Aging itself in these uncertain times can be enough of a challenge, but being an older woman who is on the autism spectrum adds another dimension to the journey of growing old. Yeah, it sometimes seems that I am in another dimension altogether – way out on the fringes of what is considered normal – and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way because I do not want to age normally! Normal, when it comes to aging, is not pretty (re: healthy).
Hey, there. I’m Leila and even though I have not been officially diagnosed with Aspberger’s syndrome, it is obvious to me and every person that I meet that I am different, or as my mother used to say, “You’re not like other children.” And, thank God, Goddess, All That Is for that. You know, it was the times when I tried to fit in and tried to act like and/or mimic typical persons that I got into some kind of trouble or another!
It hasn’t been all that long since I have come to terms with and accepted that I am, more than likely, autistic. Even when I went back to school at 40 to finish my degree, there was not much, if any, information or discussion of Aspberger’s in adults in the post-graduate humanistic psychology and gerontology programs that I completed. But, it was there and then that I really began to see how I differed from other adults – younger and older – and even my professors did not know how to deal with me most of the time.
Anyway, it is now time that I share what I’m learning about aging on the spectrum by writing about my experiences and sharing whatever knowledge I have, and am still gaining about growing older as a single Aspie woman aging. I’ve been immersing myself in the literature that is out there from professionals and other Aspie women. It seemed like everything that can be said about the subject has been said, but after awhile I began to see and explore another dimension (there’s that word again!) within myself that raised a boatload of questions.
Enough for now. You will learn a lot more about me and my experiences and my take on just about anything and everything aging Aspie while single and female in the posts that follow on the blog. Take care!
About this Site
Aspie Woman Aging is a relatively new website and it is, and always will be, a work in progress. In addition to my blog posts, I have added articles and special reports on topics that are helping me deal with living in a mostly typical world.
