ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — An Albany mother says learning her 13-year-old daughter is autistic helped her better understand her child - and herself.

Shinika Miles said her daughter’s diagnosis led her to recognize signs in her own life.

“I do have a 13-year-old daughter who is on the spectrum as well. It made me aware that not only is she on the spectrum, but I was misdiagnosed as well,” Miles said.

Miles said she learned that she is autistic about nine months ago after years of being treated for something else.

“I can understand myself as an adult coming across socially awkward,” she said. “I didn’t know how to adjust ... until I learned I had autism.”

Miles said recognizing overstimulation - in herself and her daughter - changed the way she approaches parenting.

“If overstimulated, you never want to heighten them,” Miles said. “Tone and pitch and energy is everything.”

Miles said her family has built routines around what helps her daughter stay regulated, including changes at school.

>> More Coverage of Autism Awareness Across SGA <<

“School was a bit too much for her, and we had to recognize that,” she explained. “Mentally, you can struggle if you don’t create a balance.”

Miles said she uses grounding strategies for herself, including writing, reading, movement and time outside.

“It’s cool because I identified it, and I can accept that. And now I know how to adjust,” she said.

During Autism Awareness Month, Miles said she hopes sharing her family’s experience helps people respond with patience and understanding.

“Don’t look at the disability ... [as] them being defined by the disability,” she said.

Adult autism

According to a OSF HealthCare study in 2024, researchers estimate that as many as 95% of autistic adults are missing a correct diagnosis, meaning many may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

Why adult autism can be hard to diagnose

Yale Medicine notes that diagnosing autism in adults can be challenging because evaluations rely on observed behaviors and developmental history from early childhood, information that may not be available decades later.

Experts also caution that autism cannot be diagnosed through social media or online quizzes and requires a thorough assessment by qualified clinicians.

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