhism, egalitarianism, and stoicism.
* Politics
>> Moderate/Centrist/Independent: Open to talk to people from all walks of life, whether you're right-wing or left-wing. Hell, we don't even have to talk politics, we can just talk about interests/passions instead!
* Religion
>> Secular/Not religious/Atheist or whichever term is used for someone who is not religious.

Nice to meet you all, hope you guys are having a splendid day!

Welcome to WP

Welcome to WP!

I was not diagnosed until a few days before my 65th birthday so I'm not sure I'm of interest to you.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Hi there and welcome! Literally got my diagnosis today. Too early to tell whether it will help, feels very weird at the moment.

In the UK we don't distinguish by levels, apparently, so I just have plain ASD.

Welcome to the Wrong Planet...in more than one way!

Will your new knowledge help? That depends on your circumstances. There were three benefits to me from learning my diagnosis:
1. My life made a lot more sense.
2. Wrong Planet!
3. When my bride bumps up against one of my Autism traits she gets to hear me say:

"I have a doctor's note for that!"

Thank you!

How was life after receiving the diagnosis a few days before your 65th birthday? Did you always know or was it a surprise for you? I did not know until I took the unofficial Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) and the Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition (GQ-ASC), and a lot of things in life made more sense. This was maybe a few weeks ago, so late in life realization. I never really thought much about it before, despite the fact that I have relatives with and without official diagnosis...I’m hoping to receive an official diagnose though. Waiting for my psychiatry appointment.

Thanks!


Now that it has been a week, how does it feel that you have the diagnosis? I feel ready for the official diagnosis, just waiting for my appointment to come up soon.

Oh dang, I’m curious about how the UK autism resources are like. If they don’t have levels, do they still tailour help based on needs of each individual? Or is it a more general resource they provide?

For example, where I live, the government offers workplace disability accommodation for those with an autism diagnosis. Furthermore, they also offer parents to be a paid caregiver to their autistic children diagnosed with autism and offer respite care. There is also ABA Therapy (which is controversial here, and I have mixed feelings about it), and schools specifically for autistic children and have classrooms based on their social, academic, and milestone needs.

Thanks for the warm welcome by the way!

Starting when I was in 2nd grade (age 6–7) I felt like the other kids were not treating my like they treated other kids. By about 5th grade I had a little more information which could explain why I wasn't blending in:
① I wasn't doing well in physical education.
② I was doing very well on the standardized testing (i.e., I was "bright").
But I was also becoming increasingly convinced other people were messed up.

Over time I learned more about how I was different. I had a serious heart problem (currently believed to be congenital) which would have prevented strong exertion (i.e., I could not keep up with the other kids physically). And I joined Mensa. Nonetheless I did well for myself, except socially and romantically. Much to my surprise, however, I later lucked into a gal that was an excellent fit for me and we married in 2000.

But I still felt inexplicably "outside".

Christmas 2018/New Year's 2019 was the breakthrough. My Dad was still alive then and one of my sisters lived near him (which meant neither lived near me) and she worked as a nanny for special needs children. And in 2019 word got back to me that in 2018 she'd taken one of the kids (one she really likes) with her when she visited Dad and a few times Dad said the kid was doing the same strange things I used to do!

Everyone is different and I'd heard a few things about that kid that could explain why he was acting strange. And of those things the only one that might be useful to me was he was suspected of being Autistic. I absolutely did not think I was Autistic but it was the first possible hint of an explanation I'd gotten so I investigated it.

Two days before my 65th birthday I got my formal diagnosis:

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 (Mild)
with a note that I also satisfy the criteria previously associated with Asperger's Syndrome.

I finally had my answer and the more I read the more sense it makes.

And there are at least three benefits:
① Now I know what is wrong with everyone else—and that it's not my imagination!
② Wrong Planet!
③ When my bride bumps up against one of my Autism traits I get to say: I have a Doctor's note for that!

There is one other theoretical benefit that has not happened. My medical providers (I'm 71 with cardiac issues so there are quite a few of them!) do not adjust how they communicate to allow for my Autism...and that could've been incredibly useful!

I was diagnosed in my early 50's.

A week later and it still feels strange. Been doing a lot of working through memories and considering them from a new lens, which builds up a lot of anger and pain regarding people who should have known/done better... hoping I can overcome that. But it's helping build a bit more compassion for myself, which is something I've struggled with for a long time.

Well, there aren't that many resources you get access from the start, you need to apply for everything and then it will be considered on an individual basis... since I am able to hold a job that closes down a lot of pathways that would otherwise be open (which I guess makes sense).

That said, I can inform the workplace and am entitled to certain accommodations if I decide to disclose it, which I don't know that I will (since I can work remotely 100% anyway).

And yes, beyond that, for parents of autistic children there are many more resources like the ones you've listed, but they won't be applicable to me.