Anyone not diagnosed until in their 40's?

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I'm only 30, but I feel like I'm 90. Does that count ? I am still undiagnosed.

I've seen a hundred different psychologists and none of them ever discovered I was an Aspie or on the autistic spectrum or whatever. I've been diagnosed as Bi-Polar, Depressed, Manic Depressive, etc etc etc.

You'd think these people would know something about their profession.

I was dx in January of this year at 45.

Are you sure Voc. Rehab. won't help? V.R. in Washington State helps people with A.S.

Maybe because VR is administered by the state.

I have been on disability due to RA since 2000, so I have MediCare, and it's helped pay for therapy and diagnosis, though I do pay for part of it.

Often, VR will help with people starting a business. Of course it depends on the business.

Bazza,

[smiles]
No. My name is Jennifer, a modern form of Guinevere or Gwenhwyfar, which is Welsh for White Phantom, White Wave, White Ghost or some other forms. She was the wife of King Arthur and Smitten of Lancelot.

Crazy,

I know. I have another friend who is thinking she might have it and her Shrink is insistent that it's not. It's just Bi-Polar and ADHD. Love to prescribe those meds, eh? It's looking like the short version of this sad story is that there are no treatments or medications specifically for Asperger's so the State Mental Health System can't get any traction with it. Why not simply fudge the diagnosis so that the client can actually get some help? It just boggles my mind.

Rjaye,

I think he might be able to get help from them if he was willing to receive the rest of their services, which is to be plugged into some sort of job. But that's not what he wants. He wants to work for himself. I'm guessing at this because of my own experience with Voc Rehab. We should probably walk into that office and actually ask them face to face. It's a hunch, but an educated hunch.

Yes, it depends on the business. They wanted me to be an independent contractor Grant Writer. Why? Because I can write. Ummm no. That's not the kind of writing I want to do. But that's all they would do for me. I wanted to take special classes to learn how to do a special kind of therapy, but they wouldn't support it. So they dropped me. It's a good thing I got the job I have or I'd be up the creek.


What's RA?

~Whitewave

omg I cannot believe there was a site like this and I never knew.....the hilarity of it all---just 'unofficially' diagnosed and just turned 50 last month. The irony of it all is that my husband has 3 Masters & a Ph.D in pshyc and my high priced counselor in Atlanta for 10 years said I was just lazy. Thank goodness I am so smart and could figure this out for him. aarruugghghggh!! !! !! Two years ago I was so frustrated I wanted to 'evaporate' And this month since I found out I have been laughing (privately of course..I just found out that THAT was NORMAL) I am part of an 'us'. I just ordered two t-shirts and a coffee mug. I love you guys.

Bailey,

Wow! Congrats! LOL You should totally ask for a refund! From both of them!! LOL

Yes, it's a good thing you're so smart. I wish you well.

~Whitewave

Self diagnosed at 56. In the process of being diagnosed now.
We certainly don't grow out of it.

As for the thread on Wrong Planet, there is a huge compendium called the Dino Aspie Cafe on the IIn-Depth Adult Life Discussion. Matter of fact the old Dino Aspie Cafe is why there IS an In-Depth Adult Life Discussion thread on WP!

We older folks met and discussed our seperate findings and wrote it all down in the Cafe.

Later, we started the Ex Dino Aspie Cafe and we are still going strong on the "Getting to know you" thread. Stop by and chat if you like. We are always open.


Merle

WhiteWave, RA is rheumatoid arthritis. I was dx first with a cervical deformity, which I do have, and which causes my right arm to go numb and weak. That arm has been paralyzed twice from the nerve compression. Writing or typing or repetitive movement triggers it, though it also occurs when I'm in an arthritic flare.

Then I couldn't walk this summer, which scared me, because I thought I had a stroke or something. It developed over a period of days. I'd been feeling awful for weeks, and sick, and not able to determine through usual tests what I was going through.

Then I had the arthritis work up, and all the tests came back indicating RA. Now I'm trying to get my drug situation under control.

Diagnosed this year at 39 1/2 . Do I count?
Suspected something was up since I was a child.
I friends child got diagnosed a few years ago and I did some reading, and ticked all the boxes.
Welcome to WP.

Let me welcome you, Opal, you who are named after my birthstone!

Metta and Karuna!

Sins,

The search function doesn 't seem to want to work for me. I can 't find a thread called "Dino Aspie Cafe" and the "Getting to know each other, Dino-style" is only basic stats. I'm using the stat of being diagnosed later as a way of filtering who I want to ask various questions. I could do the math and pm the folks who qualify, but I thought it'd be more fun to do a thread. Plus. I wanted to see if people would be nice to me. I am an NT, after all.

Am I maybe looking at the wrong threads?

Thank you for your kind invite.

Rjaye,

Wow. That sounds frustrating. And painful. I'm sorry that has happened to you. But it sounds like you've got a great and practical attitude about it. Real (I hope) emotions as well as fortitude. Kudos.

opal,

I think that counts. LOL 39 can be a rough year, esp for a woman. In many ways, it's around the time when our deeper levels of immaturity finally get old enough to bother us and we finally become ready to let them die and get real. When I turned 40, I was genuinely disappointed that no one got me black balloons or little black tombstones as is the custom of some. Ah, well. Some people have no sense of humor.

Good for you. Now the fun begins.

Thanks everyone, for the replies.

I'm in the process of getting Dx'd. I'm 40.

$200 seems kinda inexpensive so I'm curious how long was your psychologist appointment? I only ask because Voc Rehab recently sent me to a neuropsychologist and I was told they had to pay out several thousand $! My appointment was 6 hours of testing. But they were also checking me for TBI (traumatic brain injury) because of the injuries I had, so I don't know how much that changes the testing. But they also retested me for Aspergers because they didn't think my two other doctor's diagnosis of AS were valid since it wasn't from their perferred doctor. So I got dx a third time for AS! I got my first diagnosis at age 35 and 2nd & 3rd dx at 37 & 38.

I'm 45 and self-diagnosed. Can't get a diagnosis first because I don't trust any professional around here to have a clue what AS in an adult looks like, and secondly because the dx would go straight into all archives that could damage my insurance, professional life, etc. etc.

My therapist has never heard about AS except from my lips and isn't sure such a thing exists. She's not computer literate, so she continues enjoying the blissful ignorance and diagnosing me with a new disorder each year: BPD, PTSD, aggressiveness, etc etc.

Thank you very much, Merle. (I feel forgotten, sometimes... )

@ Whitewave,
The Dino-Aspie Cafe...

YC

I finally got to know when I was 52!

I'm just putting all the pieces together at 38 - it sure does answer a lot of questions.

Is there value in going to get an official diagnosis?