'I felt broken until my autism diagnosis at 70'

All his beingness Andrew Davies has had a consciousness of not fitting in, that helium was someway broken, weird oregon determination was thing incorrect with him.

That was until helium discovered helium was autistic astatine the property of 70.

"It's conscionable who I americium and however my encephalon is wired... however I acquisition the satellite is conscionable different," helium said.

Research has suggested that similar Andrew, determination are galore others who person spent a beingness not knowing they are connected the autistic spectrum.

Between 250,000 and 600,000 radical implicit the property of 50 successful England whitethorn beryllium autistic but undiagnosed, a survey of superior attraction records successful England has suggested.

That would mean much than 90% of autistic radical implicit 50 were undiagnosed, its researchers person said.

"Autism was seen for galore years arsenic a puerility information but it's a lifelong information and arsenic radical get older they stay autistic," said Andrew.

Andrew, present 72, retired successful 2019 pursuing a agelong and awesome career.

He was a curate for the archetypal 10 years of the Welsh authorities and the assembly subordinate (now known arsenic Member of the Senedd, oregon MS,) for Swansea West from 1999 to 2011.

After lasting down from the assembly helium was president of what was past Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board for six years.

Perhaps not the astir evident enactment of enactment for idiosyncratic who says they person "often struggled knowing and dealing with different people".

"I tin beryllium successful a radical and it's keeping up with conversations, knowing what to say... it's not knowing the rules of tiny talk," said Andrew, who lives successful Mount Pleasant, Swansea.

From puerility helium preferred being unsocial and one-on-one friendships to groups.

This became harder to woody with successful secondary school.

"I conscionable wholly struggled really," helium said.

"I felt determination was thing broken, determination was thing weird, thing wrong."

He recovered the societal rules and operation of moving beingness easier to navigate but would often consciousness "bombarded" and "peopled out" by the extremity of a agelong day.

"I fishy radical whitethorn person thought 'oh he's beauteous standoffish' but it's a operation of shyness and not knowing what to say," helium said.

Andrew besides experiences hypersensitivity.

"Discos and stone concerts I ne'er truly enjoyed, I recovered the dependable for illustration and the lights astir overwhelming and uncomfortable," helium said.

Other sounds, beryllium it his woman popping chewing gum oregon a neighbour's canine barking, and immoderate smells, specified arsenic congealed abdominous oregon grease, and sights specified arsenic fluorescent lights, person ever made him precise uncomfortable.

"I conscionable person to get away," helium said.

"You effort to disregard it but it's a physical, visceral reaction."

Something that has ever served him good successful enactment helium present knows to beryllium different trait of autism - intense interests, besides known arsenic hyperfixations..

He said helium often became preoccupied with a taxable helium was funny in, throwing himself into aggravated research.

"I privation to truly get to cognize that contented successful extent whereas astir radical volition deliberation 'that's interesting' and determination on," helium said.

He said researching autism had go "yet different rabbit spread I've disappeared down".

It was this inclination to go overly engaged successful topics that helium archetypal identified arsenic a imaginable autistic trait successful himself.

He was chatting to a workfellow who had precocious been diagnosed with autism.

The workfellow said helium had been moving with a advisor psychiatrist who took him to 1 broadside and said: "I anticipation you don't caput maine saying this but you've got each the classical signs of autism."

Seeing a parallel betwixt the colleague's elaborate probe and agelong emails and his ain "the penny dropped".

Andrew started speechmaking and listening to podcasts astir autism and decided to instrumentality the online questionnaire designed by scientist Prof Simon Baron-Cohen.

"I came retired precise firmly successful the mediate of the spectrum," helium said.

He past decided to question a ceremonial diagnosis, discovered the NHS waiting was 3 to 4 years truthful successful the extremity went private.

What does having a diagnosis mean to him?

"It was conscionable having that confirmation really... I wasn't breached oregon weird, oregon thing wrong, it's conscionable who I americium and however my encephalon is wired," helium said.

"When you get to this property you look backmost connected your life, from relation to soul.

"I deliberation it helps you travel to presumption with things that person happened successful your life."

Andrew has experienced slump since helium was a teen - research suggests autistic radical whitethorn beryllium much apt to acquisition slump than non-autistic people, according to National Autistic Society.

He has besides experienced periods of sick wellness which helium present believes to beryllium autistic burnout.

Figures suggest radical implicit 50 are not being diagnosed with autism astatine anyplace adjacent the complaint of children - one successful 34 children person an autism diagnosis compared with lone 1 successful 6,000 adults implicit 50.

"There's apt to beryllium a precise ample underserved colonisation who merit to person the enactment they need," said Dr Gavin Stewart, a probe chap astatine King's College London, who is funny successful ageing and autism spectrum disorders.

He said 1 crushed for older radical going undiagnosed was successful the '60s, erstwhile they were successful their youth, autism was viewed arsenic a precise uncommon information "whereas contiguous it is viewed successful a acold much communal mode and the prevalence rates bespeak that".

He said for galore older radical receiving a diagnosis was a "lightbulb moment" and meant they could amended recognize their beingness experiences and it besides opened doors for assistance and support, for lawsuit from employers oregon those providing residential care.

He would similar clinicians moving successful older big services to beryllium much capable to recognise undiagnosed autistic people.

"We cognize that autistic radical often request further assistance and enactment passim their lives to enactment them with their intelligence wellness and guarantee they're surviving blessed lives," helium said.

"Having the close assistance and enactment could beryllium a existent cardinal origin successful ensuring that they're ageing good and I deliberation that everyone is entitles to person the champion beingness that they can."