I did, initially. I couldn’t figure out why everything was just so hard to understand. I literally have a genius IQ, but many jokes whoosh over my head, I have trouble reading expressions, I overthink everything. Navigating the world is just so difficult. As autism became more understood and publicized, I began to suspect that I am autistic. I went to a diagnostician, who gave me the quick testing (in-depth enough to make her confident of her diagnosis, but not rigorous enough to satisfy insurance companies). Sure enough, I’m in the club! I found out a year or two ago, at age 60.
this post was submitted on 04 May 2025
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Autism
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I was officially diagnosed with ADHD when i was young. lately though i has strong suspicions i am autistic too. It is kinda frustrating to think maybe my life wouldn't have turned out so bad if I had known earlier but oh well :/
I went to a nerd convention (probably Supernova) and there was a stall there raising awareness for autism and I wanted a cape because they were giving out capes (I've since lost the cape, very sad), and the guy there was like "are you autistic?" And I'm like "I don't think so" (thinking I guess they ask everyone or something). A year later, I'm helping out at this nerd shop and a couple comes in and the guy's like, "do you remember me? I think we met at the con last year. I don't want to offend you, but I think you're undiagnosed." Turns out he was right.
Did you get the cape though?
I did! But I've since lost it sadly.
well first i identified it myself at twelve, but was too scared to find out i actually was autistic so i repressed it. Didn't even think about it up until the last months of high school, where a few friends just straight up asked "are you on the spectrum?" and one in particular, my best friend, also thought i was autistic. At one time, after one of the most distressing periods of my life also my brother said he thought i had autism. That's when i decided to get to the bottom of it and see if i had it (and yes i did, also ADHD)
It was a tribunal. Me myself and I.
And were you unanimous?
Was reconnecting with a cousin of mine, she and I got along well enough in youth but didn’t live in same city. We both had a kid at this point and started connecting because of that.
I was early in transitioning. She was in the process of her own diagnosis. Brought up some of our similarities and got me thinking about it more seriously.
Did some self testing online and was like “ah, so probably yes”
I found a fitness trainer who also happened to be autistic, agender, and have other mental health credentials. On our first consult, among other things, just deadass said I should test for autism because I was autistic according to them.
So anyways I got myself assessed within a few months of those two occurrences…. Back in December.
Here I am, AuDHD and trans (statistically accurate) and I lived past 18 (yay!)
I was sent on a full psych evaluation by my doctor in my late teens/early twenties as I was having close to a mental break and after going through a whole bunch of tests and procedures and brain scans and whatever over the course of about a year and a half I was given my diagnosis at the end of it.
I went for an ADHD evaluation and the doctor doing it said: "yeah, we should do autism next"
A doctor when I went in to figure out why I am unable to physically speak when stressed.
This hurts.
Me