5 reasons I am self identified as autistic
Content note: In this article I talk about why self identification of autism is not only valid but also essential.
learning from my past
I know we can’t change the past. I know that things in our past help us become who we are, and that is often a really positive thing.
But she had wings
There is something about growing, changing, identifying parts of yourself that you had not recognised, that is deeply unsettlingly liberating. I have been struggling to put words to it. Then today, this beautiful butterfly sat in my path.
rearranging myself
Shaping an expanded identity gives opportunities not many other situations give. Looking back over my life through a different lens adds perspective and dimension to my experience.
becoming autistic
So here I am, becoming autistic. Not literally, of course. I have been autistic my whole life. But I am figuratively becoming autistic as I learn to recognize in myself the things I do to move through the life I want.
recognising myself
Sometimes things change quickly, and it is easy to see the change. Sometimes they shift ever so slowly, and the change kind of sneaks itself in without you realizing it is there, until suddenly you turn around and everything is different.
