Published on 12, July, 2020
The question whether to disclose a diagnosis of autism comes up quite a lot, therefore, I thought this Psychology Today article would be of interest:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mom-am-i-disabled/201804/full-disclosure-strategic-choice-also-political-one
I can 'pass' as NT. It wears me out, but I can. I did it for years. I have to say, though, I am a much happier person since I made the decision to always disclose.
I share articles about autism on my social media. I talk about being autistic in casual conversation, when it's relevant, even with people I don't know well. At work (I'm in education) when talking about pupils on the spectrum and things they might do or experience differently, or things that might help them, I always say "We sometimes feel X. We might do Y".
It was hard to stop passing at first, but I successfully trained myself to be super matter-of-fact about it and it definitely improved my life.
I find myself a lot more accepted for who I am, rather than who I can pretend to be on a good day. People almost always make accommodations easily and without fuss. I don't get so many negative responses when I slip up socially or am obviously struggling with sensory issues, and I feel less stressed for not anticipating them. I feel I can make much closer and more honest friendships- I have a partner and a good number of friends now who I know I can absolutely rely on and be myself around.
Plus I'm visible and I'm known to be very open to discussing it if people ask- I hope that helps the people around me to understand autism better and will make things easier for us in the long run.
Love this :)