My Late Autism Diagnosis: A Personal Reflection on Masking, Friendship, and Finally Understanding Myself

For most of my life, I knew I was different, but I did not have the language for why. Being diagnosed as an autistic Level One woman later in life has helped me understand my lifelong struggles with masking, female friendships, belonging, and feeling misunderstood. In this personal reflection, I share what it has been like to look back on my life through the lens of autism, trauma, counseling, and finally learning that I was never broken. I was adapting.