WE ROAR Magazine April 2024 - Magazine - Page 55
I9m fortunate that there are intersections between work
and family, so they9re not two completely separate
worlds. Balancing work and my own neurodivergence is
sometimes a greater challenge. Learning to let go of
perfectionism, overcoming my social anxiety, balancing
my hyper-focus, and 8shiny object9 syndrome, these take
more effort.
As someone who is Autistic, do you find general
attitudes inclusive? What do you hope will change?
As an Autistic, I find general attitudes have become less
harsh, but not as inclusive as it could be, especially for
young people and in certain communities, where even
the whisper of Autism carries a stigma. There is still a
deep misunderstanding or misconception of Autism, the
spectrum, and Autistics in general. My hope would be
that we change the way we see Autistics and their
potential as a whole.
Why did you choose to support young
adults and their families specifically?
I believe deeply in the potential of each
Autistic person and the inherent unique
individuality of each one, especially those
young adults in the 'forgotten' phase between being wholly a teenager and fully
an adult. As the parent to two Autistics, I'm
well aware that no two Autistics are the
same. While autistics may have certain
traits or characteristics that are similar, like
everyone else, they are uniquely individual
and should be seen as such. Unfortunately,
this is often not the case.
From a young age, young adult Autistics
and their families are often told certain
'stories' about their autism, about what
their -sterotypical - strengths and abilities
are, what
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