I have spent my entire life wondering why I felt different and had "odd" behaviors (I tried so hard to eradicate them). Not knowing this, has left an indelible mark in my mind. I thought I was too sensitive, lazy, weird and weak to cope with the world.

More settled? I don't think so, even at 34. I have no partner, children, marriage and a job. University is all I do (at a reduced course load). I am a loner.

Why did it take over 30 years to discover this?

When I was a child AS wasn't widely known. My issues at home and school were attributed to my sensitive nature. My delays in development concerned mother but she found other explanations for them, such as the birth of my younger brother.

The AS was almost caught when I was a teenager in the mid 1990s. I was asked about it on occasion, but it never went anywhere. After a nasty psychiatric experience, I stayed away for 14 years. I looked after my own problems and kept my contact with healthcare providers to a minimum.

People saw the AS traits in me over the years, including my family.

I asked my mother, "Would this have been caught, if I was born in the 1990s?" She replied, "Yes." I don't doubt this, because my developmental history is filled with all the signs.

Yes, I find this disabling. My GAF hovers around 50 - 60, although I am fairly stable. My issues with executive function and obsessiveness affect me that much.