Missed Signs of Autism Growing Up

[Streetwise]

How does one find this out? I've been diagnosed with many illnesses and still feel something is missing. I'm 23 and I just cannot function in society. I do not see myself ever owning or living somewhere alone. I find it hard to hold a job and wouldn't know what to do. My mind is constantly Thinking about other things that I believe are more important. Im Told I think Too Much And Take THIngs Seriously. I Dont Understand... Who Doesnt? I Often GO on Omegle Or Talk TO people ON here and they MAke Fun OF me and say Are You Autistic? Are You Mental? Looks Like Brain Cancer Made It To You. The Truth Is That my Condition Is Worse When Im Alone. I was Jamming With Wooden Spoons In The Kitchen Earlier And Once Mom Came Home I Stopped. Pretend Nothing happens So I Go In My Room. I Spend Most Time There. Mom Is Alcoholic And My Father Is Someone Who Doesnt Live With Us And Lives Alone. He Hates Doctors. My Mom Dont Get Treated. Make Excuses I Have No Insurance Yet They Expect Me To Be The Normal One? Get a car! Get a job! Move out! They say it for years! It never happens. I get nowhere. What do they expect? I'm not happy. They can't seem to understand how I see things. It causes me to get violent. Mom yells and argues with this guy I can't stand! Been living in the same damn house since I was a kid and he ain't even family. Mom pretends and I act like he is to make her happy but I really can't stand the man at all. Sigh.... I just want to die somedays!

this is a suggestion research separation anxiety! see if it rings a bell
i'm not saying you're not autistic

 

[pjcnet]

Teachers have always picked up on something when I was a kid and some even thought autism. My report cards were not good either and had criticism like I had troubles with change in the class or how I don't follow the rules. One of my labels I had as a small child was "autistic speech delay" and one other label was "autistic like behavior" and I was labeled as an unusual child. So everyone noticed something. Even my parents admitted it too. I don't know why doctors missed the signs and wouldn't note symptoms. It was only educators and a social worker that mentioned them but they called it autistic behavior or autistic like behavior.

Sounds like they suspected that you were on the autistic spectrum, but weren't qualified to make an official diagnosis or even make a definite assumption, so they therefore had to use terms like "autistic like behaviour" instead. They should have referred you for a professional diagnosis however at this stage, or at least recommended it.

When my original 1970s medical paper files that showed my childhood diagnosis by Sir Michael Professor Rutter along with the numerous troubles I had as a young child hadn't been transferred across to computer my doctor extremely annoying wrote that I "probably had Asperger Syndrome" when I needed a doctors note because even he wasn't officially qualified to diagnose or make the assumption without access to the information, this was totally infuriating as I needed it at the time and I'd already been diagnosed by literally the highest qualified specialist in the UK. The doctors even had the nerve to charge me for this useless note that made me feel terrible and angry at the time as I felt it was my word against theirs that I was diagnosed as being autistic.

PS: The above caused me a lot of hassle that was entirely the fault of the NHS in the UK for not looking out my paper files that they wrongfully didn't transfer to computer in the first place (or worse perhaps they've lost this important confidential and personal information completely that that the NHS in the UK are trusted to carefully look after), also I haven't even got Asperger Syndrome since I had extremely slow development as a young child including with speech. Anyway I have been re-diagnosed as having Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) much more recently and I still don't know what happened to the original paper files which is worrying. It wound me up how they did the re-diagnosis however since it was conducted without my knowledge or consent, a social worker asked to visit me and turned up with a visitor who she said wanted to do quote, "an assessment", I wasn't even told I was being fully re-diagnosed and I didn't find out until much later. I agree and disagree with OCD, I agree that I have an obsessive interest which I can't function normally without, but I disagree because it's a very common autistic trait, NOT a separate condition.

 

[Siobhan]

Lol, my second grade report card said "Siobhan understands social rules but still has trouble following them."

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Thanks, people. Sometimes I just wish I could do the first 15 years of my life again in this decade and maybe things would be a bit different. I think what I'm angry at is the way they didn't prepare me for adult life. But I'm also angry at myself because I don't think I applied myself enough at school and I also pushed some of the help that was offered to me away. But at that time I didn't know I was autistic, I didn't know my deficits. And I know I shouldn't focus on my downsides however it can help to know things like that to better yourself.

Maybe I'm more angry about it than I should be. I did receive help just from them know I had a language delay they knew they had to watch out for me at least in primary school, secondary was a bit different. I did also learn to make friends; the speech and language unit I was in for the first two years did work with me to learn how to play and make friends with other children and that quite possibly might have made all the difference, socially.

I'm a few years older than you, but I as well feel like I was just a few years away from getting the help I needed when I was younger. I'd say if I was 6 or 7 years younger my life would have been different. It is really hard to not be bitter. I think I will always feel like I missed out on a lot of great things that others get to enjoy when they are young and growing up. I feel like I missed out on being care-free.

Yeah. I think part of this line of thought is brought on by comparing myself to my cousin who is also autistic, he's only just under a year older than me and he's a systems engineer. Whilst I'm here, living with my parents still with no paid employment. I have made a lot of progress in the last three years and I am getting a lot of help to better my life but I just feel time has been wasted, like I've lost 5 years of my life. But yes, you've caught my train of thought there to a tee.