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Newbie here...

T

TheAbbyCat

Active Member
Hello everyone,

I am a 29 year old female who was just recently diagnosed with Aspergers. It has been a huge adjustment period and I am still trying to understand everything that comes with the diagnosis.
I have known all my life I was "different" than most kids, and parents and teachers would also often comment, but my parents never took notice. It is hard thinking I have lived all my life never knowing about this, and that my parents were to involved in their own lives to notice. I wonder what my childhood would have been like if I was taught the skills I needed, and still do.

I am trying to learn as much as I can but still feel lost, Any tips or advice would be nice.
 
Hello, Abby! :)

I was in a similar situation a few years ago when I found out---in my case, I just managed to stay off the "autism radar." Now I know that some of my social awkwardness comes from my Asperger's.

I'm still learning new things about myself as they relate to autism---and that's okay, because I know I can get answers from my therapist and from fellow Aspies. Please don't hesitate to ask questions as you make yourself at home here!
 
I am in the same boat as you. I have only just come across this site, there is so much great info here though!

Hi by the way :D
 
Hi. I am 27 years old and I was diagnosed shortly after starting high school. While I was diagnosed much earlier than you were I still had a hard time getting all the way to that point being so different from everyone else and not knowing why. My first advice is not to assume your parents never noticed because they were to involved in their own lives. A lot of stuff could have been involved, including a natural tendency to deny that your own child could have a serious problem. Also, when I was growing up almost nobody had even heard of it. To this day I meet a lot of people who don't know what it is. Before I was diagnosed I was seeing a psychologist for depression and he missed the Aspergers as well. Luckily, when my parents and therapist thought I might benefit from antidepressant medication, I went to see a psychiatrist my mother was friends with and he was more familiar with the autism spectrum than most. Your parents might not have known how to handle your being different. I would also suggest that you try to avoid wondering what your childhood would have been like if you were diagnosed sooner. All that will come from that is depression and resentment. The best thing to do is just focus on what the reality now is and what you can do to make things as good as possible. Learning about your diagnosis is great and can lead to you being able to recognize how it impacts your life and how you can adapt to minimize any negative effects. I wish you all the luck in the world and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
 
Hi AbbyCat, I'm glad you found us. I wasn't diagnosed until recently, and I'm 56 years old! Most of the people here are wonderful and supportive. Feel free to ask us anything you want.
 
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