Shoveling snow today with the goal of getting off the mountain tomorrow for a much needed few days break. 🙌
Remember my joking about being an excellent candidate for a case study?
Ha. Okay maybe it was my private joke.
Well I am now participating in several studies around the US in an effort to understand autism better. And what I am really hoping for is someone, ANYONE, does a study about..specifically women autists..since we do have specific to us traits and masking (adapting) things going on.
I have yet to see this happen unless something is going on I’m not aware of but I’m hopeful. Maybe someday women will receive the same kind of attention given to men in way of research and care. Maybe! Someday! 🤪
But I’m glad I can contribute in some way. I want this to be easier to be diagnosed at an earlier age for those of us where it’s not so surface obvious and simply understood. And accepted. First comes the understanding part by talking about it.
Very personal to me. For obvious reasons. I really want to see a better understanding and acceptance AND taking away this very awkward thing that goes on with folks who don’t understand it. Myself included. I didn’t truly understand it either at first. A year ago I would of been that person unsure of how to react when someone told me they were diagnosed autistic. Simply because the information was not readily available and common knowledge. It doesn’t have to be that way.
One thing I want to say to help with understanding is this..if someone shares with you that they were diagnosed autistic…it’s okay to feel happy for them. I promise. It’s okay to share their relief of finally knowing and having a name for something that is the CORE of their existence. (It’s our brain..not cancer..not a disease…it’s a physical part of us that is simply wired differently that we were born with and will have with us for life that was passed on to us through genes.)
Some may struggle with a diagnosis but most of who are late diagnosed are incredibly relieved to finally have a road map…a guide for all the things we knew were different about us and knew we struggled with or excelled at..but didn’t have a name or reason for it.
Should you get a “congrats you’re autistic” card? A cake? Maybe not. lol Unless you’re close enough to someone where this actually wouldn’t be kinda awkward. lol
But over all especially with late diagnosis…having someone to share in the relief of knowing and feeling understood…is good. Sharing with them that that you are so happy they have answers now so they can begin to self care for themselves better is good. We don’t need validation..we don’t need pity…but it’s nice to know people around you..care and are supportive of something very huge in our lives. It can be overwhelming. There is a grieving process of realizing all the moments in your life where had you known this or others known this..maybe different choices could of been made to protect yourself from a lot of genuine trauma. It can be very emotional. But also an incredible amount of relief for our future and how we will navigate life going forward. We do need your positive support.
I share this so you understand and have this bit of knowledge with something not talked about a lot or at all. Now you know how to proceed. The general consensus of late diagnosis autism is genuine relief and happy to finally know. It’s okay to share that relief with someone. We want that and it is appreciated while we process this information that really is nothing short of life changing for that individual. The last thing we need is to feel once again we are weird or awkward or misunderstood. It’s okay to feel relief and happy for us.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
For now.
You Had To Be There… 