Autism-pedia / Diagnosis / What diagnosis changesbrianspringer.com
Diagnosis

What diagnosis changes

What research shows about receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult. It covers relief and grief, identity and wellbeing, the words autistic people prefer, and what happens when they tell others. Most of the evidence comes from interviews and online surveys of self-selected adults, mostly white, speaking and without intellectual disability; children learning of their own diagnosis are not covered.

What happens after someone finds out they are autistic, mostly as a grown-up. It covers feelings, how people see themselves, the words they like, and telling other people. Most of what we know comes from talking with people and from online surveys.

Last reviewed 4 October 2026 · one person's reading of the research · 53 research and 11 community sources

Relief and a new self-understanding Established

Three systematic reviews, covering 24, 26 and 8 studies that were mostly interview-based, found that a diagnosis in adulthood commonly brought relief and a new way of understanding past experiences.1,2,3 One review named two recurring themes: feeling "like an alien", and the diagnosis as a "not guilty" verdict.3 The same reviews describe costs alongside the gains. Many found the diagnostic process confusing or disappointing, and people went on reporting stigma, regret and a lack of suitable support afterwards.1,2

A single study developing a questionnaire on the impact of an autism diagnosis gives a similar picture. In 92 autistic adolescents and adults from two Australian research cohorts (average age 36, diagnosed on average at 30), the diagnosis was rated helpful for understanding and accepting themselves but neutral for being understood by others and for getting services. Many wrote that it had led to no support at all.4

Two interview studies of women diagnosed in adulthood, both from one UK research group and with no men for comparison, describe a shift from self-criticism toward self-compassion and self-care after diagnosis, though for some it brought self-analysis that did not help. In the first, of 11 women diagnosed after 40, that shift came with a greater sense of agency, but adjusting so late in life was painful.5,6

Practical help after diagnosis was limited. A UK systematic review of 19 studies, of adults without intellectual disability, found support after an adult diagnosis consisted mostly of information and referral elsewhere. It could not judge whether any support works, because the published studies reported only how acceptable services were, not whether they helped.7

Some scientists collect all the studies on one question and look at them together. Three of these big reviews looked at adults who found out they were autistic.1,2,3 Many people felt relief. Their past started to make sense.

One review found two common feelings. People had felt "like an alien". The diagnosis felt like being found "not guilty".3

There were hard parts too. Many found the process of getting a diagnosis confusing. Many got little help afterwards.1,2

One survey asked 92 autistic people in Australia about their diagnosis. It helped them understand and accept themselves. It did not help much with other people or with getting services.4

Two small studies of women came from the same team. Some women became kinder to themselves after the diagnosis.5,6 For women diagnosed after 40, getting used to it so late was painful.5

In the UK, help after diagnosis was mostly leaflets and pointers to other services. No study checked whether that help worked.7

Suggest a correction
Established

Three systematic reviews, mostly of interview studies, agree. They draw on many of the same studies, so they agree without being independent confirmations. Participants were self-selected adults, mostly without intellectual disability. The scale study and the women's studies are single studies that fit the pattern.

Word
Systematic review

A study that searches for every study on a question by a set method and combines their findings.

See also
Established

Many studies agree on this. But the people in them chose to take part, and most did not have an intellectual disability.

Word
Diagnosis

When a doctor or expert decides that someone is autistic.

See also

Grief, anger and an uneven adjustment Emerging

Relief came with other feelings in these studies. Ten Australian women diagnosed after 30 (median age 47.5) described frustration, fear and self-doubt, sadness and regret, shock at a new sense of self, and anger at being dismissed, along with relief, pride and belonging.9 Eleven newly diagnosed Australian adults without intellectual disability described both relief and grief over years of masking.11

Adjustment does not seem to run in a straight line. In 34 Australian adults who learned they were autistic after 18 (most also identified as having ADHD, and some were self-identified), people described returning again and again to the past, with grief or anger about the support they had missed.10 In an online survey of 151 autistic adults, those whose diagnosis was further in the past were less dissatisfied with being autistic, though the study compared different people at one time and did not follow anyone.12

Relief was not the only feeling. Ten women in Australia also felt fear, sadness and anger. They also felt pride and that they belonged.9 Newly diagnosed adults felt relief and grief together. The grief was about years of hiding who they were.11

Getting used to it can go up and down. People kept going back over their past. Some felt sad or angry about help they never got.10 In one survey, people whose diagnosis was longer ago felt less unhappy about being autistic. That survey did not follow the same people over time.12

Suggest a correction
Emerging

Small interview studies, one survey and one study of social media posts, several including self-identified people and people with ADHD. One study evaluated a resource its authors helped make. Consistent in theme, but none followed people over time.

New 2026

An analysis of 225 public social media posts about late identification, mostly of autism, ADHD or both, found grief for "the life I could have had" and for a younger self, gratitude, and exhaustion after diagnosis, which the authors label post-diagnosis burnout; the posts mixed ADHD and autism.8

Word
Masking

Hiding or compensating for autistic traits to fit in, also called camouflaging.

Emerging

These are small studies, mostly based on talking with people. Nobody followed people over time.

Word
Grief

Deep sadness about something lost. Here, it can be sadness about the life a person might have had.

New 2026

An analysis of 225 public social media posts about late identification, mostly of autism, ADHD or both, found grief for "the life I could have had" and for a younger self, gratitude, and exhaustion after diagnosis, which the authors label post-diagnosis burnout; the posts mixed ADHD and autism.8

Does age at diagnosis matter? Emerging

Two studies link a later diagnosis to worse outcomes. In 208 autistic adults who reported their own diagnosis, a later diagnosis went with lower quality of life, measured mostly in social terms, a weak correlation (r = −0.21); the women in the sample were more often diagnosed as adults.14 In 4,657 autistic adults in a US research registry, those diagnosed at 21 or older were more likely to report psychiatric diagnoses (odds ratio 2.71). The direction could run either way: other diagnoses may also delay recognition of autism.15 In a Dutch register of 1,211 autistic adults, 24.6% reported at least one earlier psychiatric diagnosis that they now considered a misdiagnosis: 31.7% of women and 16.7% of men. The gap reflects women more often having had an earlier psychiatric diagnosis; among those who had one, the rate was similar. Personality disorders were the most common.16

In 78 autistic university students, those who learned they were autistic younger were happier with their lives. Those who learned later felt more positive about being autistic at the moment they found out.13

In two studies, people who found out later had a harder time on average. They rated their lives a bit lower.14 They had more mental health diagnoses, though those diagnoses may also have made autism harder to spot.15 One in four autistic adults in a Dutch study thought an earlier mental health diagnosis had been wrong.16

In one study of autistic college students, those who found out younger were happier with their lives. Those who found out later felt better about being autistic right when they found out.13

Suggest a correction
Emerging

Four cross-sectional studies, each in a different sample: students, a US research registry, a highly educated Dutch register and an online survey. Two link later diagnosis to worse outcomes, one is mixed, and one is about misdiagnosis rather than timing. None can show that timing is the cause.

Why these studies cannot settle the question

People diagnosed late may differ from those diagnosed early in sex, traits, earlier misdiagnosis and years without support. A survey taken at one time cannot separate the effect of the diagnosis's timing from the reasons it came late.

Emerging

Four studies looked at this, and they do not all say the same thing. Each looked at people only once, so they cannot show what causes what.

Why scientists are not sure

People diagnosed late may be different in other ways too. A one-time survey cannot tell which thing makes the difference.

Autistic identity and wellbeing Established

A systematic review of 20 quantitative studies found that a more positive autistic identity went with better mental health and wellbeing. Acceptance and support from other people went with a more positive identity; personal characteristics mostly showed no clear link.17 Single studies fit the pattern. In 151 autistic adults, more pride in being autistic went with higher self-esteem, and more dissatisfaction with lower self-esteem.12 In 111 autistic adults, more acceptance from others and self-acceptance went with lower depression scores, and acceptance from others with lower stress; acceptance was not linked to anxiety.18 In 140 autistic people, seeing more positive qualities in autism went with higher self-esteem about being part of the group, to the extent that they identified with other autistic people.19

One survey compared formal and self-diagnosis. A US survey of 893 diagnosed and 245 self-diagnosed adults found the two groups similar in stigma, self-esteem, quality of life and autism identity, and both reported lower quality of life than the general population.20

Identity means how you see yourself. People who felt good about being autistic tended to have better mental health.17 People who were accepted by others tended to feel better about being autistic.17,18 Feeling proud of being autistic went with feeling better about yourself.12,19

People who decided for themselves that they were autistic answered a lot like people with a diagnosis.20

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Established

Carried by one systematic review of 20 studies. The single studies quoted here are examples, probably among those it pooled. Nearly all are cross-sectional online surveys, so which way the link runs is not known.

See also
Established

A big review of 20 studies found this link. But the studies looked at people only once, so we do not know which thing comes first.

See also

Identity-first or person-first Established

Identity-first language puts the identity first ("autistic person"); person-first language puts the person first ("person with autism"). A 2025 systematic review of 19 online studies (6,350 participants) found that in 10 of the 14 studies that asked for a preferred term, more autistic participants chose identity-first than person-first language. Between 4 and 39% still favored person-first, and two Dutch-language studies found the reverse. Probably few participants had an intellectual disability. Its authors concluded there is no consensus, across or always within languages.21

In most English-language surveys more autistic adults favor identity-first terms, though neutral terms such as "on the autism spectrum" are often endorsed as much. In 3,470 people from the UK autism community, "autism" and "on the autism spectrum" were the most endorsed terms across groups. "Autistic" was endorsed by many autistic adults and fewer professionals, while "person with autism" was endorsed by almost half of professionals and fewer autistic adults.22 In the US, 299 autistic adults overwhelmingly preferred identity-first terms, and 207 professionals leaned person-first.23 Similar results came from 654 English-speaking autistic adults across several countries, 784 North American adults (611 of them autistic, mostly white and speaking), and 541 French-speaking autistic adults; the first and last of these come from one research group.24,25,26 In 198 Australian autistic adults, "person on the autism spectrum" ranked first overall, with "autistic" and "autistic person" close behind.27

Two Dutch-language surveys found the opposite. Language or culture is one possible reason; differences in recruitment and question wording are others. Of 1,026 Dutch autistic adults, 68.3% preferred person-first language.28 Of 414 Dutch-speaking autistic adults in Belgium and the Netherlands, 54% preferred person-first, 27% had no preference and 14% preferred identity-first.29

Preference tracks identity. In the same Australian sample, people with a stronger autism identity found identity-first terms more acceptable, and those who had experienced or absorbed more stigma found them less so.30 In 215 Dutch respondents, stronger identification with the autism community and a later diagnosis went with a stronger identity-first preference.31 Labels such as "high-functioning" draw criticism. Most of the North American participants viewed them negatively.25 In 516 autistic respondents, 97% found the word "autistic" acceptable, and how connected people felt to the autistic community was associated with how they preferred to describe support needs, including whether to use such labels.32

Often saidAutistic people all prefer identity-first language.
Evidence

More do in English-language surveys, but a sizeable minority prefers person-first or has no preference, and most Dutch-speaking respondents prefer person-first.21,28,29

There are two ways to say it. "Autistic person" is called identity-first. "Person with autism" is called person-first.

In most English surveys, more autistic adults liked "autistic person".21,22,23,24,25 French speakers did too.26 In Australia, "person on the autism spectrum" came top, with "autistic" close behind.27 Many experts who work with autistic people liked "person with autism" more.22,23

Dutch speakers were different. More than half liked "person with autism" best. Scientists are not sure why.28,29

People who felt more strongly autistic liked "autistic person" more.30,31 Most people in one survey did not like labels like "high-functioning".25

Often saidAll autistic people like "autistic person" best.
Evidence

Many do, but not all. Most Dutch speakers in two studies liked "person with autism" more.21,28,29

Suggest a correction
Established

A systematic review and independent surveys from several countries agree for English- and French-speaking samples; two independent Dutch-language surveys agree with each other in the other direction. All were online, mostly of speaking adults, some self-identified, and probably few with intellectual disability.

Established

Many surveys in several countries agree. But Dutch speakers are different. All the surveys were online.

Telling an employer Emerging

A systematic review of 26 studies (7,006 participants aged 13 to 75) found that rates of disclosure at work, and of adjustments received, varied widely. Benefits included acceptance, adjustments and awareness; drawbacks included stigma and discrimination.33 In two Australian surveys of 393 autistic people aged 17 to 83, almost all had told someone about their diagnosis, most often friends, but a sizeable minority of those working or studying had not told their employer or place of study.36

In interviews with 24 UK autistic adults (average age 45.7), outcomes of telling an employer were mixed. They went with how well colleagues understood autism, whether adjustments followed, and the culture of the organization; some described a preference for keeping the diagnosis private.34 A 2026 scoping review of 14 interview studies linked stigma at work to discriminatory practice and fewer job opportunities.37

Telling your boss can help or hurt. A review of 26 studies found both. Some people got support and changes at work. Some met unfair treatment.33 Some autistic people did not tell their boss.36

How it went depended on the workplace. It mattered whether people understood autism and whether changes followed.34 Unfair ideas about autism made jobs harder to get.37

Suggest a correction
Emerging

A systematic review and a scoping review agree that outcomes are mixed; the details rest on single interview studies, one experiment with a single interviewee, and self-report. The interview study and the experiment share authors.

New 2024

In an experiment using videos of 14 autistic candidates' mock job interviews, raters who each watched one video rated the candidate more favorably when told about the diagnosis. It has not yet been repeated. Extra information about autism did not raise ratings further.35

Word
Disclosure

Telling someone about a diagnosis.

Emerging

Reviews agree that results are mixed. The details come from small studies.

Word
Disclosure

Telling someone about a diagnosis.

New 2024

In an experiment using videos of 14 autistic candidates' mock job interviews, raters who each watched one video rated the candidate more favorably when told about the diagnosis. It has not yet been repeated. Extra information about autism did not raise ratings further.35

Telling family, friends and services Emerging

What others expect and what autistic people report differ. A scoping review of 37 articles found that non-autistic people, mostly studied through written scenarios, expected disclosure to help, while autistic adolescents and adults described reluctance because of stigma. Much of the research simply assumed a diagnosis should be shared.38

Experiments show that the listener matters. Non-autistic raters formed better first impressions of autistic adults without intellectual disability on video when told their diagnosis, though still less favorable than of non-autistic adults, and raters who knew more about autism rated them more favorably.39 In a larger study by the same group, disclosure generally improved impressions but worsened them among raters high in stigma toward autism, and whether the label said "autistic" or "has autism" made no difference.40 In 250 pupils at one UK secondary school, reading about a fictional autistic classmate, disclosure reduced blame for the classmate's behavior but did not change how much distance pupils wanted to keep.41

Who discloses also differs. In 175 autistic adults in Ireland, stronger identification with other autistic people went with more disclosure in social, work and education settings, and greater awareness of stigma with less disclosure within the family and at work.42 In 180 autistic adults, a stronger autistic identity went with more disclosure, and more disclosure with less camouflaging.46 Twelve adults diagnosed in adulthood described disclosure as a way to get support and of "becoming myself", and also met disbelief and felt like impostors.43

Stigma itself is linked to mental health. In 111 autistic people without intellectual disability, everyday discrimination, internalized stigma and hiding being autistic were each associated with poorer mental health after general stress was taken into account.45

Few studies found as of October 2026 look directly at telling health services. Broader healthcare research shows the setting is hard. In an international online survey recruited through social media (507 autistic and 157 non-autistic adults), 80% of autistic respondents, against 37% of non-autistic ones, reported difficulty visiting a family doctor. The most-cited barriers were deciding whether symptoms warranted a visit (72%), booking by telephone (62%), not feeling understood (56%) and difficulty communicating with the doctor (53%). The barriers were associated with self-reported harm to health, and formally diagnosed and self-identified respondents did not differ.53 Public social media posts about disclosure described a lack of understanding of autism causing problems in healthcare as well as at work and in dating.47 In an Australian survey about an autism alert card (136 autistic adults, 128 parents or carers and 8 children), about half had used it, most often on transport, in healthcare and in shops. Users reported disbelief and patronizing reactions, and 76.2% of all respondents would recommend it. Most authors work for the organization that hands out the card, and the same group wrote the social media study.44

People who are not autistic often think telling will help. Many autistic people worry it will not.38

The listener matters. In some tests, people liked autistic adults more when told about the diagnosis.39 But people with unfair ideas about autism liked them less.40 School pupils who read about an autistic classmate did not want to be any closer to them.41

Some people were met with disbelief. They felt like fakes, called impostors.43 People who felt more strongly autistic told others more often.42,46 Unfair treatment went with worse mental health.45

Few studies look at telling doctors. In one survey, most autistic adults found it hard to see a family doctor.53,47 An autism alert card helped some people explain, but some still met disbelief.44

Suggest a correction
Emerging

A scoping review, small experiments with videos or written scenarios (two from one group), and cross-sectional surveys. Real-life outcomes of disclosure outside work have rarely been measured.

See also
Emerging

These are small studies, some using videos or made-up stories. Few looked at real life.

See also

Meeting other autistic people Emerging

In a small, mostly female sample of 12 autistic adults, time with other autistic people felt easier and more comfortable; they felt better understood and that they belonged.48 Twenty autistic people described connection to the autistic community as belonging, friendship and a shared political cause, and linked it to higher self-esteem. The three without it described ambivalence about being autistic, which the authors read as possibly reflecting internalized stigma.49

In an online survey of 196 autistic people, again mostly women, more community connection went with better wellbeing, and also with more masking. It did not weaken the link between masking and poorer wellbeing.50

People diagnosed as adults describe a gap that peers might fill. Twelve adults diagnosed in adulthood, interviewed by the same group as above, described a mismatch between the support they needed and what they got, and saw peer support as possibly useful.51 In 16 adults, diagnosed or self-identified, who took part in a ten-week program run by autistic people and were interviewed at its end and six months later, participants valued that it was autistic-led and described a more positive, practical outlook on autism; there was no comparison group.52

In small studies, mostly of women, many autistic people found time with other autistic people easier. They felt understood and felt they belonged.48,49 In one survey, feeling part of the autistic community went with feeling better.50

People diagnosed as adults often got little help. Some thought help from other autistic people might fill the gap.51,52

Suggest a correction
Emerging

Small interview studies, two from one research group, and one cross-sectional survey whose authors overlap with an interview study. No study found as of October 2026 has tested whether community connection improves wellbeing over time.

Emerging

These are small studies, and some come from the same team.

In the community Community

Many autistic writers use identity-first language and explain why. Sol Smith writes that he is autistic and does not "have autism", in the way that he is bald rather than having baldness, and says autistic people can learn from the Pride movement.c1 Devon Price capitalizes "Autistic", as the Deaf community capitalizes Deaf, to mark an identity with its own culture and history, and argues that phrases like "person with Autism" "distance a person's disabled status from their humanity in a way that can be quite harmful."c2 Price also writes that "The vast majority of Autism self-advocates prefer identity-first language".c2 The surveys above find that more autistic adults prefer identity-first terms in English-language samples, but a sizeable minority do not, and most Dutch-speaking respondents prefer person-first. Both writers say a person's own choice should be respected: Smith will refer to people however they ask, and Price writes, "If you are Autistic, you get to decide what language works best for you."c1,c2

Smith titles a chapter "Coming Out as an Autistic Adult" and describes what follows: "When you come out as autistic as an adult, the initial reaction is almost always disbelief."c1 In his account, people cite the very things the person worked hard to mask, such as eye contact, grades or charm, as proof that they cannot be autistic, or answer "Well, we're all on the spectrum." He argues that any difficulty in coming out comes from other people's resistance, not from autism.c1 Other accounts are milder. Price tells of a man who had hidden his diagnosis since he was 12 on his mother's advice and came out to his friends at 45; it was "kind of anticlimactic", because they were not surprised.c3 Eric Garcia describes telling college friends he was on the spectrum, hearing one reply "Me too", and afterwards no longer having "to worry about masking or pretending to act more neurotypical."c4

Megan Anna Neff treats disclosure as a choice to make case by case, because autism is still heavily stigmatized. She suggests partial statements such as "I sometimes need extra time to process information" to test a person's response first, and describes her own choice to be an openly Autistic psychologist.c5 These writers' views fit the research above, which finds disclosure helps in some settings and brings stigma in others; their accounts are personal and are not a measure of how often each happens.

Writers diagnosed late describe relief and loss arriving together. Orion Kelly, diagnosed in adulthood, writes that the diagnosis "gave me my freedom" but also took away the person he had built to fit in and make others comfortable.c6 Burford, writing for newly diagnosed adults, puts it this way: "You can feel relieved and devastated in the same breath, and both feelings are completely valid."c7 Burford borrows the term "disenfranchised grief", from Kenneth Doka in 1989, for a loss that others do not recognize, since the person has "just been handed an explanation".c8 Harry, diagnosed at 70, describes a very difficult period of adjustment that ended in a large meltdown and the loss of his home, and writes that it all "could have been easier to deal with if there'd been some form of support for adult autistics."c9

Writers also describe meeting other autistic people as a turning point. Jim Sinclair, one of the founders of Autism Network International, tells of a newly diagnosed woman, Katherine, who was referred to the network instead of being given "the usual clinical information"; after meeting members in St. Louis she wrote that the day "marks the beginning of not being an alien."c10 Michael, who learned he was autistic at 68, describes a stranger at a wine tasting asking whether he was autistic too, "one of those 'I've finally found my tribe' moments."c11 The studies of peer support are in the section above.

Many autistic writers say "autistic person", not "person with autism". Sol Smith says he is autistic, just as he is bald.c1 Devon Price says autism is part of who a person is, not something added on.c2 Price says most autistic self-advocates prefer "autistic". Surveys find this for most English speakers, but not all.c2 Both writers say each person should choose their own words.c1,c2

Some writers call telling people "coming out". Smith says people often do not believe it at first.c1 They point to things the person worked hard to hide, like good eye contact. Other stories are calmer. Price tells of a man whose friends were not surprised at all.c3 Eric Garcia told friends at college. After that, he no longer had to hide.c4

Megan Anna Neff says each person can choose whom to tell.c5 She suggests sharing a little first. One example is saying you need extra time to process information. Then you can see how the person reacts.

Writers who found out late say relief and loss can come together. Orion Kelly says his diagnosis gave him freedom. It also took away the person he had built to fit in.c6 Burford says you can feel relieved and very sad at the same time.c7 Burford uses the term "disenfranchised grief". It means a loss that other people do not notice.c8 Harry found out he was autistic at 70. He says the time after was very hard. He wishes there had been support for autistic adults.c9

Meeting other autistic people can matter a lot. Jim Sinclair helped start a group run by autistic people. Sinclair tells of a woman who met other members soon after her diagnosis. She wrote that she no longer felt like an alien.c10 Michael met a stranger who was autistic too. He felt he had "finally found my tribe".c11

Suggest a correction
Community

How autistic writers describe autistic identity, the words they use, coming out, grief after a late diagnosis and meeting other autistic people. Not a research finding.

See also
Community

This is how autistic writers describe it. It is not a research finding.

See also

Sources

Research

  1. 1Kiehl I, Pease R, Hackmann C. The adult experience of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Autism, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231220419
  2. 2Nayyar JM, Stapleton AV, Guerin S, et al. Exploring Lived Experiences of Receiving a Diagnosis of Autism in Adulthood: A Systematic Review. Autism in Adulthood, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0152
  3. 3Gellini H, Marczak M. "I Always Knew I Was Different": Experiences of Receiving a Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood: a Meta-Ethnographic Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-023-00356-8
  4. 4Arnold SRC, Huang Y, Hwang YIJ, et al. "The Single Most Important Thing That Has Happened to Me in My Life": Development of the Impact of Diagnosis Scale, Preliminary Revision. Autism in Adulthood, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0059
  5. 5Leedham A, Thompson AR, Smith R, et al. 'I was exhausted trying to figure it out': The experiences of females receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood. Autism, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319853442
  6. 6Wilson RB, Thompson AR, Rowse G, et al. Autistic women's experiences of self-compassion after receiving their diagnosis in adulthood. Autism, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221136752
  7. 7Norris JE, Harvey R, Hull L. Post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood in the UK: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Autism, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241273073
  8. 8Mair APA, Gonzalez-Figueroa M, McConachie D, et al. Grief, Relief, and Belief: A Social Media Study on Late Identification of Neurodivergence. Autism, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261437916
  9. 9Pollock A, Krupka Z. Late bloomers: Exploring the emotional landscape of Australian women's experiences of a late Autism diagnosis. Autism, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251386983
  10. 10Quinlan E, Emery H. 'Joining the Dots Across Time': A Temporal Conceptual Model of Self-Concept Reconstruction Following Late Recognition of Autism. Autism, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261486062
  11. 11Edwards C, Love AM, Cai RY, et al. "I'm not feeling alone in my experiences": How newly diagnosed autistic adults engage with a neurodiversity-affirming "Welcome Pack". Autism, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251335070
  12. 12Corden K, Brewer R, Cage E. Personal Identity After an Autism Diagnosis: Relationships With Self-Esteem, Mental Wellbeing, and Diagnostic Timing. Frontiers in Psychology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699335
  13. 13Oredipe T, Kofner B, Riccio A, et al. Does learning you are autistic at a younger age lead to better adult outcomes? A participatory exploration of the perspectives of autistic university students. Autism, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221086700
  14. 14Atherton G, Edisbury E, Piovesan A, et al. Autism Through the Ages: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding How Age and Age of Diagnosis Affect Quality of Life. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05235-x
  15. 15Jadav N, Bal VH. Associations between co-occurring conditions and age of autism diagnosis: Implications for mental health training and adult autism research. Autism Research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2808
  16. 16Kentrou V, Livingston LA, Grove R, et al. Perceived misdiagnosis of psychiatric conditions in autistic adults. eClinicalMedicine, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102586
  17. 17Davies J, Cooper K, Killick E, et al. Autistic identity: A systematic review of quantitative research. Autism Research, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3105
  18. 18Cage E, Di Monaco J, Newell V. Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3342-7
  19. 19Cooper R, Cooper K, Russell AJ, et al. "I'm Proud to be a Little Bit Different": The Effects of Autistic Individuals' Perceptions of Autism and Autism Social Identity on Their Collective Self-esteem. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04575-4
  20. 20McDonald TAM. Autism Identity and the "Lost Generation": Structural Validation of the Autism Spectrum Identity Scale and Comparison of Diagnosed and Self-Diagnosed Adults on the Autism Spectrum. Autism in Adulthood, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0069
  21. 21Schuck RK, Chetcuti L, Dwyer P, et al. Preferences for Identity-First and Person-First Language: A Systematic Review of Research With Autistic Adults/Adults With Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-07174-3
  22. 22Kenny L, Hattersley C, Molins B, et al. Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315588200
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