A diagnosis of autism in adulthood can change self-concept for the better.

Date: 7 januari 2020
Authors: Erin Bulluss en Abby Witts

Take a quick scroll through the right social media groups and you’ll find countless individuals sharing their stories about receiving a late diagnosis of autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, as the condition appears in the DSM-5. While the presentation of autism varies considerably between individuals, many of the narratives presented bear a common theme: the experience of finally solving a lifelong riddle, of understanding why there was always a feeling of being different, displaced, difficult.

Indeed, a recent study explored the experiences of a number of late-diagnosed adults, who reported feeling alien and isolated, and who were aware of not fitting in (without understanding why) before they were identified as autistic.

These themes are familiar to the authors of this article as late-diagnosed women. And, post-diagnosis, we understand that 

From: Psychology Today. Read more here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/insights-about-autism/202001/when-late-diagnosis-autism-is-life-changing