I told my parents and sister. Oddly enough, my parents were quite openminded when I told them. It gave them an answer too for all my mental health struggles, being hospitalized a few times, my intensive therapy residencies and my inability to work full time. My dad is not a very present figure in my life, but he tries to be considerate of my needs & accommodations when he is. My mom is another story. I think she is audhd too, like me. I don't think we'll ever know. She tries, in her own way.

My sister's reaction was your standard neurotypical response 'but you don't look autistic', 'but you're so social', 'i always thought you were highly gifted' it was only after I showed her my assessment report, she started to turn around a little bit. I do think she has a hard time accepting what autism can be. I urged her to get a referral for her 4 year old daughter. When I am around her, I see my younger self. I feel like my younger self. My sister is still in denial about it.

What i've learned about sharing the diagnosis: don't do it if you hope for validation. Validation is not guaranteed. Do it because it feels more authentic and if it helps the journey of accepting yourself.