As an autistic person, I have often feared or let down myself with facing reality to do things that I know that I need to. For many years, it has been hard to find the inspiration to have a purpose to do them to see why there is a benefit to do them. There comes a time when autistics reach their point of readiness to take that leap and do what they need to do to move on with their life.

It can be frustrating in life when parents see their autistic child’s peers advance and grow in ways and their child does not. The milestone is not met. That is the thing about reaching milestones as an autistic person at any age. There is no defined age for when someone will take that step and do what they need to do.

Autistics of any age learn in many ways that bewilder the mind of the neurotypicals around them. When they do things that seem that their autistic person does that those that care for them were told that they never would do, it can be hard to believe. I have been no exception to this rule. From using the toilet in preschool on my own at the age of four to navigating the halls of high school without having to be excused from class a few minutes earlier than the bell rung, I made my own steps in my own time in my own way.

So, when changes come to an autistic person’s mind, it can seem to them as the most impossible thing for them to achieve. But when you look at the things that they have done with minimal assistance growing up, knowing that they can conquer the upcoming challenge like a champ and slay like a diamond doing it will give both the individual and the family the confidence they need to get through the day with ease.

I have done so much in my life and at many times with the ability to manage it on my own without masking or exhibiting any meltdown or characteristic symptoms of autism. I wasn’t even diagnosed at the time. I remember as a kindergarten student on the first day of school the bus left me off at the front door and I couldn’t remember the way to the classroom. I bravely asked a woman (who I learned was a teacher) the way to the kindergarten classroom (thankfully, there was only one room at the time. It has since been torn down to the ground ☹.)

The thing is about autistic people, if you are put under pressure, you will do what you need to do to get to where you need to go in life. It has taken me time at many points in my life to realize that I needed to take that next step and do what is needed so I know that I can or at least try to do something and get the help that I needed. Yes, there are many things that I wish that I had been honest about that I did over the years, but there are times when anxiety or fear-driven thoughts override what is needed to be done out of fear of judgment or falsehood.

Getting out of habit can also create a way for you to not be able to set routine and get out of the ways that are necessary for caring for yourself. Being unwilling to adhere to what is needed to without realize that is what keeps you together in the challenging times and that it is important to do so every day, regardless of what you are feeling is crucial for maintaining your temperament when things are tough, and you must take that big step to doing what you need to do.

Sometimes, autistic people must realize that they are stronger than they think they are and within time they will realize that they have the power to do what they need to do but knowing that they have their support systems behind them along the way can go a long way in helping them do that and cause them to excel to places they dare to dream. Nothing is impossible without being able to think first.