So you're diagnosed! Now what?
Maybe you just visited with a psychologist or talked to your therapist, or took your seventh online assessment. You're holding tightly to a physical copy of an evaluation report from a clinician or holding tightly to a conviction and reality that you are actually autistic and wondering how you never saw it before. Self-diagnosed or officially diagnosed you are thinking what to do next.
First, breathe.
[Image of Drew Barrymore as Cinderella, reminding herself to breathe, while wearing a mask/costume, preparing to enter a social gathering space where she will undoubtedly feel like an outsider-- relatable]
Second, there’s a million emotions, epiphanies, and questions ( I talk about that in my poem Beautiful Shattering). Relief, Joy, Anger, Grief, Peace... to name a few. Feeling all the feelings, understanding sensory differences, your rituals/routines, strengths and weaknesses. How do I advocate and accommodate myself? What changes can I make? If I choose to disclose- to whom should I, and how should I? There’s a lot to navigate.
Keep in mind, despite the possible lingering feeling, you are not alone. Most autistic people (myself included) at some point or constantly feel like an alien. A common theme noted in work from students at the first high school for autistic girls in the UK- they all expressed feelings of isolation. Remember you are definitely not the only one. Everyone processes their diagnosis in their own way.
There is not one full-proof roadmap for handling everything, but here are a few resources some find helpful :
Finding online community, hearing from other autistic people- whether through autistic spaces on social media, live online discussions or autistic content creators.
There are online support groups (some free).
Another resource is coaching.
(Quick reminder, coaches are not medical professionals. There is no state or national governing body/licensing board ). Life coaches are people who have completed specific training to help people build life that is in line with their goals. Autism coaches are people to help guide one through different transitions, life changes, understanding, managing, accommodating autistic needs. If you have watched Love on the Spectrum you’ve probably seen dating coaches or life coaches such as Jennifer O'Toole -an Autism coach (who is #actuallyautistic herself).
Another coaching practice is Autism Personal Coach. They are listed under Coaching in the Mental Health section of our Resources page. They have a podcast called "Autism Stories" where they interview autistic people to share their stories, but I will talk about that more in the next post
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