I resonate with this post, but thought it'd be useful to offer my own confused experience. I grew up with many signs of being neurodivergent, but masked and performed well enough to pass as "dreamy" and "imaginative". I've only been led to question my "neurotypical-ness with quirks" since I've found a group of ND friends who openly embrace and recognise neurodivergent traits. My friends state with confidence they see autism and they see ADHD in me, but I'm still unsure. I've spoken to psychologists an psychiatrists about it, who have mostly told me that those traits, if they exist in me, are not very strong. Mind, I've also been cautioned that diagnosis is a long and expensive road, and if I don't have to, I shouldn't go for it (and I've been advised strongly not to waste money on it). Is that the best way forward for me? I don't know. But I've been far more comfortable among neurodiverse people than I ever was with other people in my life, including blood kin.
I always wondered at the odd way other people shop for clothing. I walk along the racks until my hand says " Oooh! that feels lovely!". Then I look at the colour. Then the size. My OH laughs when I describe clothing colours..." That's a snarky yellow, that's a mean lilac, that's a cuddly blue." I'm 70 and now I wonder if I am on the spectrum.
As I've been talking about it more, a lot of the people that follow me have begun to question. I am working on something behind the scenes to address this actually. People like me who go "I wonder". I am hoping to be able to do an interactive and collaborative video on the topic
I actually asked about getting tested and the medico said " It is a long waiting list and they are unlikely to test you because you are neither school-aged nor working, so there is no need to list accommodations". Well, that told me! I would love to interact with others who found out late.
I don't know if you follow my page but there are a lot of people in my Social Circle who follow my page and who interact with mine that are late in life also
I resonate with this post, but thought it'd be useful to offer my own confused experience. I grew up with many signs of being neurodivergent, but masked and performed well enough to pass as "dreamy" and "imaginative". I've only been led to question my "neurotypical-ness with quirks" since I've found a group of ND friends who openly embrace and recognise neurodivergent traits. My friends state with confidence they see autism and they see ADHD in me, but I'm still unsure. I've spoken to psychologists an psychiatrists about it, who have mostly told me that those traits, if they exist in me, are not very strong. Mind, I've also been cautioned that diagnosis is a long and expensive road, and if I don't have to, I shouldn't go for it (and I've been advised strongly not to waste money on it). Is that the best way forward for me? I don't know. But I've been far more comfortable among neurodiverse people than I ever was with other people in my life, including blood kin.
I always wondered at the odd way other people shop for clothing. I walk along the racks until my hand says " Oooh! that feels lovely!". Then I look at the colour. Then the size. My OH laughs when I describe clothing colours..." That's a snarky yellow, that's a mean lilac, that's a cuddly blue." I'm 70 and now I wonder if I am on the spectrum.
As I've been talking about it more, a lot of the people that follow me have begun to question. I am working on something behind the scenes to address this actually. People like me who go "I wonder". I am hoping to be able to do an interactive and collaborative video on the topic
I actually asked about getting tested and the medico said " It is a long waiting list and they are unlikely to test you because you are neither school-aged nor working, so there is no need to list accommodations". Well, that told me! I would love to interact with others who found out late.
I don't know if you follow my page but there are a lot of people in my Social Circle who follow my page and who interact with mine that are late in life also