Growing up autistic was not an easy thing; I was bullied constantly for many things, however, the thing I was most bullied for was my lisp. At a young age, I learned to hide not just my lisp but anything about me that would let others know I am autistic. I tried my entire life to be what others would perceive as “normal.” I did not want to stand out or really even be seen by others and was completely ok with hiding in the shadows of any room I was in. I was ashamed of my autism, and because of this, I spent my entire life trying to prove myself in school and in sports. No matter how many A’s I got I never felt enough and always felt like there was something wrong with me. However, when I became an adult I was blessed to be surrounded by people who helped me learn that having autism was not something to be scared and ashamed of and that I was enough. My Mom has been one of my biggest supporters throughout my autism journey. She has been there encouraging me through everything and always telling me that I was
enough and providing me with the resources I needed. Another huge supporter of mine was my boyfriend. While he is not Neuro-divergent like me, he has helped me to realize my worth is not defined by my autism. Now I see that my autism does not make me “not normally” it just makes me a bit different and that’s ok. Because of my childhood and how I was bullied I now have a passion to help other autistic children understand that they are perfect and that there is nothing wrong with them. I want to give back and help others not have to endure the things I had to.
