How Do We Change The Narrative on Autism?
And why the Josh Thomas story gives me hope
Last week, Autism Awareness Day took place. Although I am not a social media person, I do like to follow a few accounts on Instagram and Twitter that cover topics related to Autism. A psychiatrist I follow on Instagram had a live conversation with an Autistic woman who was diagnosed after her daughter was also diagnosed.
Two things they shared gave me a lot to think about:
- The psychiatrist shared that when he told a friend who is a doctor (a doctor!) he would be talking with an Autistic woman, his friend replied: “Well, that will be quite the monologue.”
- The woman who was interviewed shared with a friend she was having a public conversation about being Autistic and her friend replied: “How brave of you!”
Finding out I’m Autistic at 27 has been a lot. The upside is the Autistic community is pretty incredible. Obviously, I’ve always been Autistic. And, although I’ve certainly had my struggles I’ve always kinda liked who I am (at least, most of the time). But, when I step outside of my house and realize the narrative most people have of Autism is ignorant and full of misconceptions, that’s really hard.
