My Life Story (Very Short Version)
Autistic & undiagnosed: feeling different, but not knowing why Without knowing it, I was an autistic child growing up in the 70s and 80s. I knew I was different, but I didn’t know why. I went through mainstream school and college, and found it difficult to socialise with others. I had no support — nobody knew why I was the way I was. A photo of me on a family holiday. It was taken by my dad, probably around 1980. At best, I was typically described as being quiet and shy. After school and college, I got a job, and got married. Life was good, and seemed normal to me. But then my wife was similar to me — we didn't really socialise with others.
After about 15 years, she got diagnosed with an incurable cancer, and died a few years after that, leaving me all alone in the world again. The one person who I depended on for everything was gone!
A year or so after losing my wife, I heard about autism, and realised it seemed to describe me. So I got in touch with my GP, and wen...