The outpouring of support for my open letter has been amazing. So many people have read “To the ‘Weird’ Girls Who Don’t Quite Fit In” and have reached out to let me know how much it’s meant to them. How they saw themselves, or their daughters, or another loved one, reflected in the experiences detailed in the text. How it put into words the parts of their lives that they’ve always struggled to express to others. How it made them feel a little less alone and a little more understood.
Being diagnosed with autism was like finding a light in a dark forest. It didn’t end my journey, but it sure helps illuminate the roadblocks I face along the way. I’m still working my way through the woods, so to speak, and writing helps bring some order to the avalanche of thoughts in my head.
And if, along the way, my writing can help someone else who has been struggling, then that is an amazing, awesome bonus.
Special thanks to The Mighty, Autism Speaks, Autistic Not Weird, The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, Life Asper Margo, Scary Mommy Special Needs, and everyone else who has shared my article with their followers. You all are the best. I’m so happy that my writing has been able to make such an impact on so many people.
Adriana Lebrón White 