In denial for 15 yrs after being diagnosed with Aspergers

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Mental illness? Sure we may need a little therapy to learn how to socialize, but I'm not sure that qualifies as a "mental illness." Even if it did, why would you care?

There are people who are able to live productive lives with all sorts of mental conditions. I know people who have schizophrenia and have gotten the necessary help. I also know people who are in denial and have not seen any specialists. Guess which of those two groups are in better shape...

Better late to acceptance than never, IMO! Now comes the work of redefining yourself. Have fun!

Aspergers isn't a mental illness, so it doesn't come attached with that stigma (not that any mental illness should have a stigma attached to it). I am glad you are finally starting to accept who you are!

There are lots of people with late diagnosis around here and also a lot of people who have known since they were small kids. I just learned about my AS this year and I am learning lots from this page, also from the ones who have been diagnosed as children. They are often more aware of how the traits work in children.

It can be tough to be different. Truth is people on the Spectrum are thought to be almost less then human, which we know is not true at all.

I was diagnosed at 24yrs old..and must admit i still struggle to accept it..because it is a label that most people don't understand but it is not a mental illness i think when you get diagnosed later in life you can struggle to come to terms that you have a condition that you have had for most of your life!....and it is not that easy to accept for some people....me included...so understand where you are coming from.

Mental illness? Sure we may need a little therapy to learn how to socialize, but I'm not sure that qualifies as a "mental illness." Even if it did, why would you care?

Semantics, really: But, yes, a better term for it is "neurodevelopmental disorder", or just "developmental disorder". A person with autism has a healthy brain that developed differently and is structured differently, causing disability. Autism is more like dyslexia than it is like depression; a physical example, more like (hereditary) dwarfism than like diabetes. So that means the best approach is to teach useful things that allow you to live as a healthy, happy autistic person in a world mostly made for non-autistic people. You accommodate for the deficits, use the talents, and generally go on with your life.

Yes I agree.
'Developmental disorder' is the easiest to remember thanks.

I've been faking a lot of things all my life. Got 'faking normal' down so good I could have won an oscar Lived with 2 x NT wife's they didn't suspect (they were my personal NT trainers Although I did do the 'rocking back an fourth thing' once in the early stages and got s**t for that, never did that again ever. Ran a shift for 5 years dealing with middle management and staff before I ran my home based importing business. Was second in charge of a Christian Religious organisation.
Then things started falling apart when I didn't have enough people around to correct myself, I regressed back into AS. (I'm not sure on that I'm still learning).

I'm just giving examples of working with a variety of different people from all walks of life.

I've probably developed lots of different persona's, and can empathize with each one as most groups of people consider themselves a minority. (As I have thought I belonged in almost all of the groups at sometime or another in my life) Except the Prostitute section, no one will pay me but I'm working on that

Below are some generalizations of mine: These are only my personal opinions
Bosses - Workers = Conflict
Christians/Religion etc - Atheists = Conflict
Developmental Disorders and/or Mental illness - People scared of my Bi-Polar/AS/ADD Son
Prostitutes (legal in NZ) - Most people = Conflict
Bum (present Occupation) - Bosses and workers, kids = Conflict
Drug Addicts/Drunks - Sober/Clean people = Conflict
Family Man/Woman - Singles = Conflict
Transgendered/Homosexual etc = A lot = My best friend's been visiting me for 2 yrs and they don't know she's really a born male
Europeans - Blacks, Asians, Jews... misc = Conflict. A constant problem in my Country, and even in my own home - If Racism is too big a dirty word for you, call it Discrimination (while our kids hear the 'c**t' word and 'f**k' word all over the media. (Check your child's Facebook, Phone or TV right now?)

This is our world, I'm merely reporting my reality. I'm trapped in it too, I'm just acknowledging it exists. Isn't that what this websites about? Learning, Acceptance, Sharing ideas, opening our hearts and minds etc.

I kind of got a bit off track...I have been told I'm passionate I hope not in a Charlie Sheen way lol. Yes I am sober and clean today.
Have a great day everyone

It will help your son to have a parent who also has autism, because you will be able to understand some of the things he experiences. He will share many traits with you--of course, he's his own person, and he'll probably have some that are wildly different, but the similarities will still be helpful. It will allow you to advocate for him more effectively, especially when they try to push him to "fake normal" instead of doing things in his own style, in ways that work for him. You've been "faking normal" for a long time yourself, and you know it doesn't work, so you can make a good case that your son should be allowed to be himself and learn how to deal with autism in a way that works for him, instead of by pretending he's not autistic.

Your right there about my Boy relating to me about AS, I observed him doing the whole list of traits for AS. We even took the online AS quiz together and that verified what we already knew. My Son has it way tougher than me, he literally believes he's dying 'Hypochondria' plus his other DX's bundled. Plus I can think outside the square, he 'lives outside the square'. After the test we were both walking around like NT military soldiers swinging our arms wildly
I don't know why people fear my Son, (he is 6ft 5 inches tall and would crush me like a cockroach) He has never harmed anyone ever, and has no criminal record which is better than me. He is half standing next to me in the pic upload section.

Do visit the parents' forum. The people there have quite a few useful tips. Most of their children aren't grown, but it's not like you can't participate.