Hello - I hope I can be of some help here. I will be blunt to begin with though - young adulthood was when I caused my own mum the most 'problems' and anxieties. This is not uncommon when talking about those deemed 'high-functioning' - I score very highly on IQ tests, but didn't do well at school, went to 6th form college, did okay, dropped out of Uni having somewhat of a breakdown, largely dropped out of society and became somewhat of a 'hippy' for a number of years - but in this time I also discovered an interest in philosophy and sociology, in 'outsider politics' and so on - also music and bands. I later did degrees in these subjects and got work as a DJ. My son was diagnosed when he was 2yrs old, I followed a few years later in my mid-30's. I am now doing a PhD in autism and education and had a couple of papers published in academic journals, present at conferences etc.
We all learn throughout life, but for people like me this can be a drawn-out process, where standard school and work environments do not fit with us (Yes - I tend to look at things from the opposite direction from the 'norm' - lol!). Young adulthood is a particularly difficult period in terms of knowing where one is at and where one is going in life - too much is unclear - and society seems a pretty unappealing place.
It does help to meet others who are similarly minded - it takes more time to see the similarities with those deemed 'learning disabled' such as my son though. People often think what can an academic and someone with few words have in common - actually it is sometimes quite a lot.
Damian - Community Champion
