My Blog

When we mask, we are overlooked. Then when we unmask, we are often too much, too sensitive, too emotional, too direct, not autistic enough, or too autistic to be believed. We move between erasure and rejection. Always trying. Never quite fitting.

I grappled with the question of how to authentically express myself in a world that often demands conformity, and, honestly, unmasking is still very much an ongoing process for me.

There are often dozens of co-occurring conditions linked to autism; with many clinicians and researchers now noting the complexity of overlap across physical, mental health, neurological, and sensory systems.

Reading ‘Unmasking Autism’ gave me comfort and a sense of community. I didn’t feel like an alien anymore.