Published on 12, July, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59352983
Melanie Sykes has just been diagnosed as being autistic
She like many here remained undiagnosed until later in life.
very positive article
No doubt we'll be seeing more of her on social media using the #ActuallyAutistic hashtag... I am pleased for her, I also see the risk showcasing people for whom autism presents few, if any, real cognitive disadvantages, especially those with privileged access to the media could result in society trivialising autism.
I'm glad she's spoken out. I feel it normalises it more. Hopefully people in my family will have seen it and it might open up some discussion.
How is this showcasing?
More importantly, who are we to judge whether she she a few, or ‘real’ cognitive disadvantages? You don’t know the woman, and you don’t live with her. You cannot see her struggle. Just because her job is in the public eye at time, doesn’t mean she doesn’t have issues. Clearlyshe wouldn’t have received a diagnosis is she didn’t also have some cognitive impairment?
She’s already expressed a few issues that she’s always struggled with anyway….not that she has to explain herself.