The Story
Research shows that autistic people who embrace their autism enjoy mental health benefits like increased well-being. However, many autistic teenagers and adults struggle to know who they are due to masking and camouflaging and consequently suffer low self-esteem, loneliness and depression. It can be difficult to embrace being autistic in a community that largely misunderstands autism and where being autistic still carries a negative stigma. In this course, we describe the potential barriers to developing a positive identity as an autistic person, ways to overcome these barriers, and strategies we have developed to assist autistic people in discovering and enjoy their authentic selves. The content is relevant for all ages.
Description
Research shows that autistic people who embrace their autism enjoy mental health benefits like increased well-being. However, many autistic teenagers and adults struggle to know who they are due to masking and camouflaging and consequently suffer low self-esteem, loneliness and depression. It can be difficult to embrace being autistic in a community that largely misunderstands autism and where being autistic still carries a negative stigma. In this course, we describe the potential barriers to developing a positive identity as an autistic person, ways to overcome these barriers, and strategies we have developed to assist autistic people in discovering and enjoy their authentic selves. The content is relevant for all ages.
