Finding something difficult shouldn't be a reason not to try

Finding something difficult shouldn't be a reason not to try

People need to understand that if they’ve met one person with autism, they’ve met one person with autism. That autism is not one size fits all. It’s a spectrum which means that everyone is different just like anyone else.

People need to understand that autistic people are capable of just as much as neurotypical people. Someone with autism shouldn’t feel that they can’t do something because they’re autistic, instead they should use their diagnosis as even more of a reason to overcome what others might think is impossible.

One day we will live in a world that is equal, a world in which those on the spectrum don’t need to worry about being treated or thought of any differently. But until then autistic individuals need to continue to fight and show others, both those on the spectrum and not, that they have the same opportunities and chances as any other person in this world. That a driving test can be passed, that A Levels can be completed and that a job can be got.

Oftentimes parents and carers of those with autism might think and worry that their child will never be able to do things that neurotypical children can. That their child will never be able to drive, or get a job, or finish school, let alone A Levels and university. Well let me tell you this. I was diagnosed with autism at age 17. I passed my driving test a month later. I’ve had a job since age 16, and still have that same job now enjoying what I do. I finished school with 8 GCSEs. I concluded my A Levels last month and I have been offered a place at university. I’m not telling you this to show off, in fact it’s quite the opposite. If this shows you anything at all I hope it shows that autistic people have just as much chance in this world as anyone else. That a diagnosis doesn’t mean they are less able. Yes, they might find things a lot more difficult. Yes, they might need a lot more time and support than other students. But they are no less able. Finding something difficult shouldn’t be a reason not to try.

I would be lying if I said that my life has been easy. I would be lying even more if I said that it has been made easier since my diagnosis. In some ways it has, but I’ve had to put in a lot of work to get to where I am today. School was extremely difficult; making friends, keeping friends and the social side of it was the hardest, never really feeling as if I fitted in, but I didn’t let that stop me. When I’ve found something tricky, I’ve accepted that I often need a little more time and assistance – I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support that I’ve been lucky enough to receive, but I’ve been brave enough to ask for help and have learnt to share my feelings with others rather than struggle to manage them on my own. Since being diagnosed, I think I’ve used my diagnosis as a reason to want to achieve things more. Not only have I wanted to show myself that I won’t let my diagnosis stop me, but I’ve also wanted to show others that finding things difficult isn’t a good enough reason for not trying. I don’t think that all people with autism understand that they have just as much of a chance as anyone else to succeed. Autistic people shouldn’t let other people’s opinions and thoughts of what they can or can’t achieve stop them. They are capable of just as much as any other human being in society. Together, we need to show the world that anything is possible, regardless of whether we have autism of not.