Being autistic brings challenges that can make life difficult. Yet, it is just as important to focus on the qualities in my life. There are many qualities. These qualities sometimes inspire thoughts that either make or break our day. This happens especially when the going gets tough and we want to think about everything going wrong in our lives.

I owe my progress in life to the many people I have met on my path. They saw more potential in me than challenges. Without them, I would not have gotten as far as I have in life. Nowadays, much of the world wants to view autism as a “problem” or a “horror show.” I need to remind myself to look past those comments and challenges. There are great qualities and talents that I can bring to the table.

It is often said that there are no two autistic people that are alike. We each experience our lives in our own very way. There is no one way that we carry ourselves nor do we all see the world the same way. It is that we all live life in our own way. Many times, all we want is for others to meet us where we are in our lives. We want them to understand us and give us the support we need. We hope they can be there to show us that they care about us.

There were many moments in my life. I was not happy with myself during these times. Being autistic brings unique challenges to the fabric of my life. There were signs of being autistic when I was a toddler. People believed it was just a phase. They thought this because I articulate well. This belief persisted until I was 13. At that age, developments occurred and behavioral services were provided. It was then discovered that I had Asperger’s Syndrome.

I am writing this not to debate about Asperger’s or its current status. I want to share that it is where I fell on the spectrum. It provided me with the diagnosis. It was also the answer to my question of where I fell in line with the world. The co-occurring challenges were discovered shortly after in the wrath of puberty that followed. I had somewhere to fall, which helped me understand my challenges. I realized that I had both challenges and good qualities. This understanding allowed me to see that I the world differently.

It takes knowing that I see the world differently than others. It’s not just about the qualities but the characteristics that make up who I am. This is not only because of the people who got me the help, support, and skills I needed. I needed to see on my own that there are good things balancing with the challenging things. If it was not for my village of supporters, I would have continued to lose hope. They supported me from the time of diagnosis to later in life. They were my village of supporters from diagnosis to later in life. Without them, I would have continued to lose hope. They see the potential I carry to the table. This keeps them believing in me and keeps me wanting to continue growing.