My name is Alex, and I’m seventeen years old. I love to write, and I’m querying for my first novel. I play flute in my school band, and I’m section leader. I have three pets I love very much.
Also, I was diagnosed with ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder] as a kid, and this affects me in my day-to-day life. This can be a surprise: many people think I’m “high-functioning,” or that I pass as “normal.” It can also be shocking simply because I’m a girl.
ASD is more diagnosed in men than women, and I find that creates a schism between the genders. While I know boys on the spectrum who can discuss their experiences publicly, I was never that lucky. Despite being diagnosed very early on, the idea of a girl on the spectrum ruffled many feathers.
My fidgeting and erratic behaviour upset my elementary school teachers. They were convinced I had Oppositional Defiance Disorder, or that I was being abused at home. Really, I was just wired differently. When it comes down to it, that’s all ASD is. It can come with a whole whack of comorbid issues, and I know that from experience, but it basically boils down to my brain working somewhat differently than that of someone else’s.
That’s not to say ASD is a simple thing. Allistics (that is, non-autistic individuals) erroneously accept the concept of a “spectrum,” where one’s “functioning level” determines how autistic they are. The media doesn’t help, either.
There are two types of autistic characters in stories: the nonverbal child, or the eccentric savant genius. In my experience, that’s fairly inaccurate (for the record, “savants” are extremely rare). There are so many symptoms associated with the disorder, and they can vary so wildly. For example, I come off as fairly “high-functioning.” I can take care of myself, I have a way with words, and I pass as normal, if a bit “odd.” However, there are aspects of my life that could be considered less so. Like, it would be an understatement to call me a picky eater. I eat the same meal basically every day, I haven’t had fruit in about a decade, and just the smell of certain foods can make me ill. I used to think I had allergies, but in reality, I just had sensory processing issues, which is a classic ASD symptom. They stretch into my other senses, too: I carry noise-cancelling headphones around in case a room gets too loud, I can’t wash the dishes without gloves, and so on. Maybe there’s someone on the spectrum who can’t talk, but can eat fruit without feeling sick. Who knows?
Either way, it’s tiresome to hear about how some of us are “tragedies.”
Some of us will go on to lead relatively normal lives. Others will lead great ones. Others still may always need support. We’re all equally wonderful and valuable individuals regardless, and I hope people know that. I could go on for days about other stories and struggles, but that feels like a good note to end on: we deserve love and acceptance, and nothing should get in the way of that.
