Middle aged Adult

I can remember right before leaving high school that I felt like I was jumping into the unknown. There were very few programs for young adults at that time. Most of the supports I got ended after graduation from high school. I needed to advocate for myself to get extra help during college. I asked for support with getting copies of the class notes, having extra time during testing, taking some tests verbally, and help with editing my papers for classes. I needed to talk to the professors myself instead of having my Mom talk with them. I was now a brand-new adult, but I didn’t feel like it at the time. In fact, I still don’t feel like an adult, even up to the present day.

I’m at another period of my life where there will be changes for me. I’m now a middle-aged adult living with my Autism plus ADHD. I have read that I should expect changes to my coping abilities since I should be entering into the beginning of menopause where my body and mind start to change due to changing hormone levels.

I have heard that lots of women around my age get diagnosed for the first time. This could be due to not being able to keep up with life’s demands and their changes in hormones plus increased sensitivity to sensory issues plus more executive skills problems. I think a lot more is happening during perimenopause and menopause that effects the brain and sensory systems. I wonder if research in the future might confirm what my thoughts and theories are regarding changes in the brain.

The few support resources available are mostly for younger people. Very few programs are meant for people middle-aged and older. I think the logic is people middle-aged and older should know what they’re doing by this period in their lives. I really don’t agree; I needed help with everyday situations during my whole life and that hasn’t changed now. What has changed is the expectations for my abilities to solve new and old issues and others often seem less understanding in general than when I was a younger adult. I wish there was more material, information, and data about being my age while neurodivergent. I wish there were more resources and programs for people needing support today and in the future.