Finally Autistic Published

Finally Autistic: Finding My Autism Diagnosis as a Middle-Aged Female has been published.

Would you believe I was in my mid-50s before I finally figured out what my real problem was? Like many females on the autism spectrum, we are often mis-diagnosed early in life with other neurodivergent conditions, such as ADHD or bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in my 20s but it wasn't until I was 53 that I was finally diagnosed with Level 1 Autism, formerly known as Asperger's Syndrome.

This is the story of my life from the perspective of a little preschool girl who nobody knew how to handle, to a school-age girl who was the smartest, and most talkative, and most disruptive kid in the class, to a blooming teenage singer and writer, to the mental illness of adulthood, and through to my autism diagnosis in middle age.

Finding out I was autistic ended up providing great relief to me, because it explained so many things about my life that made so sense. Why, with grey hairs abounding, do I still have problems when people ask me, "How are you?" Why did I have the reputation as "Mrs. Blabbermouth" in 5th grade? Why did my adoptive parents abuse me and not try to get me evaluated? Why do I still struggle to this day with the give-and-take of everyday conversation?

I hope my story will be something that resonates with anyone on the autism spectrum, but particularly with older females like myself, who have had a diagnosis later in life, after years of medications and trials and many, many errors. I hope my frank and honest account will be a source of camaraderie and comfort to all who read it.

―Theresa Werba