Do those who are diagnosed as children, do better...

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This strikes a chord with me, yeah.

I sure hope it does help.

Yes, I identify with that, too. I've wondered how my life would have been different if I was diagnosed as a child. With good parents - probably much better. But I didn't have good parents. So perhaps I would have been a little less NT-acting, but a little happier overall, if nothing else because at least I would have accepted my differences earlier.

Enough people are diagnosed to have a statistically significant sample, however, and there's no reason to assume that the inclusion of a hypothetical "group c)" would change the overall statistics.

I am actually somewhat troubled by people trying to make "childhood diagnosis" look like a bad or at least equivocal thing and framing it as something that often limits children due to overprotective parents who are apparently unwilling to let their children take risks. I would like to see any research that this actually happens to a statistically significant degree, rather than a few anecdotes or people posting theories.

Also, I do think many in category c) seek diagnoses for their own purposes (say, a sense of belonging) and many in category d) never get a diagnosis or know how to access resources to get themselves diagnoses.

I suspect that people who were not diagnosed as children, who did not experience much impairment in life, likely were not diagnosable in the first place. They might be better described as BAP. Of course, that's just my theory.

As for me personally. I don't know if I would have been better off if diagnosed. I think it's at least as likely that my father would have told me that I would have to adapt and not use it as an excuse for things being hard to do (even though things are hard to do because of it and ADHD). I do not know how my education would have gone, as it was pretty abysmal without support.

I would like to think that being diagnosed at an earlier age would have helped me. I'm sure it would have, if I got the right treatment. I should have been diagnosed when I was 8-9 instead of 18. Thats when I first saw a psych but I was just diagnosed with selective mutism. Unfortunetly at the time aspergers wasnt as recognized and female aspergers was even less recognized.

I'm not sure that's a bad thing though... I suspect the one downside to early diagnosis may be lowered expectations.

I would much rather been a child in the last decade & a half.. Our strengths are also known. Some guidance on using these and explanations for my difficulties would have been of enormous benefit..
Yes, of course, the outcome still would lie mostly with myself in the end, but knowledge is NEVER useless..
After decades of lonelliness, pain, & missed oppurtunities, I really fail to see the value in simply BEING AS. I know some think society is just trying to change them, but I will always feel that some of these traits are REAL disabilities that should be corrected. Or at least moderated, a much more realistic goal. Aside from some artistic talent, there really is only a little value in some of my traits. Some that are good never were recognized, so have mostly withered away..
Really, all anyone can do is show you how to overcome some obstacles, realize where your strengths are as well as the weaknesses. Nothing will ever change me or anyone else into something they are not, so I fail to see why anyone would not want to at least try..

Sincerely,
Matthew

^ This. If they're treated like they're disabled, they might adopt that identity and not challenge themselves whenever difficulty presents itself. But I still think the positives outweigh the negative. No sense in living miserably.

Before strategies were put in place to help my daughter (and we weren't specifically dealing with an ASD kid), my expectations for her were lower than they are now. Her performance at school was slightly below average and we accepted it. I actually have very high expectations for her these days, despite the probability that she'll get a diagnosis of an ASD. I expect she'll go to university (if she wants to). Now that we're getting to know the reasons behind her poor performance, we've been able to address them and she's now taking off. Her behaviour is amazing and she's proving to be one of the bright sparks at school.

I, on the other hand, had better than average performance, but when I got to high school, I started to struggle with things, because I couldn't concentrate/study. I wasn't identified as being really bright or needing accommodations, when both were the case. To my teachers, I was just an above average student, but not outstanding. Some things I really struggled with, but I felt humiliated by my teachers, who thought I just wasn't trying hard enough. That is a very frustrating situation to be in. Had I been identified as a child (I'm not even identified as an adult), I think things would have been different for me. However, perhaps my parents wouldn't have understood the whole deal and would have felt compelled to lower their expectations. I'll never know.

In my case that could have been a good thing, because then I would not have constantly pushed myself beyond my limits just to try and please everyone....I might have realised it's 'ok' some things are harder for me and that it didn't mean the kids at school were right about me being 'ret*d' nor did it mean I was lazy, selfish or anything else.

Not being diagnosed as a child and not "experiencing much impairment in life" are different things.

I wasn't diagnosed until age 26 when I went to the mental health office for anxiety and depression, and I came out with an Asperger's DX. What happened was I finally hit a wall when demands grossly exceeded my capabilities, and my coping strategies were no longer effective for my situation.

I wasn't DXed as a child because I did well in school and I was extremely well-behaved. The current thinking is that "good" children can't possibly have any issues. Not speaking to, or looking at, other people can be acceptable in children and some teens. It isn't when you become an adult, especially if you're being forced to interact with others in a way you simply can't.

Being recognized as a child for what I was would have been better IMO, even if simply for me not being constantly accused of laziness, stupidity, or "not Applying Myself" a favorite of my parents, teachers, counselors. I really wish the resources you young ones have had been available, whether a dx leads to a "victim" mentality or such..
It is simply better to be on the spectrum today, even if John Q. Public thinks we all should act like Rain Man or other stupidity.

Sincerely,
Matthew

I know my life would have been very different, and much better, had I been diagnosed as a child. Ways to keep me in school would have been found -- I probably would have ended up being a librarian, and given my fascination with languages, possibly on the college level.

Unfortunately that wasn't possible as AS/HFA was not recognized back in the 60's or 70's. My parents did the best that was possible, with the information they had.

I still would have studied computers when they became available, so there is a convergence of sorts. My current trade is Network Administrator

My experience exactly, except that there was no such thing in those days so no-one could be diagnosed.

Snap

That is a pretty good title/job in reality. I just take care of animals for PetSmart these days. At one time, I was training to be a Dolphin Tainer at a marine science center/aquarium. But my Spectrum traits clashed with a female, who had other issues. Unfortunately, I became one of her issues. Not through anything I knowingly did, BTW. Sucks.
Another example of "had I known then what I know now, Life would have been much better for me and my friends!

Sincerely,
Matthew