Celebrating National Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month
It's National Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month, and I was officially diagnosed a few weeks ago as being on the spectrum. ♾️ 🧩
Growing up, I was a kid who always marched to the beat of her own drum. (This is me in 3rd grade - I wanted to wear my favorite flower clip for picture day. I thought it was fabulous - still do! 🌸 )
Having recently turned 30, I started going to therapy and have been reflecting on many unanswered questions that I've been thinking about my entire life - "Why am I so different?" "Why do people look at me in a certain way that makes me feel out of place?" "Why have I never felt comfortable communicating with people my own age?"
If you've ever seen 'Forrest Gump' (which is one of my favorite films), Forrest says "Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand." Those scenes with his mom, talking about how people viewed him and how he saw the world? I can relate, because my mom and I had similar conversations. My mom knew me very well, and would give me activities, coloring books, computer games that would help me learn, absorb and communicate in my own way.
She saw how I loved my Disney VHS tapes and wanted to sing & dance all the time. From dance classes, to theater summer camps, to being in community theater productions - she encouraged me to perform. I learned how to work and communicate with others. It's where I began to build relationships over the course of the next 20 years and why I'm still involved in community theater to this very day.
Everything was not always a box of chocolates. I was bullied and lonely while attending school. But, my teachers were always supportive, encouraging me to take refuge in my passions. I had many questions about the world, and at 14, created a podcast to get some answers. 15 years later from starting that podcast, my communication skills have grown. I am more confident and comfortable connecting with others, and it fuels me creatively to continue asking questions.
There is a lot I'm still trying to digest at the moment, but getting tested and finding out this result is a relief. The amazing specialists I'm working with now have been able to explain to me how my mind works and how I can continue to learn from that.
The reason I wanted to publicly share this is because I don't want people to think it's too late to learn more about themselves, even if they are an adult. Learning is the gift that keeps on giving, and for that, I'm grateful. ♥️