Autistic pride is something that is relatively new to me and that I am still learning to have in regard to my disability. I have a tendency to put myself down or compare myself to others who are more independent and so Autistic Pride challenges this. I struggled for a long time as someone who did not meet the neurotypical standard of working a full time job, driving a car and moving out of home. I am much happier knowing that the way I am is not because of a lack of effort but the result of a neurodevelopmental condition.
I was only recently diagnosed last year as Autistic. I had a lot of anxiety about being diagnosed as I was unaware for most of my life that I had a disability and was concerned about the implications of being labelled as Autistic. I was officially diagnosed as Autistic in the middle of 2025, after struggling to find long term employment in my field of work. It was a diagnosis that had been a long time coming and has brought relief to me.
For most of my life I was unaware that I was Autistic but had a feeling that something was different about me compared to nearly everyone I met. Ever since I was a young child, my parents and I suspected I was different to the majority of people but decided not to get a diagnosis as they feared it would narrow my opportunities for education. As a child I struggled to make eye contact, was slow to start speaking and had concentration issues.
Later in life when I finished my studies and entered the workforce as an adult, my autism translated into issues with executive function, specifically organisation and multitasking. I burnt out in jobs that would not accommodate my needs and where I was unable to identify my issues due to not having a diagnosis of Autism yet.
Now that I have an Autism diagnosis I no longer put pressure on myself to adhere to the requirements of adulthood. I participate in volunteer work currently which utilises the skills I learned at uni and TAFE in the two different courses I studied (Bachelor of Communication Design at Billy Blue College of Design and Cert IV in Leisure and Health at TAFE). I do two days at an Aged Care facility and help out at Aspect with graphic design another two days. I have disclosed my Autism diagnosis to the people I work with, which has been hugely beneficial to my mental health.
I don’t always disclose my disability to acquaintances but most of my close friends and family are aware of my Autism. I follow a few Autistic influencers on Instagram and find it comforting to have content on my feed that speaks to my experience. I have read the book “Different, Not Less” by Chloe Hayden and found it very uplifting.
I have a friend who is also Autistic who works part time in a catering company and lives at home like myself. I look up to him as an example of how to live in joy. He has never put himself down for his disability and takes pride in his special interests, even running a fan club page on Instagram dedicated to the singer Sheldon Riley who is also on the spectrum.
I have been drawing a webcomic called “Sugarpeach Gumnut” that is fictional but inspired by my own experiences of not fitting into the neurotypical world. The titular character Sugarpeach Gumnut goes about her own life and the comic touches on employment, romance and mental health. The comic is episodic and I have been working on it slowly.
Interdependence is a concept that I was introduced to via social media. For many disabled folks, achieving independence where tasks are completed without any help does not account for disabilities and the role that caregivers may play. I live interdependently with my parents, who help me with household tasks and sometimes drive me to activities I go to. Recently my mother and I had a conversation about being more self sufficient and organising myself better. She came up with a system of using sticky note tabs to indicate tasks that needed to be completed for the day and to move them to the next week after completing them. The tasks involve doing basic house chores such as cleaning the bathroom, prepping my lunch for volunteering and more. The organisation system which was designed by my mother and implemented by me is interdependence in action.
To be Autistic is to be different by default. Accepting my life as it is currently and seeing the joy in life are crucial for my Autistic pride. I take pride in my hobbies of playing the violin in an orchestra and playing tennis. I am grateful that I am able to participate in a range of different activities and socialise with both neurotypical and neurodivergent people. I am happy that my volunteer work helps the elderly and neurodivergent people respectively.
Tania.
