Late Autism Diagnosis: Re-Evaluating Your Life and Re-Discovering Yourself!

For many people, a late Autism diagnosis makes us take a step back and re-evaluate our previous experiences. For me, Autism was the golden thread that tied together all previously unrelated experiences, both positive and negative. Autism diagnosis helped me explain my reactions and contributed to my journey of rediscovery.

Join our Online Social Group with weekly Zoom meetings

🎞️Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction: Are you re-evaluating life after an Autism diagnosis?
0:47 - Autism 'was' the golden thread
1:25 – My Personal Experience
2:45 – How is this related to autism?
3:32 – Autism and Socialization from childhood
5:06 – Is Autism a helpful label?
6:50 – Autism within the academe and the workplace
7:36 – Burnout in Early Adult Life
8:12 – Autism and Family Life
8:37 – Learning and Growing With Autism
9:52 – My Two Tips for your Journey of Rediscovery

-----------------------------------------------

👋Welcome to Autism From The Inside!!!

If you're autistic or think you or someone you love might be on the autism spectrum, this channel is for you!
I'm Paul Micallef, and I discovered my own autism at age 30.

Yes, I know, I don't look autistic. That's exactly why I started this channel in the first place because if I didn't show you, you would never know.

Autism affects many (if not all!) aspects of our lives, so on this channel, I want to show you what Autism looks like in real people and give you some insight into what's happening for us on the inside. We'll break down myths and misconceptions, discuss how to embrace autism and live well, and share what it's like to be an autistic person.

Join me as I share what I've found along my journey, so you don't have to learn it the hard way.

Make sure to subscribe so you won’t miss my new video every Friday and some bonus content thrown in mid-week too.

👋Connect with me:

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy my channel!

Peace,

~ Paul

#autism #asd #autismawareness

[artrx]

"tag along" definitely hits home. No one told me that directly but it’s pretty much how I’ve felt in a lot of the social groups I’ve been part of

[gregofthedump]

Got my diagnosis this morning, age 52. Next, I will be assessed for ADHD. I'm already ninety-nine percent certain that I have it. In a way, this is a more important assessment than the autism, because there are medications for ADHD that could improve my life greatly.

[Aybrix]

After a humiliating and degrading job experience I hit an emotional rock bottom and said I need to find professional help. She suggested I had aspergers. At first I rolled my eyes, but the more I heard and researched I instantly went "oh my god I'M NOT CRAZY!" Like you said, the golden thread that tied everything together. Years later I'm still working things out, trying to find my career niche where I can thrive but embracing autism to work with it is the key. Your videos are so helpful when I struggle to explain things, or even understand myself. Thank you!

[linden]

I'm in my 40s and had my realisation/awakening 18 months ago and professional confirmation not long after. It was mind-blowing, a huge relief, and a massive amount of processing and reframing of my life, identity and memories. I have grieved the years without identity and built a more compassionate relationship with myself. I feel so hopeful now and able to find paths and strategies that work for me. I love the community too.

I feel so free.

[andreabuntpercy]

I'm 73 and diagnosed myself a couple of months ago after interacting with a group of autistic people online in a video production. My reaction was spontaneous.... i suddenly felt like a different person. That was actually pointed out to me by a couple of women who had known me for a while, and who watched the video with me. I was no longer tentative. I was spontaneous in the way I expressed myself. No more second guessing every thought.
Next, there was the light dawning over and 'Oh yeah! That's why I did that, that's why people found me Those discoveries came from all periods of my life.
Inside, I felt an authenticity of self for the first time ever, and intuitively I didn't want to hide in the shadows anymore. I didn't want to be the 'invisible one' anymore (a mask-in-reverse....?) But then, stepping out from the shadows felt good until it didn't. I discovered I had no knowledge of how to navigate my new-found situation, was a bull in a china shop in many ways. So that's why I'm here....

[wendychristie]

diagnosed really late (72)....i felt totally vindicated....i no longer had to wait " for the mothership to bring me back to my home how to live the remainder of my natural life....not quite so easy....i was successful in my chosen career for 35 years( antique dealer, researcher/lecturer) but i was fired or let go from every other job...really!...college, masters, PhD....i excelled in my field, fine art, painting yes, math/numbers no....my mom (a linear mathematician) asked me one day after i came home from H.S... .."you can't tell time"!, i said no, i can't tell time! ( i was about 14)..how do you know how to get to started to say.. when the big hand... she stopped me, you tell time by came over and kissed me on the top of my head and walked mom knew nothing about autisim...she just knew i was to her that was ok....i got lucky with my mom!

[theoldaccountthatiusedtous]

"it's quite common to have a major burnout early in adult life and having a reason takes away the shame and blame" - thank you! My 20s was a hard decade, and I feel like I was simultaneously behind (in career and dating) and ahead (in understanding psychology) of others my age.

[leilaalgarve]

The peer pressure thing is real to me. In my teens, I went against all my classmates. They wanted to skip classes, everyone together. I went along once or twice than I said no more. Twice I sat alone in the classroom. They could not believe I could do that.

[Bethany.Loveday]

I’m 34, a few weeks ago I paid to do a clinic’s screening test and as I suspected, was found to have results highly indicating both ADHD and Autism. I’m about to commence the formal testing sessions next week. Since getting the screening results, these past weeks have been intense in seeing my whole life with so much more clarity and why I did/said certain things from when I was a child to today. It all makes so much sense now and I feel burnt out just from all these realisations 😆 I’m also finding myself to be grieving in a way, just knowing how much I’ve struggled in feeling different and trying to fit in and thinking it was because I was broken, even being told I was broken, I wish I knew about my brain at an early age to better avoid all that and have a good explanation to offer people. I just feel really sad for the little girl I used to be. But excited to move forward in life with this clearer understanding of myself.

[WhatDadIsUpTo]

I'm autistic and happy.
I live alone out in the middle of nowhere on the Texas prairie and I don't care what others think. Today is a national holiday, Thanksgiving. I have spent it sittings alone in the dark (really stormy outside) stimming. If you don't understand what that is, Google it. I don't want to get better. From my vantage point, everyone ELSE is weird, not me.

That said, I am point-for-point on queue with your video today.

Funny story about "sticking to it" -- I am on my 14th fireplace build. Thirteen prior built, then torn down and rebuilt changing often times, just a tiny detail. Have spent THOU$AND$!

No matter. It's just the way I roll. Like I said, autistic and happy.

[toastedtcake]

Awkward and weird were labels given to me for the last 40 years. People laughing and judging me all the time. It’s hard.

[MonsteraFairy]

I'm a 32 year old woman and got my diagnosis in October, so far its been life changing in a good way. I'm so happy that I'm finally properly diagnosed and not misdiagnosed with Borderline. And I feel I have so much to discover. And I'm not as mean towards myself anymore due to the diagnosis. ❤️

[WilliamFontaineJr]

My grandson is 14 and was diagnosed at 8. His family is very supportive as are we his grandparents. (My wife is autistic undiagnosed 68 years old) The family does not explore the YouTube videos you and other offer and so it appears to me they do not know the many subtle ways autistic people are different. I’m going to try and introduce them to some resources on YouTube in an effort help my grandson and his parents know more about their sons autism. Hope it works.

[s.b]

Just loved this video.
Being labelled "gifted" is a blessing & a curse when undiagnosed.
I understood early in my teenage years that I would struggle in my adult life (iwork, friends, relationships, "normal" hobbies) and desperately tried to make people see that. Not a single adult, even therapists believed my worries. They said "noo, you will do all these things fine!". So I didnt get help. Now Im a 33 years old, newly diagnosed PhD student struggling with repeated burnouts and depressions. Gifted in writing and crippled in energy. Like I suspected, everything didn't go "fine". But I did well by making my own path.

It is difficult, but as autists we need to test where our limits go. Maybe I will work in research and maybe not... this is a complete re-evaluation of my dreams- and life. I love my life, but it's scary that the path ahead is never certain and usually in the dark.

[lisaweinmeyer]

I Love the" Golden Thread" I have been slowly stitching my Autistic experiences together. I imagine this sewing project is going to take a lot of time and patience!

[jfern]

Not just after diagnosis but just discovering, after research, that one is on the spectrum is a huge thing. It puts everything into perspective - diagnosis or not.

[simonmcglary]

Diagnosed at age 50, 8 years ago. Still being reminded of behaviours as a child that pointed to the diagnosis. It also explained why there were things that I was really good at, things I could understand, yet I would describe myself as average when it came to exams! Realising, understanding and accepting that in some areas you are way better at some things you gave yourself credit, and everything you have been doing as part of masking isn’t really challenging anymore and you’re bored!

[Anadwan]

I just got diagnosed with a high degree autism and with ADHD as a 42 year old. It completely changed everything, and this channel are helping me understand how things went the way they went.

Thank you for the beautiful work you are doing!🙏🏼

[davestambaugh]

Everyone has really big life style changes when retiring. Rebranding is a concept that I have often read about. I discovered what the lottery of birth gave me at the time I retired at seventy. At seventy seven, now I have a close to complete understanding of my life.

[Lance.West]

I can relate to almost every experience you've had. Except for doing well In school. Only 2 teachers in my entire grade school saw potential in me. An algebra teacher and a science teacher. The rest said, "doesn't apply himself". They tried talking to the principal and my parents but everyone just said he's lazy and needs to work harder.
Because of this I barely passed high school so college was out. Fast forward to now in my professional career. My job is to troubleshoot problems others can't figure out on military vehicles. "FST" I excel at this job and love it. I have gotten to travel the world literally, fixing things nobody else can. I get praised to no end at work but when works over the people who praise me don't want to actually hang out with me lol. I know why now. Took me 30+ years to realize it's me not everyone else.
In my experience Until people have a open enough mind to understand us I would just mask and move on. Everyone I've tried to come out to hoping it will make things better always ends with them either taking advantage of my weaknesses or not believing me. It been very tough.
It's a gift and a curse at the same time. But if I die today I've got to do things and go places 99% of the population will never do. And you can never take that away from me.