Once I suspected I was autistic, I began to research online resources with special interest in older adults with autism. I found some surprising statistics. The CDC estimates today from studies done in 2015 and published in 2018, that autism is present in 1 or 2 out 59 people. Of those people 3 out of 4 will be male. Autism was originally described to be only found in males, and it is believed by many that the diagnostic criteria may need to be changed to include traits of autistic women, which are being found to differ from those of males. Autism diagnostic criteria (DSM) as it stands today has been used only since 2013, with varying other tests being used before that date. First time Autism was on the list for diagnosis as its own diagnosis in the USA was 1980 when it was listed as “infantile autism”, removed from its previous category under forms of schizophrenia.

My biggest question : Weren’t there autistic people before it was officially recognized and sought as a diagnosis beginning with infants in 1980? What happened to all the adults ? Autism certainly didn’t just ‘appear’ .