K.J. ElphinstoneIn the UK, 89-97% of autistic adults aged 40+ may be undiagnosed.
That's a whole generation of people who've been blamed for traits they naturally had that went unnamed. 😢
#LateDiagnosedAutistic #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent
Kevin DavyThe fun thing is, that those of us from these generations probably started with the worst understanding of what autism is and the more certain belief that this is something that only doctors can diagnose. Which would make us more likely to want to go through that process, rather than rely on self-diagnosis and our own research to come to any realisation.
Of course, we've also often had the most experience of the fallibility of doctors and perhaps are less likely to trust them, after being falsely diagnosed with things before. Which might explain why the numbers seeking this path are so low compared with younger generations. Also, the gatekeeping of said doctors, who seeing our masks and age are perhaps more openly against recommending it.
And perhaps, at the end of the day, it is our age that is the biggest factor. The masks and success we might have achieved through life, holding us back. The realisation that an official diagnosis really doesn't do anything for us and the lives we have lived, always leaving enough room for caution, if not doubt about taking one.
Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻
🇨🇦@pathfinder @KatyElphinstone
I was stopped at the "worst understanding of what autism is" part, since even when it was suggested to me that I might be, I scoffed because I knew that I wasn't *that* nonfunctional. I had no idea how much our knowledge of the field has progressed because despite my interest in psychology, I never looked into those areas.
I was stopped at the "worst understanding of what autism is" part, since even when it was suggested to me that I might be, I scoffed because I knew that I wasn't *that* nonfunctional. I had no idea how much our knowledge of the field has progressed because despite my interest in psychology, I never looked into those areas.
@murdoc @KatyElphinstone
It took me some time to get my head around it all too. As much because of this, as because a more than sizeable chunk of internalised ableism.
It took me some time to get my head around it all too. As much because of this, as because a more than sizeable chunk of internalised ableism.
Yes. I stalled for years on understanding my son was autistic. For one reason only, and that was because he was clearly so incredibly empathetic. Which meant that he could not be autistic. That was how deep my understanding of autism was, at the time.