My daughter has just been diagnosed as Autistic at age 20 (she was also recently diagnosed with ADHD). She was referred over 2 years ago through right to choose, the GP agreed in principle to refer her age 17 when she was struggling a lot emotionally, but we were advised to wait for her to reach 18 as she would have dropped back down the queue when she hit adult health services.
I don't know how to feel, currently maybe a bit numb or anticlimactic because I have 'known' most of her life but was constantly dismissed whenever I have tried to advocate for her, including to CAMHS when she was 7. I feel like I should be relieved, because she and I were both worried about what we would feel/do if she wasn't diagnosed. But I feel - nothing really except restless, like I need to process it somehow.
I'm angry at being dismissed I think, both for her and for me, and her (definitely autistic but not diagnosed) Dad still not taking responsibility for not getting involved in fighting for her. A maybe childish and self centred bit of me wants a massive pat on the back for how hard I've fought for her, and accommodated for her (an absolute honour by the way, there's no resentment about that whatsoever) and some validation after all the years of doubting myself, and paranoia that others thought I was making it up, that I WAS RIGHT.
Just wondering what others experienced and I'm feeling a need to share/vent/process/be validated for myself I dunno. DD seems to be having a similar reaction to me but it's probably a bit soon to say - we both take a while to process our reactions to things. She's away at uni and I think I just want to give her a massive hug and go for a paddle and eat ice cream ðŸ˜