As a child growing up in New York, Tanenbaum struggled with job interviews and difficulties. His family did not recognize any signs of disability and even his mother questions his diagnosis today. The discovery of having Asperger’s did not bring him relief as expected. Instead, he felt angry about the challenges he had faced throughout his life.
Following my diagnosis, everything started to make sense. I finally understood why I struggled in job interviews and faced difficulties as a child. The diagnosis of ADHD shed light on many of the challenges I had faced. It was unfortunate that I was unaware of these conditions earlier on. If I had known about my Asperger’s, I may not have pursued a master’s degree in business administration at Bar-Ilan, as I would have realized that it may not be the right path for me to progress as I had hoped.
Dr. Amir Tal, the chief scientist of Beit Eckstein of the Danal Group, notes the recent shift in focus towards addressing the unique needs of adults on the autism spectrum. In the past, research tended to prioritize the needs of children, overlooking the fact that these children grow up to become adults with their own set of challenges. While strides have been made to better understand the needs of adults, there is still a lack of systematic data on late diagnoses of autism and their consequences on individuals and society.
In the digital age, creating a comprehensive database to track those who receive late autism diagnoses is crucial. This data would allow for targeted therapy tailored to the unique needs
