Neurodiversity

Over 75 million people in the world are Autistic, yet information about the experiences of and support for Autistic adults is limited.

We have a picture in our minds of what autism “looks” like, but that is only a stereotypical external presentation. Autism Spectrum Conditions are largely misunderstood because much of the autism experience is internal and invisible. Autistic individuals have a different way of seeing, interacting with, and processing the world. They often have multiple sensitivities—physical, emotional, and sensory—and can find the world to be an overwhelming place.

In people who do not identify as a young white male, diagnosis is difficult.* Due to the high rates of masking (hiding or suppressing Autistic traits) in women and other minority communities, there is a great deal of misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all, leading to further mental health challenges.

*Note on self-diagnosis: An Autism Spectrum Condition diagnosis is a privilege for many individuals, women in particular, as there are many barriers to obtaining a clinical diagnosis. Some of these barriers include stigma, assessment tools that were developed for wealthy, white, gender-conforming boys in mind, a lack of specialists who are qualified to assess and diagnose autism in adults, an inability to afford the assessment, and a difference in the presentation of autistic traits in women (Price, 2022; Talcer et al., 2021).