For decades, autism has been primarily associated with children, but some research shows adults are discovering they’re on the spectrum, often after years of misdiagnosis or confusion.

A therapist from the Kelberman Center, which provides autism services for people in all phases of their lives, says there are many reasons people are not diagnosed properly.

“Lots of adults we see [say] they have anxiety, they have depression, or they've been misdiagnosed with a personality disorder or ADHD," says Kaitlyn Holley, a licensed social worker with the Kelberman Center, "not knowing that the cause of maybe some of that anxiety and depression is really underlying autism spectrum disorder.”

Holley added a lack of diagnosis can lead to frustration for the person and people close to them.

According to a 2022 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, nearly one in three autistic adults in the U.S. are not diagnosed until after age 18.

The signs of autism in adults can be subtle, especially in women and people of color, who are often overlooked. The CDC acknowledges that social masking and gender bias in diagnostic tools contribute to these late identifications.

And those delays have consequences. A study from Drexel University found that late-diagnosed adults often face higher rates of anxiety, depression and unemployment due to a lack of early support.