How old were you when you finally knew?

[Daphna]

I was over 40 when I first heard of AS. I was 45 when I had no doubts I was one. A few weeks ago, at 47, I got my official diagnosis.

What about you?

[Corina Becker]

I was 17 when I first heard the term Asperger Syndrome, learned anything about it and autism that was factual and not media dramatizations (Rainman).

Due to my needing accommodations for university, and an incident with a counselor who was determined to convince me that I was merely ADHD, I was officially diagnosed in 2003, when I was 18.

Both my mom and I would have liked it to have been early, before high school. But better late than never, I guess.

[Lindsay]

I've known all my life, as far as I can remember.

My mom tells me I was diagnosed (with PDD-NOS; Asperger's didn't exist yet) when I was five. Though I have a few memories from before age five, they aren't many, and they're more perceptual memories (i.e., remembering something I saw) than autobiographical/emotional ones.

I always knew I was different, and always knew how I was different; I had some supports in school, and participated in lots of autism-related camps, workshops and whatnot outside of school.