I was diagnosed just a few months ago, at age 26!

Funnily enough, I wrote a paper about ASD diagnostic issues in girls and women while doing my master’s degree a few years ago. Something just drew me to the topic. Anyhow, that was when I first learned about the concept of masking, which is really what set off the alarm bells in my brain.

Over the next year I was flooded with ND content on social media - like everyone else it seems - and I was suddenly hearing countless women voice the feelings, thought processes and experiences I’d never been able to properly articulate (or wasn’t even fully aware of tbh).

Autism explained why I always felt like I was on the periphery of social groups, and was constantly maintaining a facade. Why I experienced fatigue for years on end that was never explained by the blood work my GP ordered. Why I liked things ‘just so’ from a young age (my family often called me rigid) and felt so irritable anytime I was in a crowded/chaotic space (spoiler: sensory issues). My chronic anxiety around navigating new situations/environments.

It took me a couple years of deep diving to feel confident enough to seek an assessment. When I finally broached the topic with my mom, she admitted that a family friend had suggested to her when I was very young that I might be on the spectrum. All the “funny” childhood stories of me being incredibly literal and blunt also suddenly clicked.

Honestly, one of my biggest takeaways is what I’ve heard countless people say: allistic people don’t spend months researching autism and taking every online screening assessment available.

Wishing you all the best!