Why Didn’t My Pre-Diagnosis Clinicians Bring Up the Possibility of Autism?

• By: Sam Farmer Neurodiversity Community Self-Advocate, Writer, Author, and Public Speaker
• April 11th, 2023
• actually autistic, adult diagnosis, diagnosis, fitting in, masking, neuropsychological evaluation, Spring 2023 Issue, stigma
• 1816    0

So much was lost as a result of not knowing for so long. Lost happiness, because of having to contend with unanswered questions as to why I faced such daunting challenges which none of my peers seemed to be facing. Lost time, during which I lived without a complete picture of who I truly am, during...

Autism, Masking, and Sense of Self

• By: Sam Farmer Neurodiversity Community Self-Advocate, Writer, Author, and Public Speaker
• September 29th, 2022
• actually autistic, confidence, conflict avoidance, Fall 2022 Issue, fitting in, masking, self-acceptance, self-esteem, stimming, unmasking
• 4718    1

In a rightly ordered world, the need to mask, or to hide one’s true self in order to "fit in," would not exist. We all deserve to be who we are without being punished for doing so. But the world in which we live is anything but rightly ordered in this respect. A multitude of autistic individuals...