At age 13, when I found out I was autistic, I cried.
But I wasn’t sad—I was relieved. Learning about autism helped me understand myself, and having a word for it made me feel less alone.
You probably know a little about autism, but it’s easily and frequently misunderstood. Autism is something people like me are born with. Our brains develop differently, so we communicate, learn, and behave differently.
It’s impossible to tell if someone is autistic just by looking at them. Every autistic person is different. Some autistic people are great conversationalists, while others don’t speak at all. Some can’t live by themselves and need a lot of support throughout their lives, and others need hardly any support. Some do well in school, while others struggle with learning. All of us deserve support and respect.
For me, the world often feels overwhelming. Autistic people can be especially sensitive to things like smell, taste, sound, and touch. I struggle with loud noises, so I need to wear headphones when I’m in a noisy place.
In addition, autistic people communicate differently. We might be very direct, or say exactly what we mean—and that can be mistaken for rudeness.
Some of us also struggle with eye contact. And we might not immediately understand jokes or sarcasm.