Autism is a Neurotype, Not a Disease

“Can you develop autism?”

Created by author

Can you develop autism?

In a word: No.

“Why does it seem like I have (or someone I know has) become ‘more Autistic’?”

There could be many reasons for this:

• Maybe we’ve become more comfortable with you and have started masking less

• We may be developing greater self-awareness and are getting to know ourselves better, allowing us to let our true selves show

• Changes in our lives (stress levels, hormonal changes, neurological maturity, etc., etc.) can impact certain things such as executive functioning, ability to mask, and our need to engage in self-soothing behaviours or practice self-care

• Maturity may also lead to reduced concerns about social expectations, making less effort to “fit in”, and feeling more confidence to be ourselves

• Sometimes addressing underlying or co-occurring conditions (such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, etc.) which were masking our Autism allows our Autistic traits to become more noticeable

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Late-in-life identification

For folks whose Autistic traits may not have been as obvious when they were growing up, they may have been overlooked.

Many parents are diagnosed after their children, when they recognize a lot of similarities in their own experience and decide to pursue their own assessment (or self-diagnose).

There can be a long grieving and unmasking process as a person considers, accepts, and embraces their newly-discovered identity. We often experience disbelief, anger, imposter syndrome, sadness, confusion — a roller-coaster of emotions.

Working through these feelings and coming to welcome and celebrate this different view of ourselves can be a liberating experience. As we get to know our authentic selves and engage with the Autistic community, we may feel freer to reveal those unique and quirky aspects of ourselves which we’d previously suppressed.