48 yr old

[Mitzie]

Has anyone been diagnosed this late in life?
How did you go about getting a diagnosis?
I'm a 48 yr old female, high functioning in that I have retained the same job for almost 20 years , and live on my own.
Not sure at this point what I could/should do with a diagnosis, but it would explain much of my life, and that means a lot.

 

[tree]

Yes, many people are diagnosed as adults.

 

[Mitzie]

Yes, many people are diagnosed as adults.

Thank you

...but 48?

For those of you diagnosed when older, how did you go about getting a diagnosis ?

 

[FreeDiver]

Thank you

...but 48?

For those of you diagnosed when older, how did you go about getting a diagnosis ?

I just went to a shrink that specializes in Asperger's for adults and that was it. Make sure that you find one that does specialize in Asperger's (or A.K.A autism level 1 under the new DSM-V) and also ask them if they do adults as well. You may need to do some research on thia.

 

[Judge]

Welcome to AC.

Self-diagnosed at 55. Have yet to seek a formal diagnosis...not sure it matters now.

 

[MrSpock]

I'm 49, was told by a friend December 2016 at age 48, have since confirmed it for myself.

...it would explain much of my life, and that means a lot.

That's the value of it for me, it helps me to know myself, and will continue to do so for some time I'm beginning to think. Welcome.

 

[Nitro]

 

[Mitzie]

I just went to a shrink that specializes in Asperger's for adults and that was it. Make sure that you find one that does specialize in Asperger's (or A.K.A autism level 1 under the new DSM-V) and also ask them if they do adults as well. You may need to do some research on thia.

Good advice

I just went to a shrink that specializes in Asperger's for adults and that was it. Make sure that you find one that does specialize in Asperger's (or A.K.A autism level 1 under the new DSM-V) and also ask them if they do adults as well. You may need to do some research on thia.

Good advice , thank you !

 

[Mitzie]

Welcome to AC.

Self-diagnosed at 55. Have yet to seek a formal diagnosis...not sure it matters now.

Well, I just took the on line test for Asperger's/Autism, and scored 40 out of 50 (above 31 or 32 is "high likelihood"). I related this to my brother and he poo-pooed it. of course, it's not a formal diagnosis, but almost everything in my life and past "fits". He forgets that, although we were together as children, he was not in my life for a large chunk of it and, quite frankly, hardly really knows me. We only regained contact about 10 years ago. His response made me so sad and angry and hopeless-feeling; it's not that I take on line tests so seriously, it's that he didn't even take a fraction of a second to consider it might be true-but then he couldn't, because he wasn't there for much of my life, nevertheless was positive this was a "joke".
Anyway, it makes me determined to find a doctor who can either confirm or deny.
I only communicate with my brother, via texts, and an ex (who also suspected I was on the spectrum). That's it, no other friends or family .

 

[Mitzie]

I'm 49, was told by a friend December 2016 at age 48, have since confirmed it for myself.



That's the value of it for me, it helps me to know myself, and will continue to do so for some time I'm beginning to think. Welcome.

Thank you....I blame myself a lot for my social shortcomings...I have gotten to the point in my life, though, where I've come to accept I will never be in a relationship, possibly never have friends beyond acquaintances, and care less and less what other people think. However, I still struggle with the idea from time to time that I'm "defective" or even "a bad person".
Thank you for your support .

 

[Judge]

Well, I just took the on line test for Asperger's/Autism, and scored 40 out of 50 (above 31 or 32 is "high likelihood"). I related this to my brother and he poo-pooed it. of course, it's not a formal diagnosis, but almost everything in my life and past "fits". He forgets that, although we were together as children, he was not in my life for a large chunk of it and, quite frankly, hardly really knows me. We only regained contact about 10 years ago. His response made me so sad and angry and hopeless-feeling; it's not that I take on line tests so seriously, it's that he didn't even take a fraction of a second to consider it might be true-but then he couldn't, because he wasn't there for much of my life, nevertheless was positive this was a "joke".
Anyway, it makes me determined to find a doctor who can either confirm or deny.
I only communicate with my brother, via texts, and an ex (who also suspected I was on the spectrum). That's it, no other friends or family .

You'll find this forum useful to compare and contrast your own traits, behaviors and possible comorbid conditions through interacting with so many of us. There are a number of tests you can take, although they're no substitute for a formal diagnosis. However they can establish a benchmark of sorts to help you on your quest. Yeah, scoring a 40 out of 50 on the Baron-Cohen AQ test is significant at least in theory. Certainly enough to pursue your own suspicions that you may be on the spectrum of autism. To understand that while you may be different, it doesn't automatically translate into being deficient.

Here's another type of test. The RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale):

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R)

 

[Mitzie]

Thank you so much....just took the test. Above the threshold in all categories, male and female. Score was 177.

 

[Mitzie]

To be clear, self-diagnosis is fine, and for most (especially at my age, 48) a doctor would probably be telling most what they already know.
I still, however, plan on finding a doctor that specializes in Asperger's and includes adults, just for that confirmation and to be able to tell my brother I'm not just "mental", as he so eloquently told someone after we had a fight.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Well, I just took the on line test for Asperger's/Autism, and scored 40 out of 50 (above 31 or 32 is "high likelihood"). I related this to my brother and he poo-pooed it. of course, it's not a formal diagnosis, but almost everything in my life and past "fits". He forgets that, although we were together as children, he was not in my life for a large chunk of it and, quite frankly, hardly really knows me. We only regained contact about 10 years ago. His response made me so sad and angry and hopeless-feeling; it's not that I take on line tests so seriously, it's that he didn't even take a fraction of a second to consider it might be true-but then he couldn't, because he wasn't there for much of my life, nevertheless was positive this was a "joke".
Anyway, it makes me determined to find a doctor who can either confirm or deny.
I only communicate with my brother, via texts, and an ex (who also suspected I was on the spectrum). That's it, no other friends or family .

This is the subtle way we lose our power and give it to other people.
Put yourself first then what your 'brother' or friar tuck thinks is irrelevant.

Must have done this myself - more than a thousand times once. I don't always realise.

If you are confident in yourself (I'm not) but I have decided to look in the mirror (I usually try and stay away from meeting new people ) and just say 'You're right,you're quite capable of making a good judgement about this'

Until the mirror convinces you of your confidence, there's no need to hand your personal thoughts over to someone else for their judgement

 

[Mitzie]

This is the subtle way we lose our power and give it to other people.
Put yourself first then what your 'brother' or friar tuck thinks is irrelevant.

Must have done this myself - more than a thousand times once. I don't always realise.

If you are confident in yourself (I'm not) but I have decided to look in the mirror (I usually try and stay away from meeting new people ) and just say 'You're right,you're quite capable of making a good judgement about this'

Until the mirror convinces you of your confidence, there's no need to hand your personal thoughts over to someone else for their judgement

You're right. I know me better than he does, by far. He doesn't know about the crossword puzzles, for instance. When stressed, I turn to them. I'm not talking about few a day, I'm talking hundreds in a week.
I guess for some, it's numbers. Others, trains or collecting things. For me, it's crossword puzzles. Not too hard, though; like, the NY Times puzzle is insane.

 

[StephF]

I was diagnosed last year at 53, whilst I was receiving some therapy for other psychiatric conditions.

 

[On the Inside]

A therapist suggested Aspergers to me years ago as a part of my "constellation of behaviors", but I only saw him for 6-8 sessions, and I didn't think about it much afterwards. I wasn't formally diagnosed until I was 47, that was 3.5 years ago.

Relationship problems ( both current and former) and a lifetime of "not living up to potential" we're reasons for seeking a formal diagnosis. Not sure if it has helped. While I seem to be doing better emotionally, my life and circumstances have yet to improve, and in fact have slipped a bit. I am told that this is an adjustment period.

I have been living an adjustment period all my life.

 

[clg114]

I was diagnosed 9 years ago at the age of 62. The diagnosis did not have a big impact on my life because my life style was already set. I did not have any trouble getting diagnosed, but I was paying for it myself. I was sure that I had Asperger's Syndrome, but I needed to know for sure. I am glad that that I got the diagnoses because it explained a lot. I feel like I know myself better.

 

[toothless]

hi mitzie, welcome to AC!
i am elsewhere on the spectrum and was diagnosed as a toddler [33 now] but i have heard of aspies being diagnosed in their eighties;not all pyschs require they see your parents for interview.

dont look at it as an age thing,it doesnt always mean your less severe than adults who have been diagnosed in their twenties or thirties, basically you were from a time when nothing was knew about autism, even those of us under the label of LFA werent understood.
you escaped the period of time that aspergers gained status and recognition AKA the nineties,probably because there werent many specialists to assess and of them, they had no understanding of older kids and adults.
it used to be thought that classic autism happened only in childhood and it went away when we reached 18,well we are all proof that doesnt happen,its just common for people to develop better skills and their autism to change and present differently -often lighter.

you just have to remember,teachers, parents, specialists etc had no understanding of autism and even more so aspergers back in the early nineties/ eighties/seventies etc so they were only going on what they knew,i know its hard to accept-why wasnt i understood? but its best to just look forward and see how the world is now,at least the autistic children of today will have a better chance in society than we did. sorry for waffling.

 

[Judge]

To be clear, self-diagnosis is fine, and for most (especially at my age, 48) a doctor would probably be telling most what they already know.

In most case that's the reality of the situation. Few people seem to suspect their own autism only to discover it's something else. Not unlike coming to terms with being gay, I expect. Though ASD, HFA and classic autism all involve complex issues.

Though even if you secure a formal diagnosis, know that you'll still have to contend with the possibility of some basic responses from others which may or may not be appreciated. My own experience has taught me that you can divide such people into three groups:

* Those who want to understand and will succeed.
* Those who want to understand and will fail.
* Those who are indifferent to one being on the spectrum of autism and default to the notion of being forced to adapt to a social/neurological majority.

Which for most of us has resulted in the following conclusion: "Need-to-know" basis only. Even with that formal diagnosis, be highly selective of whom you choose to share it with.