The penny finally dropped...

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After two decades of working with people with developmental disabilities...and reading new literature about girls' expression of autism...googling around a bit...the penny finally dropped...I'm an aspie. Actually many pennies dropped as countless frustrating and/or painful memories suddenly made sense. It really has been quite an illuminating and mind expanding experience. I had already come to terms with the obvious fact that I was and am still considerably different from most of society and I am happy with that, but now there is a framework to hang it all on.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

About two months ago, the same exact thing happened to me. It was quite a relief.

Welcome! (I'm new here too.)

Hello and welcome to Wrong Planet.

Thank you.

Do you know that it took me a couple of days to realize what the Wrong Planet logo meant?

Vaguely similar story for me. I first learned about aspergers from trying to help a student of mine who was an aspie, and then I realized that the description applied to me too.

I seem to be able to communicate better and understand better the individuals I work with who have autism. Many times NTs, even those working in the field, do not like people with autism because of the behavior problems, but I always did. I sympathized with their need to have alone time, and for things to be quiet. Now I know why.

The penny finally dropped? I haven't seen a penny myself in a number of years. They're no longer minted in Canada.

OK, OK, I need to stop making these not-so-witty intro puns (although, I probably won't.)

Welcome to the forums, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it here.

Welcome! Congrats on figuring out who you are.

Thanks for the welcomes! I am enjoying it here.

Glflegolas: You are showing your age, or I am showing mine. I thought about adding an even more dated reference to Pennies from Heaven, a song advising that if it is raining, turn your umbrella upside down to catch the pennies from heaven. I guess you had to be there....

TheAP: I had never thought of this epiphany as being something worthy of congratulations, but you are absolutely correct. Thank you!

@blazingstar: Calling me Glf works OK too. I've been told on more than one occasion that I'm the youngest old person they've ever met.

And that was what I was told when I was a child, but it was more like "you are the oldest child in the world." My child self hoped it was a complement but I was never sure....now I think it was probably the earliest aspie diagnosis back when no one knew about that stuff.

This is similar to what happened to me as well! I never knew it could manifest slightly differently in girls, and I thought I couldn't have it because I can be good at mimicking/blending in (to an extent). My whole life makes so much sense now, but I'm also seeing how much worse events in my life are with this realization that it was people treating me like garbage for essentially being autistic, putting value judgments on innocuous traits etc.

I just found out a few months ago and know it can feel pretty rough finding out later in life. How are you processing everything so far?

I feel the same way. Even though I have worked with children and adults with autism for years, they have been on the more profound side of the spectrum, and it wasn't until the last few years that I began thinking I had some things in common with them. Then I read how girls express autism and everything suddenly made sense. I spent a couple of days having things pop into my head; Oh, that is why I can't stand clothing labels and can only wear cotton, Oh, that is why I don't like groups of people, and so on.


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Actually, I think it is great. Suddenly I am not just weird or strange. I am differently wired! I am not a reject from the normal world. I have gifts I can use to help others. And, sneakily, it may be something to get me out of hot water...sometimes people think I behavior inappropriately and if it is in a work situation, that can get me in trouble. Now it is my secret weapon; a disability! That last really sort of a joke....being as I work with people with disabilities, but it does give me some insight into what the problem was.