psyche | Notion

[thetimes.co.uk 21-2-22 Professor Tanya Byron](https://everythingness.notion.site/thetimes-co-uk-21-2-22-Professor-Tanya-Byron-3e4b131ec3614ccebccd64b79e2cab07)

Can I still be diagnosed with autism in my seventies?

Q I am in my seventies and happily married, outwardly content, with a beloved son who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and has self-diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum and is pursuing an assessment. While appearing to function “normally”, all my life I have felt different, the “odd one out”, and I have reached a point in my life where I would give anything to find answers to the awful struggles I have had throughout my life.

Even as a young child I would bottle up emotions although I had no reason to be secretive. I knew I had a high IQ, but was always shy and have a strong perfectionist streak. I still had friends and achieved a good degree, but the secretiveness, “otherness” and the agonising struggles with social situations are with me to this day. In career terms I chopped and changed and generally underachieved, being without any real sense of ambition and having lifelong frequent bouts of unexplained unwellness and exhaustion.

In recent years I have been wrestling inwardly with trying to understand my complicated personality. I have only seen a psychologist once in my life, during a period of depression in my twenties, and I don’t recall that doing me any good. And later on maybe it always seemed a bit self-indulgent, or even embarrassing, to think of seeking any kind of psychoanalysis. Better to keep my head down and soldier on — after all I had a husband and child to look after and a thousand other duties claiming my attention.

I have more than once worked through autism questionnaires. I have answered with complete rigour and honesty and the results would always seem to place me well on the autistic spectrum. Am I being ridiculous in wanting to seek answers at this stage in my life? Do people get diagnosed with autism spectrum condition in their seventies?

The thought of trying to speak to someone at my GP surgery about it is unimaginable, especially at a time of such pressure for the NHS. It isn’t making me ill, after all.

Katrina

A Your letter moved me because it is clear that, despite a well-lived life with a happy marriage and a cherished son, you have struggled inwardly with many issues since childhood that have made life, at times, feel more challenging and have left you feeling confused in terms of a real understanding of who you are. You describe anxiety related to perfectionism, social anxiety and a struggle to articulate emotion as well as a period of depression.

Your question regarding whether you have an autistic spectrum condition (ASC) is relevant because it seems that an answer to this question would help you to settle in terms of an understanding of yourself. You are not “being ridiculous” at all. However, it seems as if you have done extensive research and self-administered questionnaires that suggest a strong possibility. Additionally, your son’s diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and his pursuit of an autistic spectrum assessment would add weight to the possibility of your being neurodiverse given the strong genetic component underpinning neurodevelopmental disorders/differences.

ASC is a complex, lifelong neurodevelopmental disability/difference that is thought to be predominantly genetic or heritable and typically appears during early childhood, affecting a person’s social skills, communication, relationships and self-regulation. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are about 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

The primary characteristics are 1) social-skill difficulties, 2) difficulty with expressive and receptive communication, and 3) the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviours. So people with autism may struggle with communication and social interaction. They may also find it difficult to understand how others think and feel and interpret social cues, and find social events stressful and overwhelming especially in crowds and if there is a lot of other sensory stimulation (eg bright lights, noise). They also get caught up in repetitive behaviours, have a rigid need for routine, struggle with change and show hyper-focus around specific interests. Children and adults on the autistic spectrum can also experience high rates of comorbidity, the most common being mood and anxiety difficulties and ADHD.