My autism diagnosis was actually not your straight "You have autism." When I was around 2 years old, my parents saw that I was extremely quiet compared to my twin brother and our younger sister, just one year younger. I would be engaged enough in playtime with my siblings, but when it came to the outside world, it was like I was a completely different person. They decided to get me tested and found out that I was on the spectrum. However, I did not have autism. The doctors diagnosed me with a disorder called non-pervasive developmental disorder. It wasn't until my high school years that I found out that I had this disorder, and everything started to make sense. Non-pervasive developmental disorder, defined through the DSM-5, is technically not a term used anymore. Back then, it was a diagnosis for individuals who presented some but not all autism characteristics. This included difficulties with communication with others, repetitive behaviors, and social interactions. When I got my diagnosis at a young age, my parents made sure to accommodate me and my needs, whether it be at home or at school when I started to attend. At home, my parents had a more gentle and thorough approach when it came to explaining how to do certain tasks, why my behaviors were out of line if I was acting out, and were more than willing to give me help with tutors for school, especially math. At school, I attended speech therapy from kindergarten to the fourth grade. I worked with my speech therapist of ways to start a conversation, different coping skills on anxiety, etc. I formed a connection with my speech therapist; she taught me a lot in regards to forming connections with others at school, where I spent most days as a kid. I was placed with teachers that were known to be "not as strict" among all the teachers. I believe that each and every one of my elementary school teachers helped me blossom into the woman I am today, giving me the building blocks of life at a young age to strive. I received writing excellence awards each year in elementary school. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies and strong suits! In my later life, actually finding out that I had this disorder gave me more clarity of how I moved in the world and why I acted the way I did when I was little. I've always been interested in other people and helping others. I believe that's the main reason why I chose psychology as my major. I realized through my learning of this enriching field of study that I wasn't alone in my little quirks of how I acted socially. I sometimes feel still that even though I have worked through the big barriers of my diagnosis, I get caught up in trying to "fit" in. However, I have now embraced these quirks about myself in all aspects of my life! At work, with my friends and family. They know me to be a passionate, empathetic, sassy, slow paced person in how I move in the world. It has truly taken my whole life to get to this point, but I have learned a lot about myself in this journey of my autism diagnosis.