Representation in Media
Once upon a time, I watched the Netflix TV show Atypical. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practitioner, I was amazed. Finally, there was more representation of the neurodivergent community in mainstream media — and even better, the protagonist was autistic. Wow!
Several years later, however, I realized that this kind of pop culture representation had shaped my vision of what an autistic person “should” look like: socially awkward, always wearing headphones, obsessed with very specific and unusual interests (trains, thank you Sheldon Cooper), and above all, introverted loners who want to spend most of their time alone.
The Problem with Stereotypes
Stereotypes often start with a grain of truth, but they’re just generalized truths. They are like one-size-fits-all clothes — fine for some, but not for everyone. In the end, they create exclusion.
So, imagine me standing in front of the mirror the day after receiving my official neurodivergence diagnosis. I was looking at myself and asking:
“Is this what a person on the autism spectrum looks like? Am I really a weirdo?”
The Road to Diagnosis
To be clear, the diagnosis didn’t come as a total surprise. About a year earlier, a friend told me he was going through an evaluation for High Intellectual Potential (HIP) — a term describing a neuroatypical brain, previously referred to as “gifted.”
As a typically autistic person might, I became deeply interested and started researching. I read books, watched YouTube videos, listened to podcasts, and learned a lot. At that time, I was seeing two psychologists: one through the Spanish public health system, who told me an evaluation wasn’t covered, and a private psychologist in Poland, who didn’t even know HIP existed. Research confirmed that in Polish, there was no literature on HIP — not even a translation.
My interest in neurodiversity kept growing, and I gradually gained enough knowledge to “autodiagnose” myself. The official paper didn’t matter much to me at the time, especially since such evaluations are expensive. I thought I had my answers — I understood many aspects of my life better — but some symptoms remained unexplained.
Life’s Challenges Along the Way
In the past years, I went through anxiety, depression, workplace bullying, a suicide attempt, hospitalization, and even cancer. Any of these could have contributed to my struggles. I often faced difficulties working — my brain sometimes shuts down, and there are days I can’t get out of bed. It’s frustrating, especially when bills don’t stop coming. After leaving my previous workplace, I became a freelancer, which only added pressure.
What Made Me Seek Answers
A few things finally pushed me to pursue an official diagnosis:
- Learning about the concept of twice exceptional (high intellectual potential combined with one or more neurodivergences like ADHD or autism).
- Discovering neurodivergent burnout.
- Realizing that some advice from my psychologist was counterproductive because my brain simply worked differently.
At one point, she even acknowledged that it felt “a bit like autism.” That was the first time I truly considered: Could this be me?
Facing Confusion
I felt conflicted. On one hand, autism could explain so much. On the other hand, I had friends and a social life, so it seemed impossible. I also suspected ADHD because I love challenges and usually thrive in structured work environments.
The Official Evaluation
Eventually, I found a clinic that offered evaluations. After the first meeting, the psychologist suggested that HIP was very likely, while autism seemed less so. I went through many tests and met with two different specialists. Finally, I received the results:
Twice exceptional — high intellectual potential and autism.
Looking in the Mirror
The very next day, I stood in front of the mirror again. I looked at myself and realized how many stereotypes I had believed, and how little I had actually known about the spectrum — just a few months earlier.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Alexei Maridashvili on Unsplash
