Member-only story
I am a Female on the Autism Spectrum. It Took Me 60 Years to Work it out.
It seems inconceivable now to me that I did not realise I was on the spectrum. All the signs were there, but I had no knowledge of how autism can present itself in those that are adept at hiding it. I simply did not have the information to enable me to put 2+2 together.
It is likely I would have gone through my whole life without knowing, had it not been for my son. He was working with autistic children and he figured it out before I did. Even when he voiced his belief, I dismissed it: “Labels are not always helpful,” was my response. How wrong can you be.
My hope, in writing this, is that if you have suspicions that you are also one of the many undiagnosed adults, the information I include here will help you.
Whilst not everyone embraces the label in the way that I have, it can be life-changing in positive ways. For me, self-knowledge has been the key to understanding my own needs and capabilities better. I have become much kinder to myself.
The knowledge, the label, has enhanced my life in many other ways I could not have foretold. Aside from all the benefits of knowing myself better, I have found here on Medium a community of others on the spectrum that has been welcoming and supportive. At last, I have found my tribe.
