For those of you who were diagnosed as a child

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At what age were you told of your diagnosis? Did your parents wait until you were a teenager to tell you about your Autism or did they tell you right away?

I was 2 years old when diagnosed. But as time went on they never like sat me down and said, "son you've got autism", but it was never made a secret from me either. And I was often with my parents when doctors and whoever were telling them about me. They thought since I was unresponsive, I couldn't understand anything being said. But they were wrong of course. I was also put in a school for autism, so it was always obvious to me, even though it didn't really fully sink in until I was around 10 or so.

I was diagnosed when I was 8, and was told straight away. I wish I wasn't, because I felt like I had this label that nobody else had, and I felt shameful of it. I felt like it defined me as a person, and I thought that teachers stared at me waiting for me to do something Aspergers-y. Also I kept repeating the label of mine in my head, feeling alone in all this simply because nobody else in the whole school had it but me.

I was technically, through testing in the school I went to, but either I don't remember them telling me, or they held off from it until I was a little older.

I did get a proper diagnoses about two-years back.

I was 12 when diagnosed and my mom told me not too long later I had it. But I had no understanding of it then. I didn't know what it meant. I just assumed it meant having troubles with school work and figuring it out. I honestly wished they kept quiet about it than telling me all the time "it's part of Asperger's" because I started to feel it defined me as a person. At least they stopped when I got to high school.

I was diagnosed at age 6 and I was told of it immediately. It's clear that my mom mostly got her information about autism from sources that have a positive outlook, because the way they painted it seemed to indicate that it's a gift that comes with a few inconveniences. Whenever I was having a sensory overload or something I would often just silently get through it and not tell anyone, mostly because I didn't want to accept that I am that different and that I often have trouble with things that are easier for others so I was kind of in denial. I came out of denial early this year which has certainly been helpful because I now understand that I need to hold myself to different standards then everyone else and that I shouldn't be ashamed about the things that I struggle with.

There was one time about 3 years ago when my parents got the idea that my problems in school were just a case of laziness and bad behavior, those were the worst few months of my life.

Yeah, I was actually diagnosed at age 5 I think - but my parents decided to hide from me (and I oddly don't remember anything from the diagnosis-process). I found out by an accident when I was 15. I was really hurt and confused by my parents decision, since it would've been SO much better if I'd known all along. I think your child has the right to know, and you're really doing more damage than good by keeping it a secret.

I was diagnosed when I was seven years old. I did not find out about that diagnosis until I was 37 years old (this year). I always knew I was different, I just did not know how to express or understand this difference. Now that I know more about it everything in my life makes more sense. My ex-wife sure wishes we know about the diagnosis before we got married. Then she never would have married me.

I was only three when I was diagnosed and I didn't know until I was about 13. I was never really told about my diagnosis, I read it in some documents from my middle school from my first therapist.

I was diagnosed with autism at age 3. With "brain-damage" soon afterwards.

I didn't know about the autism diagnosis until I was an adult.

I didn't know about a "diagnosis" of brain-damage when I was a child. But I knew, even then, that I went to a "brain-injured" nursery school. I (usually) didn't think I was "ret*d." I knew there was "something wrong with me," and that others thought there was "something wrong with me." Sometimes, I was invited to this kid's house; other times, I wasn't. I thought I was pretty "smart," actually, because I knew all the world's capitals at age 8.

I knew that another autistic kid I knew had "oxygen blocked from his brain." He had "classic" symptoms. I didn't know it was called "autism until my later elementary school years.

I learned about autism through a public service announcement aired when I was 9 years old.

I was 5 when I was diagnosed. I think when I was about 6 or 7 and we were discussing my "issues", she said "I think it's because you are an 'Asperger's Person') and I thought it had something to do with burgers. That bothered me because beef burgers upset my stomach. I thought that it meant that my autistic symptoms were caused by the fact that I had a funny reaction to burgers. Not that the food was giving me symptoms and that autism would go away if I stopped eating burgers, but that the fact that burgers upset my stomach was somehow the cause of my autism.

When I was 10, we were watching the news and there was a story on a program that taught kids what it was like to have disabilities such as autism and ADHD. When a girl on the program mentioned learning what it was like to have autism, I said that a boy I knew had autism (he told me) and then they said that I had it too, but it was different that what a lot of autistic people had.

It was evident to people I was something, maybe my parents already knew. I visited a new doctor every year, whether professional or private, and nobody could figure me out. Had speech delay as a child, and could only say 1 word at a time. Learned how to speak at age 8.

I don't know when I was officially diagnosed, but most likely very early, seeing as I have an IEP at school since kindergarten. I think my parents are in denial. They want me to visit a new professional every year and went as far to hide the fact and send me out without so much of an explanation. I figured it out by stealing medical records and reading through them around 13.

I was diagnosed at the age of 5. They didn't tell me until I was 15. I was a little upset that my sister was told before I was. I wish that I would have been told first and at an earlier age. I wish my parents would have told me when I was 10 instead of yelling at me not to talk about my special interests when I was that age. I felt like a freak when I was 10 because I didn't know what was wrong with me. I've long since accepted the fact that I'm on the spectrum.