Hi everyone, so you can get to know a bit more about my autism diagnosis and history, I thought that I would share my story of this with you. I was born in 1973 and autism became a diagnosis in 1980 and Aspergers became a diagnosis in 1993/1994. I had left school by the time aspergers came out, I left school in 1991. I was baptised as a child and went to a Catholic school from 4 to 19 as a Christian. My parents were moderate regards to faith when I was growing up.I left a primary school at 8.5 where I had behavioural issues and the issues where linked to sensory sensitivity. That was is in 1981. I went into a new school after this with a different regime, but struggled to adjust. I liked writing but had issues with grammar. In my early childhood I was a bit of a tomboy and was headstrong and somewhat fearless. I did like some typical girly things to. I found it difficult to cope with over emotional behaviour and didn’t display this myself. In school after primary school I had one close friend and knew a few others less well. I needed down time at home and remained sensory sensitive and was at times rather blunt, but I was still headstrong. I had a strong sense of justice as a child which has remained to this day. I had significant traits of autism/aspergers as a child.
I still preferred at times to be around boys in company in secondary school. I had a bit of a spiky profile with my education as with some sets I was in the lowest set which was 8 in high school and some subjects I was much better at like drama and then art. I worked well when I enjoyed the subject and I ended up enjoying RE and excelled in the exams that people would ask me the scripture, because my brain is very good with numbers memory like hyperlexia. I was close to near 100% in the Gospels GCSE RE test. I don't know where my communication would have made me be diagnosed as either condition autism or aspergers before 2013 when the DSM 5 came out.
I was in contact with the services at 21 in 1994 for anorexia and my notes have got some autistic symptoms noted like lack of speech and others. This followed through to more recent years. It wasn't to 2012 that I was approaching 40 and started to wonder about some of my difficulties in life. I came across a highly sensitive person test and I found autism from there and it seemed to fit.
In 2015 I was admitted to hospital for anorexia and was treated for autism traits in my care package informally at 42 by the NHS and they tested me in house and they are trained for this and I scored highly. I was recommended to go for autism testing. They tried in 2016 I may have been able to have been diagnosed then but my mum told them before I got a test that I was never ill in childhood and it went no further and never got to testing stage.
It probably would not have been a good time to test then as I didn't know too much about the 3 categories of autism being in hospital. I went to hospital in 2021 for anorexia and on my discharge summary a nurse wrote from observation I should be tested for autism. I didn't like it leaving it like that so decided I cannot live with this so decided to see a GP about going for a formal test when I was discharged. I may have just left it at traits being treated informally if they never wrote that.
The forms were filled in and I got through and this time I got my medical notes from my GP from childhood. Much to my shock I found out I was a sick child. I was admitted to hospital at just 2 months for an infection and given antibiotics. I was also back and forward to the GP under 2 for viral issues. I also got an allergy at about 3. I was taken to child minders to sleep in overcrowded places and was told by my dad faced the window in a pram in my time in one as an infant in the week and went home on the weekend. There are traits of autism in some other family members, but they are not diagnosed.
I had overwhelming incidents at 15, 20, 40 and 50 and times I can get to anxiety. Depression traits was noted in 1994 but I think that was due to not identifying the autism. Depression has truly not been n my life. I had some hypersensitivity reactions in my childhood, teens and later years. I got diagnosed by the NHS face to face by two psychologists in 2022 in my 40s. I was diagnosed with some level 1 and 2's and level 2 stereotyped behaviour/sensory and repetition. There was some 2’s in all the other two categories, social interaction and social communication. My dad submitted evidence from childhood on me.
The eating disorder is better controlled today and God is supporting me with my autism. I have been assessed by OT specialist because I had level 2 sensory and I do have sensory issues with food which I have been trying to understand. I am contemplating going for a dyslexia examination. I am a Christian and God has helped with his Holy Spirit when I have been truly overwhelmed not by own doing..
