THE FUSE

“I don’t know who I am.” This is what Anisha told me after confirming she was autistic. It’s something I hear regularly, often after the relief that comes following a diagnosis has settled. The reason it’s such an intrinsic part of so many autistic women’s experience is because of the camouflaging that many of us rely on. Camouflaging is more than simply having a “professional” self and a “private” self, which is something most people can identify with. For many people, it’s a complete suppression of who they really are from a very early age.