I recently came across an article in my 'author magazine' where another author discussed writing with ADHD and how, despite growing awareness, there are still many who question whether it's real, or legitimate, and the article got me thinking about my life on the spectrum, living with autism. Although society accepts that Autism is real, but that acceptance doesn’t translate into understanding, or support.

Life on the Spectrum

But there are many on the spectrum, like me who continue to face a difficult world – a world that doesn’t make room for our needs. With autism, we're seen as rude around a lack of social cues, stubborn, awkward and argumentative, when in fact, we're just being direct, and honest without the filters. People with autism have no filters, because they see the world in black and white. While autism is acknowledged, we are often overlooked. True awareness isn’t just about knowing we exist: it’s about listening, adapting and creating situations, where we have the space to thrive. There needs to be awareness, understanding, patience, and tolerance, in what we get to deal with.

For anyone on the spectrum life is difficult and the world is a difficult place to function in. Just because others don't understand autism or how it works, doesn't mean we don't have it. And while those not on the spectrum can be stubborn, awkward and argumentative, with autism, it's the way we function, how we view and navigate the world – how we are able to adapt in the world, around a mental disability that sets us apart from just being 'awkward, stubborn, and argumentative.' Many people on the spectrum are frustrated. For me, it's all multilayered – it's also the loss of my twin – the unpredictability of today’s political climate and the inherent challenges of living with autism, that makes daily life much harder to navigate.

Autism is Isolating, Often Misunderstood

Autism is still often misunderstood, as people like me on the spectrum continue to feel isolated, not just emotionally. There are very few spaces in the media that genuinely reflect our experiences.

I found unexpected comfort in a Netflix series called 'Atypical'.

'Atypical'

'Atypical' follows the life of a teenage boy with autism, as he tries to find his place in a world that doesn’t make room for difference. What makes this series unique is how it portrays the realities of autism with a sincerity that’s often missing in the world. It touches on social misunderstandings, sensory sensitivities, family struggles, and the boy's quest to prove to his family he can think and be independent – all of which for anyone of the spectrum, will resonate. Watching the series, was like me looking in the mirror.

Conclusion

Watching the 'Atypical' show helps me to feel acknowledged, like what I deal with matters. It also reminds me that with autism, I am not alone. There are others out there like me – walking a similar path, trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t help us to make it make sense. In difficult times, it helps to find a series that depicts us in ways non-autistic individuals may ignore – and fail or want to understand. While the series portrayed a family that supported their son and brother, in the real world, away from series like Atypical – it doesn't work like that. Atypical for me, provided a quiet reassurance that being autistic doesn’t make me any less valid and that the challenges I face are shared by others also on the spectrum.