After I finished my Autism & Denial Series in July 2023, everything changed. My late diagnosis kept me from integrating into society. Not only was I traumatized by years of life that were ruined, but masking monotropism and indecision were keeping me from getting anywhere. The big question was what…

Fear is a powerful influence. It can also be helpful to understand your mental health. Understanding why a particular fear influences your life can reveal important information about its origins and how to cope with it. At the same time I was diagnosed as autistic in August 2019, I was…

Social and economic integration are not experienced equally by all. For autistic people in particular, there are barriers that actively inhibit our ability to prosper at what aligns with our mental health. If an autistic person persistently feels that they are running out of time with regards to their socioeconomic…

At the end of April, I found out about a late-diagnosed autistic woman in her 20s who was also diagnosed with PTSD. What caught my attention was that she struggled with similar career indecision as I did at the same age. In our next session, my counselor screened me for…

Last night, I published the conclusion of my Autism and Denial Series, “The Divide That Determines Our Future, Part 8,” and was emotionally exhausted. I came across a mental health professional I follow who shared her experience of being bullied for simply having ADHD. The self-appointed critic concluded their tantrum…

A primary source is a person with firsthand, lived experience. There is no better source for legitimacy and research. I know. I have done formal research myself. For mental health professionals to have the most efficient research, we are who they should be studying. At least to start with those…

Now that I am not in denial about autism, I have made some disturbing discoveries. My diagnosis was so late that it proves the intellectually unimpaired and autistic adults are victims of prejudice. The lack of acceptance and accommodations by employers is contributing to autism having the highest unemployment rate…

Autistic women worldwide endure prejudice every day. Imagine what racial and ethnic minorities have to deal with. Two years ago, I befriended a gamer online who confided in me that he might be autistic. To safeguard his overall well-being, I peer-evaluated him. To ensure the process was reliable, I used…

Problems with employment and autism have made acceptance a priority because our quality of life can be greatly affected. There are also specific groups of autistic people still suffering from a lack of quality healthcare. Recently, I found a late-diagnosed autistic woman who made a key observation. There was an…