Photo by Peter Brown
Erin Clemens is an author, speaker, consultant, and advocate on the autism spectrum. She recently presented at a TEDx conference on “The Natural Rhythm of Stimming.” This week she shared some of her personal experiences as someone on the spectrum*. She hopes that by sharing these experiences, people can learn from what she has been through, and apply it to what may help others on the autism spectrum.
How did you first feel upon receiving an autism diagnosis? Has this changed?
This feeling has definitely changed a lot over the years, and continues to change. A little while after I was diagnosed, I noticed that although I hadn’t changed, others changed in the way they treated me. They understood me more, and were much more patient with me. I became a major self-advocate, in hopes that by sharing my experiences I could help others who may be struggling as well.
I also didn’t really feel like I wanted a “cure” in the beginning. However, as I’ve gotten older, I can see that others on the autism spectrum seem to struggle a lot more than I do in some areas. And sometimes, I feel frustrated with my own struggles. I don’t know if a “cure” would be the answer, but perhaps more ways to help me with the issues that many “neurotypical” people don’t seem to understand or struggle with as much. I would love to get more therapies or treatments for these struggles, and some more acceptance from others.
You’ve written about how sometimes you “blend in” enough to not appear autistic, which might make it seem as if you’re looking for an “easy out” when you are asking for help. What advice do you have for parents of children who are in similar situations? What ways can parents advocate for their children or teach their children to advocate for themselves in situations like these?
It’s difficult, because I think it’s even hard for me to know whether I am trying to find an easy out or really need the help. I think for parents, they need to have an idea of what their child is capable of, and help the child to feel confident about themselves by staying positive but still honest about things.
However, I remember when people would always tell me “just do your best”, and I took this statement literally. I thought that my best was pushing myself until I would break down. So instead of telling me “just do your best”, maybe give me an idea of when it’s okay to stop pushing myself, too. Because otherwise, I’m not going to know where that stopping point should be.
I also didn’t know how much help I should ask for. Sometimes, I wanted to do things on my own, but I really needed the help. Other times, I would be having a bad day, and get easily frustrated. I’d ask for help and others would tell me it was something I could do on my own. It’s hard for me to figure out how to manage every situation, no matter how many times I practiced. Every situation is new to me. And even though I can do something one day, that doesn’t mean I can always manage it the next. So I suppose my best suggestion would be to take things day by day and try to get through one situation at a time.
Seeing Clearly
Jenna