Teresa is in her early 20s and looking forward to blogging about her journey with newly diagnosed autism. Within the past few years, she’s had to rebuild her entire life from scratch and navigate everything very differently. She recently had the opportunity to job shadow at different locations and has been inspired to attend college and one day work with children. Teresa is eager for this new chapter in her life and wants to inspire others with autism to never give up, despite whatever obstacles life may throw their way.
View all postsAutism Awareness and Acceptance Month
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Hello, everyone! For today’s blog post, I’m discussing something very important to me. The month of April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month and I wanted to talk about how being a part of the autism community has impacted me. I was diagnosed with autism back in early 2022 right after my mother’s passing. While I was still learning how to grieve appropriately with my mother’s death, I found it difficult to process the fact that I was now dealing with a new diagnosis and I had to get set up with some new services. I remember being really overwhelmed because I already had so much going on but over time, I learned to accept it. I won’t lie though, there are still days where I feel overwhelmed.
When I meet new people, I notice myself masking my autism a lot so that other people will like me or so I can fit in. I notice that I feel like I have to mask because it is easier than having to explain to people that I have autism and dealing with the fear of people judging me. Unfortunately, I have met a few people who weren’t so accepting of my disability. However, I’ve also met a lot of people who have accepted me for who I am and I’ve gotten the chance to make a lot of really great friends within the autism community. I’ve also gotten to do a lot of really awesome things since my autism diagnosis. Some of these things include joining a self-advocacy group, attending dances and other events, participating in Special Olympics, going on trips, and joining an art group. I plan to get more involved in the community in the future.
Even though sometimes I wish things were different, I wouldn’t change my autism diagnosis. Ever since my diagnosis, I’ve learned so much about myself and autism in general. My goal is to be able to use my voice and my experiences to help other people on the spectrum and help them feel like they’re not so alone. Which is what I want to do through this blog.
Currently, I live in a group home but I’m working with my support team to help me gain the skills I need to live independently. Though it took some time, I’ve learned to accept who I am. I still have a lot to work on, but I try not to overwhelm myself with too much. I know it can be challenging, but as I said in my first blog, I believe we can do anything we put our minds to. And finally, I leave you with this… Never ever give up.
Teresa Cardona
