Information about autistic tendancies in adults

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Hi there, I've been looking for information online about autism or autistic tendances in adults but seems like all the information is focussed on children or how to tell if your child may have autistic tendancies.

But I would still like to find out a lot more about how autism or aspergers affects adults? I was always a "different" child, looking back on my childhood I can see many signs that these days would point to high functioning autism or something similar, but back then people didn't really know about stuff like that so I was never diagnosed...I was just considered an odd child, and my parents/teachers would get frustrated with me for not being more normal...I was also very bright, and figured out how to "blend in" to a certain extent (though everyone I know has commented on the weird way I do some things, they just assume it's a quirk or in my case multiple quirks).

Can anyone suggest some helpful books or websites? I found the Wrong Planet website unintentionally when I googled "does anyone else hate talking on the phone" and from the moment I started reading the forum posts I suddenly felt like these were people like me...then when I realised the website was for autism/aspergers I kind of freaked out because I didn't know what that meant....still a bit freaked out....although it is a complete relief to know that there are other people like me

Same here! I found out because my son was diagnosed asperger. A mother from karate recognized his behavior and told me. I'm 46 years old and like you said , I was just always considered weird. I feel so much better reading the posts here, I've never been diagnosed, but I definetly have tons of autistic tendancies and my 74 yr old Dad too.

Hi Linder and welcome to WP!

Books that I have been reading so far (with a view to future diagnosis) include Tony Attwood's The Complete Guide to Asprtger Syndrome
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Guide- ... 1843104954
The Myriad Gifts of Asperger Syndrome by John M Ortiz
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Myriad-Gifts-As ... 1843108836
and Asperger's Syndrome and Employment, by several authors, edited by Genevieve Edmonds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asperger-Syndro ... 1843106485

You should certainly try out the online questionnaires about autism and Asperger's, eg the Aspie-Quiz
http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php
and the tests by Simon Baron-Cohen
http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/tests/default.asp

As far as books, 2 good Bios are "Temple Grandin" also "John Robinson's:"Look Me in the Eye". Info reading has tons, I just google "asperger" or "Adult asperger" or "adult autism". Good luck, but definitly read posts on this site, it helps me feel better knowing there are others like me. My agegroup is less common, but the posts all fit, so I check here all through out the day!

thanks for the replies! I definitely have felt better since finding this site and reading the posts on here....it's still quite a lot to get used to though. Seems to be a lot of varience in how it affects different people....I tried my local library but they didn't have much, however I'll keep looking online, and check out whether I can find any of those books in a store.

I want to find out as much as I can before I think about telling any of my family, plus they are so used to my eccentricities and sudden new interests that they'll probably just assume that this is yet another one of them!

Kind of feels, not like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but that there's a light been switched on in the tunnel? I still have a long way to go but at least I can see a bit more clearly now (and when I look behind me, some of the disasters in my past now make a lot more sense....)

welcome to wp .

@linder1980... yup, that's exactly how I feel. Some of my less than stellar moments have some context now.