Autistic Adulthood

Welcome to Autistic adulthood, my young friends. It does exist, contrary to what the media has people believing. We do grow up, and what we grow up to be are Autistic adults. And awesome, but I repeat myself.

A lot of things about being Autistic and about being society’s ideal adult may seem mutually exclusive. You may feel you’re being held to an impossible standard. And you just might be half right. Autistic adulthood and media, super responsible all the things calm and under control; adulthood may not match up.

But that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Forget “suits and seriousness” adulthood, my adulthood is, “I can eat ice cream for breakfast, I’m an adult and no one can stop me.”

Part of being an adult is getting to do things your own way. Half of the things they told me would never fly when I grew up? They do, in fact, fly now that I’ve grown up. I get to control my environment to my specifications, not to those of some professional who thinks they know what “adult” is.

Being Autistic is awesome. You know what works for you, right? Embrace it. If you don’t, figure it out and then embrace it. Please don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not a really real adult unless you do arbitrary thing (unless that arbitrary thing is turn 18). Just wait, do what works for you, embrace your neurology as it is, & those ‘really real’ adults will be asking you to teach them how you do it (True story. Happens to me. I still get confused).

And, lest I forget, welcome to the best community you could ever dream of having.

Featured in November 2012 Newsletter