Suggested that I get tested for autism

petejay

Hi Everyone. I have a 9 year old son with a diagnosis of autism. It was suggested to me during his diagnosis that I should think about getting myself tested too. I have not done so due to the fact that at nearly 50 would it really make a difference to my life having a formal diagnosis? However, I can say almost categorically that my life to this point now makes sense when it is suggested that I may have autism. My son mirrors my earlier years in many ways and I have found the articles here pertaining to late diagnosis very interesting. I hope to add more about my 'autistic' life among neuro typicles at a later date.
Thanks for reading. Pete.

Stayce

Hi @petejay
welcome to the community- it's so good to have you on board and great that you have already found the discussions on late diagnosis of autism helpful.

Getting a formal diagnosis yourself may help you to understand things in relation to autism both for you individually and how you can best help and explain to your son about his disability. The assessment may suggest things that would help both you now and your son in the future as he gets older.

Hope this helps

Best wishes 

Chris_Alumni

Hi Petejay, welcome to the community. I've moved your post to our 'Ask an ASD advisor' section as she may be able to share her experiences with you. 

MrsLogic

Hey @petejay

I was very much in the same boat as you.  My only child, a son, was diagnosed with ASD aged 4 and ADHD at 6 and I worked out a few years ago that I too shared many of the same characteristics.  Gaining a late diagnosis can be tough, but it's definitely worth it.  I write quite a lot about my experiences on my blog, which is bookmarked in my signature. 

VioletFenn

Hi @petejay - lovely to have you on board! I ended up with my own diagnosis after my youngest son was dx'd - several of the people involved in his assessment made comments to the effect 'well the apple hasn't fallen far from THIS tree, has it?' and suddenly things started to make sense  

For me - yes, it was absolutely worth it. I recently wrote this article for Scope, which explains how I personally felt. I think it helped my son as well, because he now feels that he has someone beside him who really does understand.

Obviously everyone is different and you may feel that you're happy enough to just be aware yourself, rather than getting a formal diagnosis.