I was diagnosed with ASD today

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Hi everyone,

I’m trying to come to terms with my new diagnosis, although I’m not surprised by it. I am 25 so I was diagnosed kind of late, relatively. Idk how to explain how I feel...but I feel weird.

I am a teacher for kids with ASD so I have been exposed to autism a lot for 2 years now. I am also going to grad school for Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in autism. Autism is my life. But it’s weird for me to be the one with it.

Also, does anyone have any books they recommend for ASD/Aspie?

Welcome aboard, and welcome to the family!

There as many, many books out there.

A member named jimmy_m has written a book.

If I can't find the title, someone else surely will.

Thank you how did you cope when you learned of your diagnosis?

Ah! Here it is: The Aspie Code.

How did I cope? For a moment, I was shocked. Then everything fell into place, and I could visualize how my life had unfolded under Asperger's Syndrome, and it all suddenly made sense. After that, I was excited. I wanted to tell everyone "Hey! Guess What! I know why I was so awkward, clumsy, and just plain weird!", but then common sense took hold, and I could visualize how people would react knowing that my brain was wired differently than theirs when they had thought all along that I was just "eccentric". So I keep my "condition" to myself. No one knows except the people who diagnosed me.

Otherwise, I get along fine.

Three books that have helped me:

The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships by Sean Barron and Temple Grandin

Living Independently on the Autism Spectrum by Lynne Soraya

Life and Love: Positive Strategies for Autistic Adults by Zosia Zaks

Welcome, Jessica.

I was diagnosed at 44, a few years ago, and it still feels a bit weird sometimes. I agree with what Fnord said; it has made sense of an awful lot of things, though it's taking quite a while to process four decades' worth of past experiences, and I'm still discovering plenty of new things even now. A few people who are close to me know my diagnosis; others, I'm a little more honest about particular traits with, and the majority I don't mention it to at all, unless something happens where it might be the simplest explanation to give.

I've never really gone in for reading books about autism; I've always done most of my research on-line by reading blogs and using forums like this one. I prefer it that way, as it means that I get to see autism from a huge number of different viewpoints, and I find it easier to focus on a specific aspect of being autistic. Whatever way you prefer to learn about it, try not to overdo it; I've found that there's vastly more to be learned than I ever imagined when I received my diagnosis, and I've overloaded myself with new information quite a few times!

I hope you'll enjoy it here as much as I do.

I was diagnosed when I was ten.
I recommend, not specifically for autism but for a lot of comorbidities and certain traits of autism;
The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children [Ross W. Greene PhD]

Yes, Jimmy m has written a pretty good book on the subject which I recently read - I'd recommend it, though if you stick around you'll end up reading it in its entirety anyway; he tends to quote from it in his posts.

I found out I was ASD just about a year ago and for me it has been a wonderful blessing. At last, my world made sense. I also have a career working with people with developmental disabilities including ASD, some 20 years. So it was surprising to discover I am not so different from the people I help.
Welcome to the forum. It is the main source now of my "reading" in the world of ASD. There is a lot of wisdom here.

I had the everything now makes sense reaction. Also knowing that I was born this way and my problems were not all due to character flaws such as being weak or lazy helped my self esteem a lot.

It does help the kids knowing somebody like them is doing well.
As you learn more about autism you will learn more about both yourself and your students and what you share both the problems and the gifts. This will make you a better teacher.

Hi Jessica, and welcome aboard!

I have read quite a few. For a first resource I would recommend:
Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age
by Sarah Hendrickx

'Written for professionals, women on the spectrum and their families, this is a cradle to grave overview of girls and women with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at each stage of their lives. The book explores how women with ASD experience diagnosis, childhood, education, adolescence, employment, sexuality, pregnancy and motherhood, and aging'.

Isabella