Actually Autistics (npub1pce…geep)
Some years ago I was hired for a project and came to work really close with one person. She and I got along and we would spend long days together focusing on our work but also connecting as people.
After a few months she asked me if I was autistic. I said no, which I thought was an honest answer.
I knew I am different but I am different in many ways. I knew I struggled in social situations but there was always another plausible reason (too). I knew I kept having to fight for things that no one else seemed bothered with.
For everything I could come up with an explanation that was not related to being neurodivergent. I had just never put the puzzle together and see the bigger picture.
I tried to let her question go but it wouldn’t let me. Why would she think this about me? Eventually I started looking things up online and it was eye opening. I recognised so much and pretty much self-diagnosed right there and then. She saw something I didn’t and whether or not others may have no one had ever voiced it.
Later I was formally diagnosed in two out of three countries (long story), but the one that didn’t is my home country where I lived at the time these questions arose. It was difficult to handle because they also couldn’t offer an alternative suggestion of what might be going on. It was all just my problem and for me to sort out on my own. That failure in support has caused some serious harm.
There’s a reason why I write about this today but I’m not sure I’m ready to share that yet, so instead here’s a question for anyone who wants to answer:
How did you discover you were autistic and how difficult has it been to find recognition and acknowledgement?
This question particularly applies to those of us who recognised their neurodivergence in adulthood but I welcome everyone’s thoughts.
#ActuallyAutistic
lieven
npub1m9…r2lld
2026-10-07 21:22:01 UTC
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2026-10-07 21:22:01 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "nostr:npub1pce2s47dfhdj4daddyext3lm0p0ceum57krzejtll7q2y3adpxmsdugeep \n\nSome years ago I was hired for a project and came to work really close with one person. She and I got along and we would spend long days together focusing on our work but also connecting as people.\n\nAfter a few months she asked me if I was autistic. I said no, which I thought was an honest answer. \nI knew I am different but I am different in many ways. I knew I struggled in social situations but there was always another plausible reason (too). I knew I kept having to fight for things that no one else seemed bothered with. \nFor everything I could come up with an explanation that was not related to being neurodivergent. I had just never put the puzzle together and see the bigger picture.\n\nI tried to let her question go but it wouldn’t let me. Why would she think this about me? Eventually I started looking things up online and it was eye opening. I recognised so much and pretty much self-diagnosed right there and then. She saw something I didn’t and whether or not others may have no one had ever voiced it.\n\nLater I was formally diagnosed in two out of three countries (long story), but the one that didn’t is my home country where I lived at the time these questions arose. It was difficult to handle because they also couldn’t offer an alternative suggestion of what might be going on. It was all just my problem and for me to sort out on my own. That failure in support has caused some serious harm.\n\nThere’s a reason why I write about this today but I’m not sure I’m ready to share that yet, so instead here’s a question for anyone who wants to answer:\n\nHow did you discover you were autistic and how difficult has it been to find recognition and acknowledgement? \n\nThis question particularly applies to those of us who recognised their neurodivergence in adulthood but I welcome everyone’s thoughts.\n\n#ActuallyAutistic",
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