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tomcat

Hi all

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Hi all, I just found this site today, and already have become hooked due to the amount of information that I've been able to pick up from it. I'm a 32 year old man who was officially diagnosed as being High Functioning Autistic at the beginning of the year, having had no clue whatsoever for over 30 years. Having lived with my parents/mother and then my aunt all of my life until meeting (online) and getting a place with the woman I love, I've never really been on my own and never had anyone think too much on or worry about my at times almost hermitlike existence, (at home with my mum, we lived out in the country, over a mile from the village, no car, little reason to go anywhere but school, spent most of my time alone in my room listening to music, reading or hiding in the woods, very few friends, you get the idea. No real flashing lights for my mum that I was different. At 17 moved to my Aunt's in the nearby town to work as a cleaner at the local Butlin's, was pretty much the same, worked, read, listened to music and then got my first computer. Had a few friends who would drag me out with them, mainly seemed to get dragged along with the girls as they felt "safe" with me, they knew me as a quiet, soft guy, but big enough to scare any problems away when walking (staggering) home at night. Then after a few years I was pretty much housebound for a few months with severe numbness and loss of feeling in my ankles and feet, by the time they finished the 6 months worth of tests, the problem had disappeared on it's own, along with what little social life I had left with the sole exception of a former workmate/best friend and the friends I made online. Anyway, I never liked going out on my own, my aunt kept me fed, warm, I washed if rarely (and I DO mean RARELY) and I had my friends on the computer to talk to, noone who knew me had any knowledge or information about Autism and just thought I was quiet and strange and left me alone.) When SWMBO came along, life changed, my bed high pile of rubbish, clothes, plates etc around the room was cleaned up, bed replaced, clothes washed, and me made to take a bath..... lol. Now I can laugh about it, then I just froze, ducked my head and did what she told me. I was the luckiest man alive that she didn't just run as soon as she saw me and the way I'd been living, I think she had her first inkling then and there that I was on the spectrum as she used to work with autistic kids of varying degrees, she loved me and saw it as a challenge and something we could work through but never brought it up until a few years later. We got our own place together after a while though she'd been living with me since we met face to face, got first one then a second dog which I'd missed having from at my mum's, moved to a town about 15 miles away from where we were and where my sister lived with her family and she found the local Carers' Centre after a physical, emotional and mental breakdown due in a large part to some of my actions and her employer's taking advantage of her kindness (a well known Scottish care company, had her working anything up to 70 hrs a week at one point, won't go into more detail atm). The subject of my possibly being on the spectrum was brought up and they arranged to have some information sent out from the NAS, it arrived and she brought it up with me, showing me some of the information and asking if there was anything there I recognized in myself, quite a lot to be honest and she noticed some things I didn't, asked for and got a referral to the community mental health team and though neither they nor the doctor had noticed any of the traits agreed to our request for assessment by a psychologist, not informing us that there was a waiting list of up to a year in this area. I was lucky in that I was asked to be a learning case for a psychologist training to assess ASDs with my case being reviewed by those assessing the psychologist after only a couple of months. Several sessions with me and a few with members of my family later and I was finally diagnosed as HFA. I humbly apologize for this finger cramping typing session and I'm sure, eye searing reading session of an introduction.

 

tomcat

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hya,

and a very warm welcome, im here as im awaiting testing for my son as he has quite a few traits that could be aspergers

amanda

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Thank you both, it's really good to be here. Good luck with the diagnosis assessment Amanda.

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thankyou, i havent a clue how long we will be waiting for the assessment but hopefully it wont be too long

amanda

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