Early diagnosed people here?

[DragonKid♾]

Are there some early diagnosed people here? I feel like a good many of us are late diagnosed. I know that a lot of people here are older so that could be a factor. Diagnostic criteria used to be stricter. But I still think they are wildly different experiences. I want to know how many of those are here.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I know you, perhaps, are not feeling "heard" here, and I can understand that perspective.

However, from our perspective, consider the diagnostic criteria really haven't changed since the mid-90's, but awareness of the condition has. We were always autistic, it's something you're born with. What has changed, and perhaps more to the differences in the experiences you are sensing and trying to sort out, is life experience, as well as, the cultural experiences that have evolved over the years. The parent-child relationship has significantly changed, almost 180* change since the 1980's. I don't want to get into it. You probably don't want to hear it, but for better or worse, it was "wildly different", as you put it. As such, we are the survivors, and I do mean survivors, because the suicide rate was, and remains, disproportionately high. Us old farts, as a group, most certainly have a totally different view on life, having experienced most of our lives as "failed neurotypicals", not as autistics. We were punished, ridiculed, and marginalized for our autistic behaviors, as we were expected to behave "normal". That comes with totally different "baggage".

 

[Kisa the tea]

From my experience, I have seen more people mention later life diagnosis than early life. But I'm happy at least they're finding out now.

I am an extremely early diagnosis, personally. I was diagnosed at around age 5.

 

[DragonKid♾]

I got my diagnosis at 5 too.

 

[tazz]

Not really relevant but anyway this reminded me that I filled in a form recently and it asked "how long have you had this condition". I instinctively entered the diagnosis date which was like 6 months ago. Then paused. And then scrubbed that out and put in my date of birth which is like 50+ years ago.

And then I kinda chuckled to myself about how absurd that situation is.

Anyway - I think I can still relate to some things. I still had social anxiety back when I was 5 years old. But perhaps I can't relate to other experiences because I wasn't diagnosed at the time.

 

[DragonKid♾]

I’m sorry for insinuating that late diagnosed people would not understand this. I currently feel like no one does. But that’s my brain’s fault, not yours. I don’t know. I’m sorry.

 

[tazz]

Umm... I don't feel that you have anything to apologise for. It's an interesting question.

 

[Jeff T]

Not diagnosed at an early age. Back then autism was defined as 'childhood schizophrenia', not something a parent would wish their child to be diagnosed with- the stigma! My parents wondered if I was though, at age 18 months-on.

 

[evelyncredible]

i had the strange experience of being evaluated and set to be diagnosed on paper when i was 6, but then my biological mother (who is very unwell) uprooted the whole process because i was “too honest” with the doctors about my life. never finished that appointment or went back to get paperwork, she essentially just dragged us out of the office.

i experienced the limbo of that for quite a long time. if you can believe this, it actually occurred a second time when i was 14, except i only made it to the first evaluation appointment before my mother pulled me out again for “telling them too much”.

i eventually was diagnosed at 19. i know this isn’t what you asked, but it is definitely a strange 3rd experience to go through the testing as a kid, sit in an enclosed space while doctors tell your parents about your brain, and then get no conclusion to all that for 13 years. i haven’t met anyone else who has shared this experience yet.

 

[vergil96]

From my experience, I have seen more people mention later life diagnosis than early life. But I'm happy at least they're finding out now.

I am an extremely early diagnosis, personally. I was diagnosed at around age 5.

Maybe it's that I'm relatively young, but most autistic people I know IRL were diagnosed in elementary school.

As for apologising, I get where you're coming from, certain experiences can be very different depending on some factors. I also feel like it makes the experience very different to be diagnosed while still at school. And to have more visible symptoms, because it makes it possible and needed to get a diagnosis before adulthood. On one hand, you receive more support, on the other hand, you stand out e.g. to peers and teachers.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I’m sorry for insinuating that late diagnosed people would not understand this. I currently feel like no one does. But that’s my brain’s fault, not yours. I don’t know. I’m sorry.

No need for apologies.

You haven't "found yourself" yet. You're still under your parent's thumb. This too, shall pass. I want you to have hope here. I want you to be realistic, as well. You'll figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are. Your attitude will make all the difference in the world in your life ahead. Focus on what you do well, whatever that is for you.

 

[Stuttermabolur]

i had the strange experience of being evaluated and set to be diagnosed on paper when i was 6, but then my biological mother (who is very unwell) uprooted the whole process because i was “too honest” with the doctors about my life. never finished that appointment or went back to get paperwork, she essentially just dragged us out of the office.

i experienced the limbo of that for quite a long time. if you can believe this, it actually occurred a second time when i was 14, except i only made it to the first evaluation appointment before my mother pulled me out again for “telling them too much”.

i eventually was diagnosed at 19. i know this isn’t what you asked, but it is definitely a strange 3rd experience to go through the testing as a kid, sit in an enclosed space while doctors tell your parents about your brain, and then get no conclusion to all that for 13 years. i haven’t met anyone else who has shared this experience yet.

My experience wasn't exactly like this, but there are commonalities. The teachers in kindergarten and early elementary school noticed that there was something different about me compared to the other children, and I was set to be evaluated when I was 5. The teacher suggested ADHD, but I probably would have been diagnosed with autism as my behaviour fit much better there, it just wasn’t as well known. However, my mother decided aginst it because she was worried I would be put on drugs, so I was never evaluated and am self diagnosed now.

I do sometimes wonder how my life would have developed, or if I would have been a different person now had I known from an early age. I'm very adept at masking and always knew I was different, but getting diagnosed as an adult is a huge pain.

 

[Fino]

I was 14.

 

[evelyncredible]

My experience wasn't exactly like this, but there are commonalities. The teachers in kindergarten and early elementary school noticed that there was something different about me compared to the other children, and I was set to be evaluated when I was 5. The teacher suggested ADHD, but I probably would have been diagnosed with autism as my behaviour fit much better there, it just wasn’t as well known. However, my mother decided aginst it because she was worried I would be put on drugs, so I was never evaluated and am self diagnosed now.

I do sometimes wonder how my life would have developed, or if I would have been a different person now had I known from an early age. I'm very adept at masking and always knew I was different, but getting diagnosed as an adult is a huge pain.

i also had the experience of teachers (and some doctors) telling me i was different and even meeting with my parents about these differences (that’s how my unfinished evaluations both came to be), so i sympathize on that front for sure. honestly, i wonder the same thing- but sometimes i feel like the resources for ASD in schools, especially public schools, are very lacking. sometimes i’m glad that i wasn’t impeded by constant 504 plan/IEP meetings or different curriculums, because that probably would have made school harder for me personally. i do tend to think about the different outcomes as well, though.

getting diagnosed as an adult is a huge pain, yeah. i mainly sought diagnosis because i’m going into a rigorous STEM program for uni and know that i’ll need to access disability services, as well as get things lined up legally for my future career. i have a near-complete inability to mask, and am visibly autistic, so i typically need accommodations at work and such. but honestly, i’m of the belief that if you can live without legally/organizationally provided support, and you don’t feel the personal need to get diagnosed… you’re really not missing out on anything. keep your money. we know ourselves best, after all.

it’s kind of nice to know that we had somewhat similar experiences. i hated living with the uncertainty all those years in school. i’m glad we both figured it out eventually.

 

[Progster]

A lot of misdiagnosis used to, and still do, occur, which is a major reason for a person being diagnosed late in life. I have a family member who was diagnosed really early on with Tourettes. He has Tourettes of course, but not all of his behaviour and difficulties can be explained by Tourettes. There's a lot more going on. It's only since I was diagnosed that my family started to realise that he is probably on the spectrum two, and probably a level 2 because he needs quite a bit of support.

 

[Luca]

I was diagnosed very, very early and I have been aware of it for basically my entire life. But for most of my life I was told that it was a bad thing and that there was something wrong with me. I've learned in adulthood that there is nothing "wrong" with me, and that if people don't accept me for who I am, I really don't need to have them around.
I wish I could've had more control over that as a child, because people who didn't understand or accept autism really traumatized me.