14/08/2026
18 months of asking questions. 18 months of advocating. 18 months of knowing there was more to understand.
When AJ was diagnosed, I thought I understood autism.
Then I was diagnosed myself, and realised how much of it can exist underneath the surface.
And now Amélie is showing me another side again.
She can talk. She can be funny, affectionate and incredibly bright. But that doesn’t mean communication, understanding, sensory processing or regulation are easy for her.
Her autism diagnosis is finally being finalised, and instead of stopping there, her paediatrician is also investigating the things that autism doesn’t explain.
Because our children don’t have to fit the same mould.
AJ, me and Amélie have three completely different autistic experiences.
And all three have taught me the same thing:
Autism doesn’t have one look.
And sometimes, the child who looks like they’re coping is the one who’s been working the hardest to do it. ❤️
