Resources for people newly diagnosed, and those who are wondering if they're neurodivergent
A late autism diagnosis can be an emotional rollercoaster - this is totally normal. When I was diagnosed, I found it very helpful to connect with other autistic people and learn about their experiences. Here are a few online spaces where you can find community, learn about autism and being autistic.
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"Now I know": Stories and videos about late diagnosis from the National Autistic Society. You might also like to check out "Stories from the Spectrum"
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Just found out you're autistic? Check out these articles by Chris Bonnello - there are articles for kids, teenagers, adults and non-autistic allies.
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The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism - resources for more topics than you would have believed, relevant to autistic people of all ages!
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Autistic Self-Advocacy Network - a library of resources to fit every need.
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Many late diagnosed autistic people happen to be women, non-binary or transgender. Autistic Women and Non-binary Network is a great resource.
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Connecting with community
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​The friendliest autistic space I have found on the web is Autistic Not Weird's Facebook page. (the Patreon group is a bit smaller and more intimate!)
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The National Autistic Society's community forum - and find local branches in your area!
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The Society for Neurodiversity is a community run by and for neurodivergent people. As well as having online forums, they run online peer support groups and even an online art therapy class!
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Screening tests for those who are wondering if they might be neurodivergent
​Only a clinician can make a formal diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD. You might find it helpful to do one of the below screening tests, which are a bit more sensitive to non-stereotypical (e.g. female) presentations of autism.
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The Girls Questionnaire for Autism has been adapted for adult women - here it is, along with the scientific paper that goes with it.
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For ADHD, there's the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, which you can read about here.
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Autism and ADHD often come along together - this is called 'auDHD'. There are no screening tools for auDHD, but you can use screening tools for autism and ADHD individually. Here is more info about auDHD.