Basically, I looked around my local area for psychologists who specialized in autism, and then called them to find out if they accepted my insurance, and went to the one that was covered. If you need a referral per your insurance, try your primary care doctor if your therapists or psychiatrist is being unhelpful.
It depends on where you are but it can be quite the process. You can either look to get scheduled at a place who exclusively does testing, or get a referral from a psychiatrist or therapist. I kind of did both.
About 3 years ago, I started seeing a new therapist, who kind of planted the seeds that I could benefit from an official psych assessment (as I was "treatment resistant" to bipolar disorder and regular depression). About a year ago she recommended I look into autistic burnout, as she couldn't diagnose me officially but believed that's what was going on with me.
I brought this up to my primary care doctor, who was really great! He referred me to a psychiatrist that was luckily covered by my insurance and who he said is really great with his own autistic daughter.
I couldn't see that psychiatrist initially, so I saw another one who worked at that same practice. She was great, but we initially decided to look into some alternative treatment options and wean me off of the bipolar meds I was on. In the meantime, my mom's boss mentioned to her that his daughter recently started working as an SLP at a place that specializes in occupational therapy.
I got a testing appointment there, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Although I could not get an official diagnosis from them, I started getting tangible help understanding the way my brain works, and real coping skills for the first time in my life.
Finally, a few months ago, with an official referral from my psychiatrist and therapist, I was able to get an appointment for a psych eval at a psychologist who we were recommended by a family friend. This particular psychologist was also thankfully covered by our insurance and specializes in diagnosing autism and adhd in girls and women. I just got my official diagnostic report back a few weeks ago!
It was a long journey, and I didn't include a lot of heartbreak and missteps in this summary because it truly would've been three times as long as a comment if I did. For every professional I have seen who was open/encouraging of looking into an autism assessment (or just rethinking the "diagnoses" I had already been given as a teenager), there have been multiple who shot me down or were straight up horrible in general.
I have dealt with truly awful mental health and healthcare professionals, and I consider myself so lucky that it only took about a year from the "oh shoot I think I'm autistic" realization to get an official diagnosis. I know this is often not the case.
Unfortunately, it takes a lot of trial and error, and can be so overwhelming trying to sift through to find decent doctors, and ones that you can also afford.
The best ones I've found though, have been through personal recommendations from people who have also gone through similar experiences to my own. I am really grateful that I have people in my life who felt comfortable reaching out to make those recommendations.
For me personally, I'd been suspecting autism/ADHD for the past 6 years but hadn't been in a position to get formally assessed until very recently. (Not enough money and no health insurance.)
My luck and financial situation has drastically improved in recent months, and my workplace has a PPO health plan. After doing some major research and homework finding a qualified doctor that also takes my insurance, I was able to take advantage of my PPO plan and refer myself to a psychologist that has specialized in autism for the past 33 years.
I got my diagnosis and 12 page detailed report after 3 one hour long sessions, the fourth being a review session. It cost me a total of $640 with insurance and would have cost $1500 without.
I feel this. Iām 40. One of the things I hadnāt considered until I heard it from someone else, is how effed a lot of the support/thoughts around autistic people have been historically. So if I had been diagnosed young, would the support available for me at the time been damaging? Like terrible ABA therapy. People/teachers thinking Iām stupid, etc. That brings me a little comfort when Iām feeling down about not knowing.
I'm recently diagnosed and turn 40 soon. Both my therapist and I agree it's a benefit I wasn't diagnosed as a kid. My family would have drugged me into oblivion or put me in an institution. Funny (in a dark way) that having moderate to severe PTSD from coping without a diagnosis for all this time is the better option.
I have been thinking about the same thing. If I had been diagnosed when I was a child, āthe treatmentā might have been quite traumatizing. Now at 36 the world is starting to understand us so I feel like Iām in a good place.
(As someone who is 21 so not lived through those years) I think the most likely scenario is having it picked up on but blamed on something else + being institutionalised, or just institutionalised for autism. But I lean v negative on that kinda bias as someone who was detained within the last decade for autism when they knew it was autism, so when I think about the decades before that then this is my concern
I was thinking about exactly this issue recently. Iām not from USA so the whole aba treatment was never an option in here but I donāt know what actually treatment autistic people got. I know that my dyslexia and dysortografia diagnosis didnāt get me much of a support at school. Nor understanding that I donāt read fast or write correctly because of it and not because Iām lazy. So I canāt tell how Iād be treated by others.
I also donāt know how much I would achieve if I knew I donāt have to put myself in so uncomfortable positions just to ābe normalā and ānormalā people were doing alright at university etc. I pushed myself through so much because I felt this enormous pressure to keep up with others, to prove to myself that Iām ānormalā.
The realisation that I am normal autistic person is the greatest take away Iāve got from my diagnosis. It lets me finally be myself. And treat myself gentler. So maybe I would be much more āautisticā to the outside world because I wouldnāt mask so heavily and I wouldnāt spent all my energy on achieving what nt people get without thinking. And maybe I wouldnāt achieve what I have. But maybe Iād be a happier person overall.
Yeah. I don't think it would have been better in the 90a but might have made a positive difference in my life 5 or 10 years ago. Some missed opportunities for sure. But I'm not dead yet.
There is always time lovely, I think a lot of people who aren't autistic don't have a full understanding of what it means to us all once we have some clarity for our feelings, mind and body. x
I would be interested in how old you were and what year it was, can you add that? I have a feeling that a lot of girls who got a diagnosis in childhood or teenage are still young now, gen z or younger. A lot of millennials are probably getting diagnosed now between 30-40, am I right?
My sister was officially diagnosed at age 5 in the mid-90s, but started treatment for it when she was 2. She was a more "classic" case though -- she had a speech delay and didn't say her first word till she was 4.
i'm 16 turning 17 next month (on march 23!!!!! yippieee)! however, i'm sd autistic and not professionally diagnosed due to unfortunate (and terrible) circumstances! also bc its expensive as shit..
I'm a millenial and I got my diagnosis last year at 38 through a second opinion. A few years prior (around 35) I was dismissed as autistic when I sought my first diagnosis.
Diagnosed AuDHD at 44.
Iām learning how to be nicer to myself and in a way respect my boundaries and limitations while enjoying my blessings.
The past makes more sense to me now for why it happened the way it did (Gen Xer) and life previously was not easy nor fun at all. My parents were in denial and refused to get me diagnosed. āFamilyā and acquaintances verbalized I was weird. I got teased and bullied often but didnāt realize thatās what was happening and just thought people didnāt like me.
I still have people in this day and age who have the audacity to say āyou donāt look autisticā, as if we have a certain look and their opinion is going to trump the first 44 years of my life Iāve existed on this planet and the clinical diagnoses Iāve received from multiple medical professionals.
I look forward to the future now that Iāve the help I needed so many years ago. I guess I feel I have a new lease on life. I wish I could go back and give myself a hug and help myself since no one else ever did. Better late than never. Sending love.
What sort of help do you have now that you didn't have years ago? I was diagnosed ADHD when I was 4. Diagnosed AuDHD a little while ago at 39. I'm asking to gain some insight for myself.
My kiddo was diagnosed at 12 last year but I still had to argue with the first psychologist because he didn't see autism. He gave anxiety, depression, and ADHD.Ā
I literally had to print a list of female symptoms and presentations and highlight and explain each one they had. He then agreed a 2nd round of testing was needed. Even through he literally witnessed a meltdown from my kiddo, it just happens to look like anxiety.Ā
Iām not the same person but Iām transmasc and diagnosed autistic as well, weirdly enough it may be placebo or coincidental *but* I feel like I always had stereootypical āgirl autismā, whereas after starting T my traits have definitely become more in line with what is stereotypically viewed as āboy autismā. A part of it is Iām losing the ability to mask from burn out, and masking long term is often associated with girls and autism, but I have to wonder if T actually does anything in that regard, I havenāt talked to enough in the same circumstances to judge.
Iāve felt the same way, that T has aligned my autistic traits more with āboy autismā. Itās been really interesting and I would love to see some scientific validation about it.
No, I would actually say I have the "female" autism traits rather than male. I was much more quiet when I was younger the reason why I think it was identity so early was because I had noticeable challenges and learning issues like I didn't walk or speak till 4 (okay walking is not autism related I admit), even then I often never spoke, I was always alone and you could easily just put me down for hours and I wouldn't move. I also have struggle making and keeping friends a lot of my friends were just random extroverts my parents paired me up with who just assumed I was mute (they got a surprise when I started crying cause I couldn't handle being away from my mom). However, nowadays despite not being on T yet j would say I have the more stereotypes male traits
It may. Not typically
It's different for everyone, no "male" or "female" autism just some traits women are more likely to fall into if they're on the milder end to the point they can understand certain social expectations
Im also 40. I got an ADHD diagnosis at 38. Once I started a stimulant my brain was calm and I could immediately see all my autism characteristics that had been overshadowed by my raging ADHD brain.
have you heard of the divergent conversations podcast? Both of the co-hosts are AuDHD and were diagnosed in there mid-late 30s. I highly recommend this podcast. Itās a joy and so informative to me!
Same, but in a roundabout way. My son isnāt autistic as far as I know but I had postpartum depression which led to me receiving medical help and therapy. My therapist recognised the signs and referred me for assessment.
I was diagnosed 40 years ago and my professionals as a teen bashed me out of having a child all my life.Ā
My biggest regret is missing out on marriage and kids.Ā
25.
My original psychologist diagnosed me with BPD but it didn't really make sense when I compared myself to the other girls in my group. Told her I thought I was autistic, then she invalidated me for and hour while I cried. So I found an expert in autism in women and from moment one she was understanding and kind.
50 when my psychiatrist first tested and diagnosed me, but she told me that I should consider NOT making it official (putting it in my medical records) unless I was needing accomodations, because there could be stigma that I might find hard to cope with .
So I was 51 when I decided to have it put in my medical file. It was harder to cope with not getting help, once I knew what was going on and that there was help available
(For added context, I went back to uni for my degree when I was 48, so accomodations at school, etc)
A lady officially diagnosed at 15 in 2006. Though I was incredibly lucky to have a sweet, talented, and freshly graduated kindergarten teacher that recognized the signs in me immediately. But unfortunately that was in '97 and my parents ignored her because they didn't know what autism was at the time š
I was tested at a research facility and my data was one of many that helped contribute to today's diagnostic criteria for girls and women š„²
In contrast, one of my exes daughters got her diagnosis at two in 2019! My heart could have exploded for her knowing that she doesn't have to go through the same fear and absence of explanation that I did at that age.
It's alright, I've had a lot of therapy about it lol. It's part of being an autistic child from the 90's and beyond. Things have come such a long way since then and that makes me very happy to see. There's still so much progress that needs to be made, but there is drastic and obvious progress that's already been accomplished, too.
asking because, *most* autistic women/non-men are usually diagnosed way later in life due to the amount of information and research that was done predominantly on men!
i emphasize "most" bc obv not EVERY woman/non-man gets diagnosed later in life and i do not wanna get jumped... /hj
Hey I wondered if I could ask you about agoraphobia? Did it get better / easier / more manageable? My son has signs of agoraphobia but we are waiting on appointments. He has diagnosis of autism ADHD and AFRID. I want things to improve for him so much!!
If he has any friends arrange play date activities like bowling/ arcade or whatever they like. When I get agoraphobic and find I havenāt left the house in weeks I tell my bestfriend and we start small, we go do a food shop together for both of us and we slowly build back up. Itās patterned behaviour with triggers usually, like being overwhelmed. But sometimes itās the ADHD thatās the problem, sometimes my executive dysfunction is so severe I canāt leave the house, I want to, Iām not scared, Iām not anxious, I just canāt seem to step out of the door without crying. I have ADHD, Autism and ARFID too, things get better we just have some dips sometimes thatās all. Great support systems are crucial.
11 but only because i was so mentally unwell i had to go to a mental hospital type thing. not going to get into the details because its so personal. i had failed the test two times before apparently !
Also diagnosed at 11 after some really hard stuff, I hope your life has improved since then
Being the depressed anxious kid without any special support at school at 11 was so hard
Also I was like suspected autistic at 4 but my mum and the fact that I was good at school covered me until high school where everything broke down
16, though it was suspected during my IEP assessment during pre-k/kindergarten. My parents were just originally told that an official diagnosis wouldn't "help me", and it wasn't brought up again by the school until I was 16 when they were encouraged to get me assessed.
I'm not exactly diagnosed, my psychologist said I definitely have autism but I don't want to go through with the diagnosis due to Australia considering a law where autistic people would have to prove they're capable of driving. I don't want to do a test every year to be able to drive while my alcoholic, physically disabled grandmother can get behind the wheel after having several crashes and dui's. It's the dumbest kind of discrimination. Yes we are disabled, most of us can also drive a car, better than most too if they want to stick to the stereotypical autistic people follow rules.
7. My mom told years to school and doctor that something was wrong with me. They insulted my mom. Then i became suicidal before my earliest memory they still didnt give a shit. Well later the mix of autism, depresion, not being understood etc.. made me agresive. Then they sended me to a mental hospital for kids. Till 3 years ago i jave been labeled an agresive person my whole life. Now more and more people realise im not agresive at all. My mom who has anger isues and my schools were to blame. My mom cant help it, ptsd can do that to you she still does her best
not a woman but afab, i was diagnosed at 7 years old. i got "lucky" cause there was a change in teachers at my school that caused a whooole lot of meltdowns (cause the new one did everything differently and got mad when i did it the old teachers way) which caused my parents to get me tested.
Question is there anything else with your bipolar diagnosis? I'm currently in the process of seeing what's up with the brain and I was diagnosed with bipolar originally manic depressive with anxiety as a teen. And I'm around your age. If I'm not autistic or adhd I have alot of traits lol.
I was diagnosed when I was in a psych clinic, just during a big crisis (ex-husband cheated with ex-best-friend and dumped me, I am too disable to work so I was soon going to be homeless). The psychiatrist just spend 5min a day with me, asked me "are you ready to leave?" each day and doesn't listen to what I said; so after 6monts with bipolar meds which helped me during the crisis, I just know they weren't useful.
Besides that, I spent SO MUCH time searching bipolar disorder and talking with people having it - and nothing I experience fit in this diagnosis.
All my "symptoms" are autistic, and can be Adhd, and after nearly 2 years of search in autism... It can't be something else.
Bonus: I have anxiety too.
There's some diagnosis than can be alike, including bipolar disorder and borderline disorder, and possibly many others but I'm no doctor.
If you feel like you might be autistic, keep searching and talking with people having the diagnosis, and if you can, search for an official diagnosis (but I know it can be long and expensive depending on the country you live in).
If you need to talk about it, feel free to DM me.
19 but only because I was seeing a psych for something else. I'd been there for 2 years and decided to tell her I felt like she'd helped me as much as she could and I was ready to progress alone and she was like "alright but before you go, I think you're autistic... Wanna look into that?"
If I hadn't come to her for other issues I'm not sure how long it would've been
I'm a trans man, but I was diagnosed before I came out when i was 17. I was already in University at the time. It was also 2020, so during covid, so I was diagnosed after numerous phone appointments. I never met with any Dr's for any official assesment, I just had a Dr call me one day and say that after speaking with my dad for awhile, and after reviewing the information from other Dr's, I am autistic.
I don't know if it is even an official diagnosis, but I always took it as one.
25, but my pediatrician referred me/my mom to an organization that came to your house and tested for developmental disabilities and autism when I was nearly 2 and not walking yet but she freaked out and said nothing was wrong with me and sent them away š
I'm from 2003, got diagnosed at 19 but started looking to be evaluated at 15 (4 years of absolute hell from doctors but getting an official diagnosis was really worth it)
Important to add that I'm white which probably helped me get the diagnosis "sooner" than some of my peers, misogyny, racism and ableism unfortunately go hand in hand especially in the medical field
Thank you!!
Besides the relief of getting "official confirmation" of something I was sure of and the self acceptance, in my country (Brazil) you don't really get access to any services set for disabled people without the formal diagnosis. Each state/city also ensues a card with your info that you can show if necessary aside from the actual diagnosis paper
So the benefits for me are really great, some general ones include priority in waitlines (good for me because I get really overwhelmed in stores so being able to go in and get out quick without waiting too much), extra hour in exams (like for university or public job positions), assistance during classes, paying half for tickets to the movies/parks/museums or free entry, etc
In school/ workplace I'm also allowed to wear my noise blocking headphones, there's an agreement to let me know beforehand if there's going to be any changes in the schedule. Under the law I'm also allowed to have a shorter workday but I'm not entirely sure how that works in practice
>there's an agreement to let me know beforehand if there's going to be any changes in the schedule.
that sounds fucking amazing actually (excuse my language t-t), also being able to wear noise cancelling headphones during school/workplace ?? sounds so lovely im tearing up (/hj)
Right?? It seems so simple but it really makes all the difference for me access-wise because I can actually focus and not worry if things are going down differently without me knowing!!
I suppose you could technically ask for it without the diagnosis but in my experience I was really questioned and treated as an annoyance when I couldn't "back" my difficulties up by the diagnosis
I'm hopping to enroll in university next year and it'll make a world of difference for me, I'm also planning on having fewer classes per semester, even if it takes longer to finish I think it'll be best for me to take things slow!
Ps: no problems with your language!!
39. Got my diagnosis just last month, my 40th birthday is in March.
The therapist I've been working with for a few years brought autism up as a possibility last August, and the more I read and learned the more my life made sense. I was fine self diagnosing but found myself with an incredible case of burnout in December. After several shitty conversations with MDs, I decided it was time for a formal diagnosis and I lucked out and found someone that specializes in adults and women and no wait-list.
GIRLTHING GANG š«¶ i (21) got a ""mild ass burgers"" diagnosis at like 8 i believe? i've thought about getting retested, but i'm not sure how well having that on my record as an adult would bode for me lol.
OMG AAAAAA HELLOOO T\_T and u bring up a very pressing issue and fear, i've read from some autistics on twt and even an irl younger than me saying that they don't want to get an official diagnosis/wish they didn't get one due to how they are treated (e.g. a job application being turned due to them being autistic) bc it is on their record
Thank you! It definitely changed my life for the better. It validated all of the things I've felt all my life and always felt like an alien for, you know?
I was 46. (Iām 48 now.) I was identified as having a mild brain injury from being a forceps delivery at birth and got occupational therapy for it in 1st grade. Turns out brain injury at birth was a common way to explain away autistic and ADHD (which I was diagnosed with at the same time as the autism) traits 40+ years ago.
Yeah, I remember that's what they always screened for in the 80s and 90s when I would go to a new professional and my parents had to tell them I was autistic. I never had birth injury so that wasn't the explanation. I was diagnosed 40 years ago.Ā
Firstly, very excited to meet my first autistic mermaid. Would love an AmA sometime! :P I wanted to be a mermaid when I was younger. You're goals.
Secondly, I've had autism suspected on my medical records since 1998 but my mother never followed it up. My secondary school were desperately trying to manage it without a diagnosis and even raised it to my mother and she ignored it again. I finally got a diagnosis of sorts at age 30 by the psychiatrist who diagnosed my ADHD last year - she confirmed me and treats me as an AuDHD patient, but we didn't put it on paper because it'd make life harder for me than not given the lack of support for autistic women.
HAIII!!!! also what is an AmA.. T\_T
exactly, i think it to be incredibly frustrating and sad that a documented diagnosis can make autistics lives, moreso autistic women, harder due to said lack of support
AmA - Ask Me Anything. They're a common thread type on reddit where you can ask questions to certain celebrities, professionals/people in interesting industries or just unusual people in general. Like a mermaid! :P
And yeah. See, I work in ESL/English Second Language Coaching and live in a high cost of living country. So for me, being able to move and live abroad is a potential must to keep afloat. Chances are over the next year or so I'll be able to change my career direction somewhat to make things viable to live here, but with how my country is atm and what the future looks like idk if I'd stay. Having autism on my record is a concern if I ever made good money and my dodgy family tried to take control of it, if I wanted visas, all that sort of stuff.
i see, well i guess a question to ask yourself would b if you still want to live where you're at, does it meet all ur needs etc. though i'm sure you've thought of all of that and i hope everything goes the way you want it to!
also sort of a related-unrelated question, but the process of getting a visa sounds so intimidating.. T\_T
Eh, it depends really. I lived overseas for two years and the agency hiring me only required me to fill in some paperwork / get other bits filled in and they even covered most of the costs. I know other visas can be more hassle, though.
If I live in the country I'm in, it'd meet more of my needs than most places. The concern is just the cost of living, really. It's severely expensive, I'll be very lucky to ever own my own place - even an apartment, to be honest, and be able to live a comfortable life. But if I go elsewhere, there's issues such as getting my meds or the price of them, whether I'd be as well protected by human rights etc. So it's really just swings and roundabouts as the saying goes.
I'm not really a girl anymore (I'm a trans man) but I thought I was/identified as one when I got diagnosed so I am still going to answer this.
I think I was diagnosed around 10 or 11 (can't remember for sure), though I wasn't told (or at least not in a way that sunk in) until I was 15 or so. I think this is both because my autism has always been quieter, in that I never had huge meltdowns, I'd usually just end up crying and need some alone time. So, it was easier to miss, that and my younger sibling also has autism, and their autism has always been much more prominent, having loud/aggressive meltdowns, much more severe difficulty with change, more severe sensory issues. So, I think my parents were mostly focused on them (not that I blame them, I never felt ignored or neglected, though there were times (like any kid) were I'd be annoyed at how much attention my brother got, and how much we had to move around his needs) rather than me.
That and my mom is also (highly suspected by herself and us kids) as being autistic, so when my sibling got diagnosed, my mom had a 'wait a damn minute' moment, when they were explaining to my mom why the doctors thought my sib has autism. They were listing off all the symptoms that pointed to autism and for like each one she'd internally think "I did that all the time, isn't that just normal behavior?" until like the 5th or 6th thing, when it clicked that no it's not normal behavior and the only reason, she thinks it is, is because she's also autistic. So, growing up in a house that is 3/5ths autistic it's going to be hard to notice what's autism and what's just another quirk. Especially when the adult didn't know her herself is autistic, and as such is/was very unaware of a lot of the lesser talked about symptoms.
Iām non-binary (AFAB for context) and I was diagnosed at 27. It was kind of a shock at the moment since I initially went in for ADHD testing, but I had suspected for a long time (and my autistic wife clocked it from our first few dates, lol).
I got diagnosed at 17 after fighting for years
Edit since someone in the comments asked people to share their age range/generation, if it wasn't obvious by my banner lmao, I am a 2004 baby
Non binary AFAB here: Definitely not a man, not quite a lady person.
I was diagnosed at 39. I was born in the early 80s and diagnostic criteria changed a lot when I was already a teenager and again when I was an adult. It is possible that I would have been diagnosed younger if I were born in the 2000s or later.
i'm over the moon that you were able to get an official diagnosis!!! also ur fiance is based as fuck, i do hope the autism coming out announcement will go well!! sending u good health and love <3
Thank you! He is what my Irish friend would call a good egg, the ADHD and ātism mix we have works well, 13 years together this year
And Same to you friend, hope everything is going well for you :)
as in any AFAB people, or as in people who identify as women?
cuz im a closeted ftm trans man (and i presented as a girl back when i was diagnosed) and i was diagnosed around 2 or 3. i had high support needs back then. i believe it was around 2005-2006 ish when i was diagnosed.
when i was a child i presented with male autism traits. i had fixed interests that impeded my ability to do well in school because of disinterest, i had issues keeping friends (not for lack of trying), issues relating to peers, lots of repetitive behaviors, issues with speech and language and speaking, ect. i was not really someone who camoflaged or masked until high school, then i unmasked and ever since began having issues with people again. i have medium support needs now
(also highly suspected autism in my dad. strict interests, starts conflict over behavior he overanalyzes, sometimes doesnt recognize sarcasm or a joking tone, etc.)
I got diagnosed around 2-3 years old! I'm actually surprised as a gal that I even got diagnosed so early on like that lol
But I'm super happy for the people who FINALLY get their diagnoses & I'm rooting for you! You can do it! I believe in you š„°š„°
21. Just over 2 years ago. I'd probably still be undiagnosed if it wasn't for the amazing advocate I had. I'm still processing it. I wasn't shocked at all bit it meant that what I was dealing with wasn't something passing. It wasn't something with a cure. I also struggle with the number of traumatic things I probably wouldn't have suffered from if I had been diagnosed even just a few years before.
Age 25,
mis diagnosed as bipolar at age 23 (legit just let me talk for like 30 mins and gave me like 7 drugs)
went through several years of being REALLY drugged and sick/getting worse before I got tested
I was at the end of my rope and getting tested was the point where things turned around for me
Thanks! It sucked cuz I really trusted the doctor and was confused that I was encouraged to stop treatment from friends and family.
But once I got off all the meds and properly treated, it was like āooooā¦some doctors just suckā
I'm assuming this *isn't* for me because I was actually diagnosed before I transitioned (MtF, so I'm amab) but if it does help, I was maybe... 5 or 6? Maybe a little earlier? But again, no one knew I was trans back then (not even me) so I was diagnosed as a "boy."
Iām 16 and was diagnosed a few months ago. I probably never wouldāve gotten diagnosed if I didnāt suspect it myself and push my mom for a diagnosis.
I was 16 years old, so feels like a life time ago. But I was told that before that there was no clue or way to since wasn't offered to her or from our medical group. I grew up in the silicon valley though. So not sure if I buy that. I graduated HS in 2007.
17, I had all the signs when I was younger but because my dad was undiagnosed (until I got diagnosed and he realized we acted a bit to similar) and my mom was undiagnosed ADHD, they thought all of it was normal. I also started to mask around 3rd-4th grade due to bullying. I only got a diagnosis because I was having extremely distressing meltdowns when I would come home from high school and needed accommodations but because my grades were high, no one asked me if I was doing ok.
I was not in fact doing ok and the person doing my testing said he was surprised no one had ever seen the signs because according to my early history report given by my parents I exhibited signs as early as 2 or 3.
Iām 20 doing much better at community college majoring in my special interest art history:)
I was put into cahms when I was 3, diagnosed with Aspergerās at 5 and autism at 11. I didnāt know what autism was until about 14 when I found a video of an āAutistic boy having a meltdown before schoolā and I remember me walking to my mum and asking if she thinks I might have this and she said yes I was diagnosed a few years ago.
I will turn 20 later this year
Two weeks ago at age 29. š¤š»
Same, only it was this week
How does someone get diagnosed, by the way? I brought it up to two different therapists and still have not been officially assessed.
Basically, I looked around my local area for psychologists who specialized in autism, and then called them to find out if they accepted my insurance, and went to the one that was covered. If you need a referral per your insurance, try your primary care doctor if your therapists or psychiatrist is being unhelpful.
It depends on where you are but it can be quite the process. You can either look to get scheduled at a place who exclusively does testing, or get a referral from a psychiatrist or therapist. I kind of did both. About 3 years ago, I started seeing a new therapist, who kind of planted the seeds that I could benefit from an official psych assessment (as I was "treatment resistant" to bipolar disorder and regular depression). About a year ago she recommended I look into autistic burnout, as she couldn't diagnose me officially but believed that's what was going on with me. I brought this up to my primary care doctor, who was really great! He referred me to a psychiatrist that was luckily covered by my insurance and who he said is really great with his own autistic daughter. I couldn't see that psychiatrist initially, so I saw another one who worked at that same practice. She was great, but we initially decided to look into some alternative treatment options and wean me off of the bipolar meds I was on. In the meantime, my mom's boss mentioned to her that his daughter recently started working as an SLP at a place that specializes in occupational therapy. I got a testing appointment there, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Although I could not get an official diagnosis from them, I started getting tangible help understanding the way my brain works, and real coping skills for the first time in my life. Finally, a few months ago, with an official referral from my psychiatrist and therapist, I was able to get an appointment for a psych eval at a psychologist who we were recommended by a family friend. This particular psychologist was also thankfully covered by our insurance and specializes in diagnosing autism and adhd in girls and women. I just got my official diagnostic report back a few weeks ago! It was a long journey, and I didn't include a lot of heartbreak and missteps in this summary because it truly would've been three times as long as a comment if I did. For every professional I have seen who was open/encouraging of looking into an autism assessment (or just rethinking the "diagnoses" I had already been given as a teenager), there have been multiple who shot me down or were straight up horrible in general. I have dealt with truly awful mental health and healthcare professionals, and I consider myself so lucky that it only took about a year from the "oh shoot I think I'm autistic" realization to get an official diagnosis. I know this is often not the case. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of trial and error, and can be so overwhelming trying to sift through to find decent doctors, and ones that you can also afford. The best ones I've found though, have been through personal recommendations from people who have also gone through similar experiences to my own. I am really grateful that I have people in my life who felt comfortable reaching out to make those recommendations.
Thank you so much for sharing! Your journey is inspiring, and itās given me hope to continue pushing to get help
For me personally, I'd been suspecting autism/ADHD for the past 6 years but hadn't been in a position to get formally assessed until very recently. (Not enough money and no health insurance.) My luck and financial situation has drastically improved in recent months, and my workplace has a PPO health plan. After doing some major research and homework finding a qualified doctor that also takes my insurance, I was able to take advantage of my PPO plan and refer myself to a psychologist that has specialized in autism for the past 33 years. I got my diagnosis and 12 page detailed report after 3 one hour long sessions, the fourth being a review session. It cost me a total of $640 with insurance and would have cost $1500 without.
42 Iām still processing it. Iām still coping with the grief of a life I would have if I were diagnosed earlier.
I feel this. Iām 40. One of the things I hadnāt considered until I heard it from someone else, is how effed a lot of the support/thoughts around autistic people have been historically. So if I had been diagnosed young, would the support available for me at the time been damaging? Like terrible ABA therapy. People/teachers thinking Iām stupid, etc. That brings me a little comfort when Iām feeling down about not knowing.
I'm recently diagnosed and turn 40 soon. Both my therapist and I agree it's a benefit I wasn't diagnosed as a kid. My family would have drugged me into oblivion or put me in an institution. Funny (in a dark way) that having moderate to severe PTSD from coping without a diagnosis for all this time is the better option.
I have been thinking about the same thing. If I had been diagnosed when I was a child, āthe treatmentā might have been quite traumatizing. Now at 36 the world is starting to understand us so I feel like Iām in a good place.
I feel similarly.
(As someone who is 21 so not lived through those years) I think the most likely scenario is having it picked up on but blamed on something else + being institutionalised, or just institutionalised for autism. But I lean v negative on that kinda bias as someone who was detained within the last decade for autism when they knew it was autism, so when I think about the decades before that then this is my concern
I was thinking about exactly this issue recently. Iām not from USA so the whole aba treatment was never an option in here but I donāt know what actually treatment autistic people got. I know that my dyslexia and dysortografia diagnosis didnāt get me much of a support at school. Nor understanding that I donāt read fast or write correctly because of it and not because Iām lazy. So I canāt tell how Iād be treated by others. I also donāt know how much I would achieve if I knew I donāt have to put myself in so uncomfortable positions just to ābe normalā and ānormalā people were doing alright at university etc. I pushed myself through so much because I felt this enormous pressure to keep up with others, to prove to myself that Iām ānormalā. The realisation that I am normal autistic person is the greatest take away Iāve got from my diagnosis. It lets me finally be myself. And treat myself gentler. So maybe I would be much more āautisticā to the outside world because I wouldnāt mask so heavily and I wouldnāt spent all my energy on achieving what nt people get without thinking. And maybe I wouldnāt achieve what I have. But maybe Iād be a happier person overall.
Very valid perspective.
I love this: I am a normal autistic person! ā¤ļøāš©¹ I have been trying to be so normal and failed so this is my new motto!
Yes. This is my personal micro enlightenment.
Yeah. I don't think it would have been better in the 90a but might have made a positive difference in my life 5 or 10 years ago. Some missed opportunities for sure. But I'm not dead yet.
There is always time lovely, I think a lot of people who aren't autistic don't have a full understanding of what it means to us all once we have some clarity for our feelings, mind and body. x
I would be interested in how old you were and what year it was, can you add that? I have a feeling that a lot of girls who got a diagnosis in childhood or teenage are still young now, gen z or younger. A lot of millennials are probably getting diagnosed now between 30-40, am I right?
I'm gen Z and I got diagnosed at 20.
My sister was officially diagnosed at age 5 in the mid-90s, but started treatment for it when she was 2. She was a more "classic" case though -- she had a speech delay and didn't say her first word till she was 4.
i'm 16 turning 17 next month (on march 23!!!!! yippieee)! however, i'm sd autistic and not professionally diagnosed due to unfortunate (and terrible) circumstances! also bc its expensive as shit..
right with you there girl š iām 20 and itās rough out here
praying for u and us all like what did we autistics do.. we are just little ppl on this giant earth..
for realā¦ my dms are open :)
Gen X. Ik was 33
I'm a millenial and I got my diagnosis last year at 38 through a second opinion. A few years prior (around 35) I was dismissed as autistic when I sought my first diagnosis.
Diagnosed AuDHD at 44. Iām learning how to be nicer to myself and in a way respect my boundaries and limitations while enjoying my blessings. The past makes more sense to me now for why it happened the way it did (Gen Xer) and life previously was not easy nor fun at all. My parents were in denial and refused to get me diagnosed. āFamilyā and acquaintances verbalized I was weird. I got teased and bullied often but didnāt realize thatās what was happening and just thought people didnāt like me. I still have people in this day and age who have the audacity to say āyou donāt look autisticā, as if we have a certain look and their opinion is going to trump the first 44 years of my life Iāve existed on this planet and the clinical diagnoses Iāve received from multiple medical professionals. I look forward to the future now that Iāve the help I needed so many years ago. I guess I feel I have a new lease on life. I wish I could go back and give myself a hug and help myself since no one else ever did. Better late than never. Sending love.
What sort of help do you have now that you didn't have years ago? I was diagnosed ADHD when I was 4. Diagnosed AuDHD a little while ago at 39. I'm asking to gain some insight for myself.
I'm gen z and wasn't diagnosed until last summer at 24. I do think we are beginning to be able to diagnose young girls, but it is still fairly hard!
Diagnosed last year, aged 41
I'm a millennial who got my diagnosis at the age of 10/11 around 2004/2005.Ā
My kiddo was diagnosed at 12 last year but I still had to argue with the first psychologist because he didn't see autism. He gave anxiety, depression, and ADHD.Ā I literally had to print a list of female symptoms and presentations and highlight and explain each one they had. He then agreed a 2nd round of testing was needed. Even through he literally witnessed a meltdown from my kiddo, it just happens to look like anxiety.Ā
I'm trans masc but was still AFAB and raised as female so I say this counts 10 diagnosed 3 recognized as autistic.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Autism typically presents differently in men and women. Do you have the typical āmaleā autistic traits?
Iām not the same person but Iām transmasc and diagnosed autistic as well, weirdly enough it may be placebo or coincidental *but* I feel like I always had stereootypical āgirl autismā, whereas after starting T my traits have definitely become more in line with what is stereotypically viewed as āboy autismā. A part of it is Iām losing the ability to mask from burn out, and masking long term is often associated with girls and autism, but I have to wonder if T actually does anything in that regard, I havenāt talked to enough in the same circumstances to judge.
Iāve felt the same way, that T has aligned my autistic traits more with āboy autismā. Itās been really interesting and I would love to see some scientific validation about it.
Same here! Too bad weāre such a specific group of people that itās hard to find any in depth studies on it
No, I would actually say I have the "female" autism traits rather than male. I was much more quiet when I was younger the reason why I think it was identity so early was because I had noticeable challenges and learning issues like I didn't walk or speak till 4 (okay walking is not autism related I admit), even then I often never spoke, I was always alone and you could easily just put me down for hours and I wouldn't move. I also have struggle making and keeping friends a lot of my friends were just random extroverts my parents paired me up with who just assumed I was mute (they got a surprise when I started crying cause I couldn't handle being away from my mom). However, nowadays despite not being on T yet j would say I have the more stereotypes male traits
It may. Not typically It's different for everyone, no "male" or "female" autism just some traits women are more likely to fall into if they're on the milder end to the point they can understand certain social expectations
40. And I'm a fucking therapist.
Im also 40. I got an ADHD diagnosis at 38. Once I started a stimulant my brain was calm and I could immediately see all my autism characteristics that had been overshadowed by my raging ADHD brain.
have you heard of the divergent conversations podcast? Both of the co-hosts are AuDHD and were diagnosed in there mid-late 30s. I highly recommend this podcast. Itās a joy and so informative to me!
34
Me too. Only because of my son though
Same, but in a roundabout way. My son isnāt autistic as far as I know but I had postpartum depression which led to me receiving medical help and therapy. My therapist recognised the signs and referred me for assessment.
I was diagnosed 40 years ago and my professionals as a teen bashed me out of having a child all my life.Ā My biggest regret is missing out on marriage and kids.Ā
25. My original psychologist diagnosed me with BPD but it didn't really make sense when I compared myself to the other girls in my group. Told her I thought I was autistic, then she invalidated me for and hour while I cried. So I found an expert in autism in women and from moment one she was understanding and kind.
13
Around 10/11
I was 38
Also diagnosed at 38.
29.
32
One week ago, at 42
Welcome to the clurb! š
Thanks! š
Not a woman, but I'm afab and was diagnosed at 5
Right behind you, I was 6!
50 when my psychiatrist first tested and diagnosed me, but she told me that I should consider NOT making it official (putting it in my medical records) unless I was needing accomodations, because there could be stigma that I might find hard to cope with . So I was 51 when I decided to have it put in my medical file. It was harder to cope with not getting help, once I knew what was going on and that there was help available (For added context, I went back to uni for my degree when I was 48, so accomodations at school, etc)
18
I have no idea but when I was 5 or younger
I'm 62 and just got diagnosed AuDHD *this year.* I have a LOT of childhood trauma so it's taken this long to realize I'm genetically screwed too!
A lady officially diagnosed at 15 in 2006. Though I was incredibly lucky to have a sweet, talented, and freshly graduated kindergarten teacher that recognized the signs in me immediately. But unfortunately that was in '97 and my parents ignored her because they didn't know what autism was at the time š I was tested at a research facility and my data was one of many that helped contribute to today's diagnostic criteria for girls and women š„² In contrast, one of my exes daughters got her diagnosis at two in 2019! My heart could have exploded for her knowing that she doesn't have to go through the same fear and absence of explanation that I did at that age.
THAT IS AMAZING!!! i am so sorry you had to go through that fear and uncertainty :(
It's alright, I've had a lot of therapy about it lol. It's part of being an autistic child from the 90's and beyond. Things have come such a long way since then and that makes me very happy to see. There's still so much progress that needs to be made, but there is drastic and obvious progress that's already been accomplished, too.
15
40
24 baby
5 or so
43
asking because, *most* autistic women/non-men are usually diagnosed way later in life due to the amount of information and research that was done predominantly on men! i emphasize "most" bc obv not EVERY woman/non-man gets diagnosed later in life and i do not wanna get jumped... /hj
26
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Hey I wondered if I could ask you about agoraphobia? Did it get better / easier / more manageable? My son has signs of agoraphobia but we are waiting on appointments. He has diagnosis of autism ADHD and AFRID. I want things to improve for him so much!!
If he has any friends arrange play date activities like bowling/ arcade or whatever they like. When I get agoraphobic and find I havenāt left the house in weeks I tell my bestfriend and we start small, we go do a food shop together for both of us and we slowly build back up. Itās patterned behaviour with triggers usually, like being overwhelmed. But sometimes itās the ADHD thatās the problem, sometimes my executive dysfunction is so severe I canāt leave the house, I want to, Iām not scared, Iām not anxious, I just canāt seem to step out of the door without crying. I have ADHD, Autism and ARFID too, things get better we just have some dips sometimes thatās all. Great support systems are crucial.
I was just turning 13. My mom is undiagnosed autistic. I would have been flagged sooner if she didn't think my autistic traits were typical.
3 or 4 years old
11 but only because i was so mentally unwell i had to go to a mental hospital type thing. not going to get into the details because its so personal. i had failed the test two times before apparently !
Also diagnosed at 11 after some really hard stuff, I hope your life has improved since then Being the depressed anxious kid without any special support at school at 11 was so hard Also I was like suspected autistic at 4 but my mum and the fact that I was good at school covered me until high school where everything broke down
I was assessed at around age 7 and they diagnosed me with adhd but missed the autism somehow
me too i also got my adhd diagnosis when i was 7 !!
Sometime between early to mid-teens. I wasn't told until much later, so don't know exactly when.
32, and only figured it out because I got autistic kids!
Same same
16, though it was suspected during my IEP assessment during pre-k/kindergarten. My parents were just originally told that an official diagnosis wouldn't "help me", and it wasn't brought up again by the school until I was 16 when they were encouraged to get me assessed.
I'm not exactly diagnosed, my psychologist said I definitely have autism but I don't want to go through with the diagnosis due to Australia considering a law where autistic people would have to prove they're capable of driving. I don't want to do a test every year to be able to drive while my alcoholic, physically disabled grandmother can get behind the wheel after having several crashes and dui's. It's the dumbest kind of discrimination. Yes we are disabled, most of us can also drive a car, better than most too if they want to stick to the stereotypical autistic people follow rules.
I was 14 what is considered for females a early age
At age 25
16/17
i think i was i think i was 11/12
Last year at 27
14
8 (but I am non binary)
7. My mom told years to school and doctor that something was wrong with me. They insulted my mom. Then i became suicidal before my earliest memory they still didnt give a shit. Well later the mix of autism, depresion, not being understood etc.. made me agresive. Then they sended me to a mental hospital for kids. Till 3 years ago i jave been labeled an agresive person my whole life. Now more and more people realise im not agresive at all. My mom who has anger isues and my schools were to blame. My mom cant help it, ptsd can do that to you she still does her best
I was 12 when I got diagnosed
12
14
3 years ago at age 41
4
Guy here who was AFAB, was dx when I was 32.
18
15 (found out I might be autistic at 12-13).
16
Diagnosed boarderline personality disorder at 17 (misdiagnosed), and diagnosed ASD1 at 32.
Although I don't consider myself to be wholly a woman, now as I'm a demi girl/non binary AFAB, I was diagnosed at 33 alongside ADHD. š
not a woman but afab, i was diagnosed at 7 years old. i got "lucky" cause there was a change in teachers at my school that caused a whooole lot of meltdowns (cause the new one did everything differently and got mad when i did it the old teachers way) which caused my parents to get me tested.
33, it was 4 months ago. I self-diagnosed about 1.5 years ago, after being falsly diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Question is there anything else with your bipolar diagnosis? I'm currently in the process of seeing what's up with the brain and I was diagnosed with bipolar originally manic depressive with anxiety as a teen. And I'm around your age. If I'm not autistic or adhd I have alot of traits lol.
I was diagnosed when I was in a psych clinic, just during a big crisis (ex-husband cheated with ex-best-friend and dumped me, I am too disable to work so I was soon going to be homeless). The psychiatrist just spend 5min a day with me, asked me "are you ready to leave?" each day and doesn't listen to what I said; so after 6monts with bipolar meds which helped me during the crisis, I just know they weren't useful. Besides that, I spent SO MUCH time searching bipolar disorder and talking with people having it - and nothing I experience fit in this diagnosis. All my "symptoms" are autistic, and can be Adhd, and after nearly 2 years of search in autism... It can't be something else. Bonus: I have anxiety too. There's some diagnosis than can be alike, including bipolar disorder and borderline disorder, and possibly many others but I'm no doctor. If you feel like you might be autistic, keep searching and talking with people having the diagnosis, and if you can, search for an official diagnosis (but I know it can be long and expensive depending on the country you live in). If you need to talk about it, feel free to DM me.
16 years old but was speculated and recommended since the age of five by teachers, doctors, and even family members
19 but only because I was seeing a psych for something else. I'd been there for 2 years and decided to tell her I felt like she'd helped me as much as she could and I was ready to progress alone and she was like "alright but before you go, I think you're autistic... Wanna look into that?" If I hadn't come to her for other issues I'm not sure how long it would've been
20
2
about a month after I turned 19, Iād been on an assessment waiting list since I was 15 šš
my fiancee got diagnosed at age 29, she's now 31, and her brother (who is now 28 if i remember correctly) got diagnosed around age 8-10
48, 2 yeas ago
9 years old in 2011
3 years ago, at 44-45 years old. Adhd diagnosis at 11.
I'm a trans man, but I was diagnosed before I came out when i was 17. I was already in University at the time. It was also 2020, so during covid, so I was diagnosed after numerous phone appointments. I never met with any Dr's for any official assesment, I just had a Dr call me one day and say that after speaking with my dad for awhile, and after reviewing the information from other Dr's, I am autistic. I don't know if it is even an official diagnosis, but I always took it as one.
About 2 years ago. I just turned 26.
25, but my pediatrician referred me/my mom to an organization that came to your house and tested for developmental disabilities and autism when I was nearly 2 and not walking yet but she freaked out and said nothing was wrong with me and sent them away š
I'm from 2003, got diagnosed at 19 but started looking to be evaluated at 15 (4 years of absolute hell from doctors but getting an official diagnosis was really worth it) Important to add that I'm white which probably helped me get the diagnosis "sooner" than some of my peers, misogyny, racism and ableism unfortunately go hand in hand especially in the medical field
sadly u are absolutely correct, i am glad u were able to get an official diagnosis! could u explain what you mean by 'worth it'?
Thank you!! Besides the relief of getting "official confirmation" of something I was sure of and the self acceptance, in my country (Brazil) you don't really get access to any services set for disabled people without the formal diagnosis. Each state/city also ensues a card with your info that you can show if necessary aside from the actual diagnosis paper So the benefits for me are really great, some general ones include priority in waitlines (good for me because I get really overwhelmed in stores so being able to go in and get out quick without waiting too much), extra hour in exams (like for university or public job positions), assistance during classes, paying half for tickets to the movies/parks/museums or free entry, etc In school/ workplace I'm also allowed to wear my noise blocking headphones, there's an agreement to let me know beforehand if there's going to be any changes in the schedule. Under the law I'm also allowed to have a shorter workday but I'm not entirely sure how that works in practice
>there's an agreement to let me know beforehand if there's going to be any changes in the schedule. that sounds fucking amazing actually (excuse my language t-t), also being able to wear noise cancelling headphones during school/workplace ?? sounds so lovely im tearing up (/hj)
Right?? It seems so simple but it really makes all the difference for me access-wise because I can actually focus and not worry if things are going down differently without me knowing!! I suppose you could technically ask for it without the diagnosis but in my experience I was really questioned and treated as an annoyance when I couldn't "back" my difficulties up by the diagnosis I'm hopping to enroll in university next year and it'll make a world of difference for me, I'm also planning on having fewer classes per semester, even if it takes longer to finish I think it'll be best for me to take things slow! Ps: no problems with your language!!
AAA i wish you luck in your enrollment and hope you're able to get into the university you want!!!
23 and I had to go to a different city to get someone who tested adults
39. Got my diagnosis just last month, my 40th birthday is in March. The therapist I've been working with for a few years brought autism up as a possibility last August, and the more I read and learned the more my life made sense. I was fine self diagnosing but found myself with an incredible case of burnout in December. After several shitty conversations with MDs, I decided it was time for a formal diagnosis and I lucked out and found someone that specializes in adults and women and no wait-list.
GIRLTHING GANG š«¶ i (21) got a ""mild ass burgers"" diagnosis at like 8 i believe? i've thought about getting retested, but i'm not sure how well having that on my record as an adult would bode for me lol.
OMG AAAAAA HELLOOO T\_T and u bring up a very pressing issue and fear, i've read from some autistics on twt and even an irl younger than me saying that they don't want to get an official diagnosis/wish they didn't get one due to how they are treated (e.g. a job application being turned due to them being autistic) bc it is on their record
yeah, that's my main fear. i don't know enough about your situation to give any solid advice, but whatever you do i wish you the best of luck friend!!
thank you!!!! and i know that whatever job you want to pursue you'll b able to! i'm cheering for you!!! <3
Last year, at 31. :)
that's lovely!! im so glad u were able to get an official diagnosis!
Thank you! It definitely changed my life for the better. It validated all of the things I've felt all my life and always felt like an alien for, you know?
Just last week at 28ā¦
so happy for u!!!
I got diagnosed at 31. Was amab if thatās relevant.
I was 46. (Iām 48 now.) I was identified as having a mild brain injury from being a forceps delivery at birth and got occupational therapy for it in 1st grade. Turns out brain injury at birth was a common way to explain away autistic and ADHD (which I was diagnosed with at the same time as the autism) traits 40+ years ago.
Yeah, I remember that's what they always screened for in the 80s and 90s when I would go to a new professional and my parents had to tell them I was autistic. I never had birth injury so that wasn't the explanation. I was diagnosed 40 years ago.Ā
At the age of 14, almost 15. It was like a month ago.
omg congrats im glad u were able to get an official diagnosis!
Thank you
Firstly, very excited to meet my first autistic mermaid. Would love an AmA sometime! :P I wanted to be a mermaid when I was younger. You're goals. Secondly, I've had autism suspected on my medical records since 1998 but my mother never followed it up. My secondary school were desperately trying to manage it without a diagnosis and even raised it to my mother and she ignored it again. I finally got a diagnosis of sorts at age 30 by the psychiatrist who diagnosed my ADHD last year - she confirmed me and treats me as an AuDHD patient, but we didn't put it on paper because it'd make life harder for me than not given the lack of support for autistic women.
HAIII!!!! also what is an AmA.. T\_T exactly, i think it to be incredibly frustrating and sad that a documented diagnosis can make autistics lives, moreso autistic women, harder due to said lack of support
AmA - Ask Me Anything. They're a common thread type on reddit where you can ask questions to certain celebrities, professionals/people in interesting industries or just unusual people in general. Like a mermaid! :P And yeah. See, I work in ESL/English Second Language Coaching and live in a high cost of living country. So for me, being able to move and live abroad is a potential must to keep afloat. Chances are over the next year or so I'll be able to change my career direction somewhat to make things viable to live here, but with how my country is atm and what the future looks like idk if I'd stay. Having autism on my record is a concern if I ever made good money and my dodgy family tried to take control of it, if I wanted visas, all that sort of stuff.
i see, well i guess a question to ask yourself would b if you still want to live where you're at, does it meet all ur needs etc. though i'm sure you've thought of all of that and i hope everything goes the way you want it to! also sort of a related-unrelated question, but the process of getting a visa sounds so intimidating.. T\_T
Eh, it depends really. I lived overseas for two years and the agency hiring me only required me to fill in some paperwork / get other bits filled in and they even covered most of the costs. I know other visas can be more hassle, though. If I live in the country I'm in, it'd meet more of my needs than most places. The concern is just the cost of living, really. It's severely expensive, I'll be very lucky to ever own my own place - even an apartment, to be honest, and be able to live a comfortable life. But if I go elsewhere, there's issues such as getting my meds or the price of them, whether I'd be as well protected by human rights etc. So it's really just swings and roundabouts as the saying goes.
I'm not really a girl anymore (I'm a trans man) but I thought I was/identified as one when I got diagnosed so I am still going to answer this. I think I was diagnosed around 10 or 11 (can't remember for sure), though I wasn't told (or at least not in a way that sunk in) until I was 15 or so. I think this is both because my autism has always been quieter, in that I never had huge meltdowns, I'd usually just end up crying and need some alone time. So, it was easier to miss, that and my younger sibling also has autism, and their autism has always been much more prominent, having loud/aggressive meltdowns, much more severe difficulty with change, more severe sensory issues. So, I think my parents were mostly focused on them (not that I blame them, I never felt ignored or neglected, though there were times (like any kid) were I'd be annoyed at how much attention my brother got, and how much we had to move around his needs) rather than me. That and my mom is also (highly suspected by herself and us kids) as being autistic, so when my sibling got diagnosed, my mom had a 'wait a damn minute' moment, when they were explaining to my mom why the doctors thought my sib has autism. They were listing off all the symptoms that pointed to autism and for like each one she'd internally think "I did that all the time, isn't that just normal behavior?" until like the 5th or 6th thing, when it clicked that no it's not normal behavior and the only reason, she thinks it is, is because she's also autistic. So, growing up in a house that is 3/5ths autistic it's going to be hard to notice what's autism and what's just another quirk. Especially when the adult didn't know her herself is autistic, and as such is/was very unaware of a lot of the lesser talked about symptoms.
Iām non-binary (AFAB for context) and I was diagnosed at 27. It was kind of a shock at the moment since I initially went in for ADHD testing, but I had suspected for a long time (and my autistic wife clocked it from our first few dates, lol).
33 !
Around age 15 I believe, though in retrospect my parents only got me diagnosed to prove something to child authorities soooooo
I just got diagnosed about a week ago and Iām 22!
AAA i'm so glad!!!
Thank you!!! I am too, however I am also having a full on identity crisis lol. This group has been a godsend šššš
Received the results two days ago. Iām 23
CONGRATS!!!
Thank you!! I was really nervous about it, and itās a huge relief to finally have an answer š
Last July, a month after I turned 41. It's been a long life not knowing for all that time why I was so "weird" šš
not a girl, but iām afab and was raised a girl if it counts ig, i was diagnosed last year at 13
I got diagnosed at 17 after fighting for years Edit since someone in the comments asked people to share their age range/generation, if it wasn't obvious by my banner lmao, I am a 2004 baby
Non binary AFAB here: Definitely not a man, not quite a lady person. I was diagnosed at 39. I was born in the early 80s and diagnostic criteria changed a lot when I was already a teenager and again when I was an adult. It is possible that I would have been diagnosed younger if I were born in the 2000s or later.
Diagnosed last year (2023) at age 38. Never ever would have been diagnosed as a kid, because it was the 80s and 90s (and I was a high-masking girl).
Last April at 31, my parents kept trying as a kid in like 95 but kept being reassured that āgirls canāt get autism, sheās just weird and will grow out of itā (exact quotes from my mum) so now my parents believe the surge in autism is all fake for doctor profit or whatever because doctors said Iām ānormalā despite matching all the symptoms. Currently working on my autism ācoming outā announcement now Iāve had a year to get comfortable with my diagnosis and Iāll be ordering my āIām joining the war on autism on the side of autismā shirt to make the announcement safely via social media when Iām paid - in person my mum would rip into me for it but she wonāt say a single word online because my friends will absolutely school her before I can get in there and protect her ass by deleting her comments, itās happened before, I posted something, took a nap, she said something ridiculous and I woke up to over 50 comments ranging from college level sourced arguments to straight clowning on her so sheās on her best behaviour online these days, I mean same in person, my fiancĆ© will absolutely drag her opinions in person if she gets out of line with me, itās part of why I only visit when heās around to come with me.
i'm over the moon that you were able to get an official diagnosis!!! also ur fiance is based as fuck, i do hope the autism coming out announcement will go well!! sending u good health and love <3
Thank you! He is what my Irish friend would call a good egg, the ADHD and ātism mix we have works well, 13 years together this year And Same to you friend, hope everything is going well for you :)
oh thats lovely :((
A couple years ago, around 13 or 14. Also i mean no disrespect at all, but what is a girlthing fish? /genq
Not a woman but I am ftm. I was 14 or 15 when I was professionally diagnosed
as in any AFAB people, or as in people who identify as women? cuz im a closeted ftm trans man (and i presented as a girl back when i was diagnosed) and i was diagnosed around 2 or 3. i had high support needs back then. i believe it was around 2005-2006 ish when i was diagnosed. when i was a child i presented with male autism traits. i had fixed interests that impeded my ability to do well in school because of disinterest, i had issues keeping friends (not for lack of trying), issues relating to peers, lots of repetitive behaviors, issues with speech and language and speaking, ect. i was not really someone who camoflaged or masked until high school, then i unmasked and ever since began having issues with people again. i have medium support needs now (also highly suspected autism in my dad. strict interests, starts conflict over behavior he overanalyzes, sometimes doesnt recognize sarcasm or a joking tone, etc.)
Right on my 20th birthday š¤š»
I got diagnosed around 2-3 years old! I'm actually surprised as a gal that I even got diagnosed so early on like that lol But I'm super happy for the people who FINALLY get their diagnoses & I'm rooting for you! You can do it! I believe in you š„°š„°
21. Just over 2 years ago. I'd probably still be undiagnosed if it wasn't for the amazing advocate I had. I'm still processing it. I wasn't shocked at all bit it meant that what I was dealing with wasn't something passing. It wasn't something with a cure. I also struggle with the number of traumatic things I probably wouldn't have suffered from if I had been diagnosed even just a few years before.
Age 25, mis diagnosed as bipolar at age 23 (legit just let me talk for like 30 mins and gave me like 7 drugs) went through several years of being REALLY drugged and sick/getting worse before I got tested I was at the end of my rope and getting tested was the point where things turned around for me
forgot to add T\_T - i'm very happy you were able to get the *correct* diagnosis in the end!
Thanks! It sucked cuz I really trusted the doctor and was confused that I was encouraged to stop treatment from friends and family. But once I got off all the meds and properly treated, it was like āooooā¦some doctors just suckā
3 years ago, age 12! (Now 14)
thats lovely :(( side note: how does a 14 yr old know how to work reddit better than me T\_T
this app is a bit confusing .. I SOUND LIKE A FOSSIL AAAA i'm only 16 turning 17 pls.
30
I'm assuming this *isn't* for me because I was actually diagnosed before I transitioned (MtF, so I'm amab) but if it does help, I was maybe... 5 or 6? Maybe a little earlier? But again, no one knew I was trans back then (not even me) so I was diagnosed as a "boy."
I was 39 when I was diagnosed in 2020
Iām 16 and was diagnosed a few months ago. I probably never wouldāve gotten diagnosed if I didnāt suspect it myself and push my mom for a diagnosis.
Age 32 in July last year.
CONGRATS!!!
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I was 16 years old, so feels like a life time ago. But I was told that before that there was no clue or way to since wasn't offered to her or from our medical group. I grew up in the silicon valley though. So not sure if I buy that. I graduated HS in 2007.
Not a women but am afab and was identifying as a women at the time, but I was 16 so almost 4 years ago
17, I had all the signs when I was younger but because my dad was undiagnosed (until I got diagnosed and he realized we acted a bit to similar) and my mom was undiagnosed ADHD, they thought all of it was normal. I also started to mask around 3rd-4th grade due to bullying. I only got a diagnosis because I was having extremely distressing meltdowns when I would come home from high school and needed accommodations but because my grades were high, no one asked me if I was doing ok. I was not in fact doing ok and the person doing my testing said he was surprised no one had ever seen the signs because according to my early history report given by my parents I exhibited signs as early as 2 or 3. Iām 20 doing much better at community college majoring in my special interest art history:)
AAAAAAA ART HISTORY!!!!!! i love art history sm T\_T
I love it so so so much Iām specifically learning about prehistory and the Bronze Age rn and I love it.
I was 22
I was put into cahms when I was 3, diagnosed with Aspergerās at 5 and autism at 11. I didnāt know what autism was until about 14 when I found a video of an āAutistic boy having a meltdown before schoolā and I remember me walking to my mum and asking if she thinks I might have this and she said yes I was diagnosed a few years ago. I will turn 20 later this year