Lost Generation

You might be one of them

Who are the lost generation?

The idea of a lost generation of people who were previously excluded from a diagnosis of classic autism has arisen.

The diagnostic process includes referral, screening, interviews with informants and patients, and functional assessments.

The first studies into Autism started in the 1930’s, and were picked up again the 1980’s so the notion is relatively new, although Autism certainly isn’t.

This lack of information and understanding around Autism means that alive today are many people over the age of 30 who are Autistic but without a formal diagnosis.

They may not even realise what makes them think and behave the way that they do.

If they have a diagnosis in later years, that often comes after plenty of cycles of struggling with mental health, relationship issues or anxiety and endless therapy sessions to heal surfaced symptoms of low self worth and lack of confidence – most often.

Decades of living with undiagnosed autism

The years that can pass between the time someone suspects they are autistic to the time they receive a diagnosis or discover it can leave a person feeling misunderstood, ignored and even dismissed by health professionals, healers and therapists too.. The presence of other diagnoses can complicate the diagnostic process.

Many late-diagnosed adults discover their autism in the process of receiving treatment for anxiety or depression, or while their own child is being diagnosed with autism.

Many people seek a diagnosis after a lifelong feeling of being somehow different from others.

Everyone's a little bit autistic. So what?

We all have a little weirdness...

Seemingly harmless…

One of the most colloquial and yet superficial phrases. So easy to say, but the danger of it is that it already implies that it’s okay to be not aware of one’s own autism. Behind it, most of the time, lies only shallow understanding and probably some knowledge picked up in mainstream media or reading.

It gives a nice colorful blanket to cover either inappropriate unawareness or even worse, it leads to complete ignorance of one’s own real mental or emotional condition.

Embracing Neurodiversity for Potential

Well-built coping mechanisms allow a person to function in life ,and accepting that depression and anxiety are byproducts of a global modern age mental health status, can also lead to ignorance of going beyond or even accepting that these surfaced symptoms could be the keys to undiagnosed autism.

I’m not campaigning to rush to have a diagnosis as that is still rare to access easily but at least to question that a life lived in complete darkness of not knowing how a life can be even damaged by having little awareness – it’s just a life wasted.

I’m promoting bravely facing neurodiversity with the right support. It has incredible potential instead of living in the shadows and struggling with misdiagnosed anxiety.