Late autism diagnosis in adulthood: experiences of invisibility and reinterpretation in Chile
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In recent decades, significant advances in early autism diagnosis have improved developmental outcomes and quality of life in childhood. However, this progress contrasts with a persistent gap in adulthood, where many individuals receive a diagnosis only after years of unrecognized differences shaped by gender bias, social camouflaging, and psychiatric comorbidities. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand the experiences and life trajectories of autistic adults in Chile who received a diagnosis in adulthood. METHODS: = 22, aged 23-47). Data were coded using AtlasTi using a reflexive thematic analysis to explore how participants interpreted and experienced late diagnosis. RESULTS: Four interrelated themes were identified: prolonged misdiagnosis and lack of information, normalization of autistic traits and masking, grief and biographical reinterpretation, and workplace challenges linked to self-care. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that late diagnosis is not merely a clinical event but a relational and identity-transforming process. While diagnosis often entails grief, exhaustion, and recognition of past exclusion, it also enables self-understanding, redefinition of personal history, and engagement in supportive and activist communities. These results underscore the need for adult-oriented diagnostic pathways and policies that integrate social, cultural, and occupational dimensions across the life course.
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7223347691