Anybody Here Over 30?

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I'm 43 and freshly labelled with Asperger's just two months ago after being "undiagnosed in childhood and misdiagnosed in adulthood" to quote Liane Willey (Pretending To Be Normal). A few teachers noticed something different about me when I did things like memorizing the first 2,000 digits of pi, but if they ever said anything about it to my parents, I never heard about it. And since we moved around a lot, there was never enough continuity with teachers or counselors for them to see patterns or do anything about it.

Like lae (Mon May 15, 2006 7:58 am) I'm glad my parents didn't know (or chose to ignore) my differences, since they probably would have put me in an institution. I'm pretty sure my father was an Aspie; he eventually killed himself after years of trouble getting along with people at work (which, I suspect, is why we moved so much).

Now I've been having "people problems" at work, always with shallow, codependent gossipy types who attack people they can't understand. They were so cruel to me in my last workplace that I had to leave wonderful friends and fulfilling volunteer work to transfer to a job 1,000 miles away. After a few years of being treated here for post-traumatic stress disorder, I'm finally getting back to the point where I can try to get a life. Which is what led me to research Asperger's and get a professional evaluation.

I've always been high-functioning enough to pass for normal 90% of the time, until someone pushes my buttons emotionally, or I get stuck in an over-stimulating environment. But in a way, that makes it harder for me, because people think I "look" normal and then are shocked when I react in a way that makes them wonder if I'm crazy. I think this is especially difficult for women, since American culture has strong traditional expectations for us to be outgoing, codependent, caretaker types. That's why my diagnosis as an Aspie has been so empowering; now I don't have to feel guilty or inadequate for being introverted and independent.

I'm 44 years old. I'm not officially diagnosed, however I have enough symptoms that I feel reasonably confident I "have" it. I'm also a good candidate symptomatically for ADD, so I feel it's one or the other or both.

I definitely had problems in school. Although I was quite bright, I never did any homework and barely graduated from high school. I sometimes wonder if there'd been some kind of help available back then, (70's) I might have done a little better in life and career.

I'm 32. Althought, I am not been diagnosed with AS. I recenlty found out about AS from my brother ex-girlfriend. Most people often assume that I am someone who looks( and sometimes acts) like someone that is ten years younger . It surprises then when they find my real age especially with people that I have either just met. As a teenager I talked and behaved as somebody older and I could enjoy talking with adults better than with peolpe my own age. Go figure

I'm 30 and I just ran across Asperger Syndrome 3 months ago on the computer when I was trying to find answers RE: social skills. The second I read the first page, I got goosebumps.

I told my boyfriend, and he laughed and called me "rain man" for 3 weeks.

But I kept making him read more and he stopped laughing and said "It's like they made this diagnosis just for you"

Yeah, I feel like I missed a lot of things. I find it hard to go to formal family functions, parties, etc. It even affected how much I could tolerate going to work. And this has been going on long before I found this Asperger Diag.

Hi, first time posting.

Cut me in half and you'll count 39 rings. (Please don't)

I was diagnosised as Chronic ADD 12 years ago.

I am 37. Diagnosed about a year ago, but I always knew I was different, even when I was about 7. Just figured it was the OCD, but the OCD didn't explain everything. Many years and lots of failed therapy later, I had CBT (cognative behavioral therapy) which brought the OCD under control. Then the AS was clearly observable and I was consequently diagnosed.

It was hard at first, realizing that I would never be NT, but then again I have met some very interesting Aspies that I deeply respect.

I turned 43 May 1, 2006. Was diagnosed at 41 July 2004. Never heard of Asperger's until I was diagnosed July 2004.

i am 37 and have a autistic family. when my first child was diagnosed i understood why i had felt different all my life. i also gravitated towards an aspergers man , we had 2 girls.

I'm 38 and I found out about Asperger's last year when a friend of mine said: "I found this website, and they have a name for people like us." I checked it out and it explained my whole life. Had I known earlier, it would have been much easier for me.

I', 67, self-diagnosed in my 60s by reading a book whose title called my name ("Pretending to be Normal"), grew up before anyone had ever heard of any such thing.

Are there any other seniors here besides Louis? (Louis - if you are or were ever in or close to Albuquerque, let's have coffee. I know a coffee house that *has no soundtrack*! Or a very unobtrusive one.)

Anyone want to comment on the generational differences in growing up AS?

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia.

I am 33. Not diagnosed, but pretty sure I have it. So many things people comment on here that I can relate to.

Only found about Aspergers about a month ago from reading an article in a newspaper. There was only a passing reference to Aspergers, as they were really writing about a new book due for release called 'Send in the Idiots'. But it prompted me to do some investigating. I haven't read the book yet as there has been some distribution delays.

The more and more I read postings here the more I feel peace of mind. Thank you to all who share their experiences/feelings with others on this website.

I think we'll see the biggest generational differences in another 10-20 years. One of the many books I've read since my diagnosis got me started thinking about how we Aspies over 30 will be the last of our kind because modern teachers, parents and doctors are much more aware of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and have many more resources for diagnoses and treatment. Their focus is on "early intervention", under the assumption that it's much easier to correct behavioral and physical health problems while the children's minds are still malleable.

Several of the books I found were biographies written by parents whose severely autistic children were "cured" to the point of acting like shy-but-normal kids, functional enough for mainstream schools.

I am 46. Been here awhile, just lurking.

I am 41 - 42 in November of this year.

I can certainly build up a compelling case for believing I have AS in my own mind, partly because I am writing a letter to the Maudsley Hospital in London, England to see if I can get assessment so that I will know for sure. I am also acutely aware that it is possible to mislead oneself and this is something I am strongly averse to doing.

I 'found out' about AS around this time last year, explored the subject for a while, then stopped because I was getting nowhere with it and I did not see any point in continuing in the face of not being able to get it confirmed one way or the other by a professional. I have since decided to try to get formal assessment for AS as there is a research centre fairly close by where I live.

Unfortunately, I was in a Pub a few months ago and a young woman who works with 'special needs' children - some of whom are on the Spectrum - asked me outright, whether or not I had Aspergers Syndrome. This got me to thinking about it again and so I told her that I had considered that possibility myself but that I was aware of having made various compensations and of having 'learned by experience' and that it is very difficult to get an official adult diagnosis with such compensations in place. Of course, these 'compensations' come crashing down when I am placed under any stress or pressure, such as in certain work environments where I have to deal with a lot of people or try to do lots of things at once.

I am also beginning to think I may have a residue of ADHD, due to my apparent inability to finish off projects; something that goes against the 'deep focus' of AS. I do hope I am not turning into a 'diagnosis junkie' - I hate hypochondria.

I am 32, my son was diagnosed with ASD in November 05, I knew since June when I got myself into research.
I just found this site two days ago.
Another quick note...I am from New Hampshire. Heeeeeeeeeeeey Yankees!!

i'm 40 and was diagnosed at the beginning of 2005. my neurologist sent me to a neuropsychologist who afterwards sent me to a psychiatrist. i now have this letter explaining that i have aspergers, along with the report my psychologist put together that really makes me sound unhinged. wait a minute - i am unhinged. thank goodness for psychiatrists and medication.