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For decades, Scott had struggled to find his place in the world. Misdiagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and manic depression (now called bipolar disorder), he spent much of his life in and out of group homes and psychiatric institutions, often heavily medicated: At one point, he was taking 18 pills a day.
Now, with the right kind of help, Scott is living independently. Two aides visit twice a week to take him to the doctor or to the grocery store. One also takes him to the library, where he has rediscovered reading, eagerly devouring the plot of the latestStar Wars fan-fiction book. He is still figuring out what having autism means for him, but he has embraced the idea that many people with autism have above-average intelligence.
“It’s almost like the diagnosis made him a different person,” says Leila, who until recently never thought her adult son would be able to live alone. “I could see he changed almost overnight in his attitude and his self-confidence.”
Although Scott has endured many hardships in his life, he is fortunate in one way: He has finally learned that he has autism. Many adults who grew up before “autism” was part of the public vernacular live their entire lives without ever getting an accurate diagnosis. “Autism just wasn’t something common or talked about when the children were little,” says Leila.