Could i be autistic my whole life and realize at 22?

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I didnt know I was on the spectrum until I was 24 as I had always felt different all my life and had lots of difficulty with life but never knew why. Even despite having met with an incredible number of doctors since 2005, I was only formally diagnosed last year. It is definitely possible to be in plain sight and be missed, not diagnosed until later in life.

I was diagnosed just recently at age 36. I met a couple who had an autistic son who stimmed regularly in public. He made some of the same odd movements that I had made my whole life, only I usually did them in private. I thought I was just a strange person and never considered it was neurological in nature. Meeting him led me to think that autism may have been the source of my stimming. As it turned out, it was! The diagnosis not only explained my stimming, but so much more.

Yep, I didn't even explore the possibility until I was a grown up dude, it's weird how things slide into place in reverse.