Late in life Asperger diagnosis

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I was diagnosed with asperger after 25 years of marriage and a long career as a consultant and entrepreneur. I'm no in my late 50's. Still working. I approach aspergers as a diversity issue that gives me a different way to approaching life and its challenges. Some of them good. Some of them problematic.

I have been blogging about this on my blogspot blog under pseudonym hansasperger junior. I have blogged about my life todate, how I manage, how I work best/how to manage me. I'm trying to find out whether that's my special experience or whether other recognize themselves in that experience.

My aspiration is to create understanding for ASD's potential, by creating a network of people on the spectrum who can show that. Because I believe that celebrating mental diversity is critical for achieving the best results for all.

aspergerplus - I was diagnosed late in life as well. I would be interested in reading your blog. Could you provide a link?

Welcome

Love to: look forward to your reflections hansaspergerjunior dot blogspot dot com can't provide the link without getting a message informing me on the anti spam policy also facebook/twitter under aspergerplus.

aspergerplus – Thanks for sharing your blog. It is well written and contains some intriguing thoughts.

Based upon your writings, you obviously have been able to successfully adapt to the neurotypical world.

I think your idea of establishing a network of people on the spectrum is a good one. Though, rather than focusing on “celebrating mental diversity”, I sense that Aspies need assistance understanding how to leverage their unique skills so they can better adapt to a neurotypical world.

By the way, your blog has inspired me to write more. I have been maintaining a journal for the last several months. I find the activity very therapeutic.

Hi and welcome.

By the way, your blog has inspired me to write more. I have been maintaining a journal for the last several months. I find the activity very therapeutic.[/quote

I was adviced to start writing to provide me with a metacognitive perspective on my own functioning. As usual by trying to explain what's been happening in and to me, I'm the one learning most from these posts. I tried to say something about that in the post on writing.

It also makes for (too) long and somewhat unfocussed blogs. But that's ok. We can all scan ( a little ).

I can't agree more. Such a network can only a part of all that needs to be done. And its likely to be most useful for those who are allready functioning reasonably well. At the same time, we all share similar challenges. For my generation, the gap has been in not having support or understanding of the ASD mindset. Being anthropologist on earth without translation. But we were expected to perform. We were given chances, as long as we camouflaged the problems.

For the new generation, the biggest challenge may well be to get those chances and to build on their strength rather then compensate only for the deficiencies. The focus of the support community is always on remediation, not on encouragement and empowerment of capabilities. Other then in the rare cases of truly exceptional abilities/savantism. So the network can help those to move from a development disorder to a special different mindset with its own strengths and its own management styles.

Are posters envisioning Aspie business owners/workers exchanging information on AS, or Aspie businesses working with each other for their business needs?

I expect that there are significant numbers of well functioning individual who would have received a diagnosis had they lived today. I and other tend to hide that, because the common reaction is, " but you are doing so well". There has been speculation that many silicon valley chiefs may be high on the spectrum. But talking about it is not good business. Which business or politician wants to be described as "autistic". Right now its bad for business to mention it. So we stay silent. To protect the business and the people we care about.

To change that requires that we build a list of people who do actually function well and are willing to talk about it. That could change the stigma into a quality. A disability into a differentiator. It has to be done carefully and thoughtfully. With big names on the list so that getting on the list actually becomes something people may want.

The list could also be used to coach organizations and individuals to help make best use of people on the spectrum. That would be great, but the primary roll should be to change the perception because people come out confirming that their success is because of their aspie qualities. That they were vital to their performance. Saw some real good examples recently on Dutch TV. But at middle management/university professor level. While i'm quite sure there are CEO's and top level politicians out there that have the history, have the kids and may have the confidence to speak up

University Professor would be one of the easier places to start, at least those with Tenure.

As a hypothetical, what do you think of businesses that at least quitely acknowledge that they are Aspie-friendly?

I think that's going to grow beyond SAP. I hope that Aspie friendly will soon be as anachronistic as woman friendly businesses. Most businesses will have to be, because its good business!