I got diagnosed in mid-life too…well, I got re-diagnosed at mid-life. That’s when I found out. However, I was almost certainly diagnosed as a kid, but no one told me. Anywayzzz, finding out has been a major journey of self-discovery. I always knew I was different. I would mention it frequently, like saying, “That’s how I see it, but I know I’m different.” or, “I don’t know how I messed that up. I think I’m kinda ret----d.” I also noticed that other people would know I was odd in social settings and sometimes they would be amazed by things I did that didn’t even register for me since I thought they were unremarkable. Now that I have a name for it and there’s so much info on it, it’s been quite helpful. Rather than always feeling different, I can adjust and connect with others that are similar. I can also make changes to my life that help me function better and be happier. Sensory overload adjustments have made a world of a difference. Also, being aware that I have certain social disadvantages has helped me slowly develop strategies to make up for them.

As far as the assessment, I was nervous for like a month stressing out that they would say I wasn’t autistic, just weird. I think that feeling is part of it. We’ve felt weird our whole lives, so of course it is going to be hard to believe that we found a name and community for people like us. Still, if you’re pretty confident you’re autistic, then I think you’re likely autistic, so there isn’t much to worry about there.

Congrats on the self-discovery and good luck tomorrow! Let us know how it turns out.