About ❤

Asian (3/4 Chinese, 1/4 Filipinx) with the (somewhat) stereotypical Asian parents and heritage. And...autistic, with a Bachelor's in Social Work, or BSW.

It may seem so contradictory, so out of the norm, that you're probably reading this and scratching your head, thinking (or saying out loud) "How the heck is any of that possible?"

Believe it or not, I'm walking, breathing, living proof that it is. My name is Dana (she/her), and when I was around eight or nine, in 2008, I was diagnosed-something of a feat, as I'm sure most people reading this are aware of how too often, autism is largely undiagnosed in girls and women, and at best, some of us don't get diagnosed until much later in life, be it our twenties or even our fifties! And this is unfortunately how even still today, despite of how much society has progressed, the criteria for an autism diagnosis (DSM, anyone?) is based what has been primarily observed in white males-with little regard for women, or people of color, of which I am both.

But I'll let you in on a little secret-that's what I'm here for, and why I'm writing this (something I really should have started as soon as I graduated high school back in 2017, but better late than never). I'm here to break that default by sharing my story and letting my voice be heard, after years and years of being subtly conditioned and pressured to not only mask, but feel ashamed of my autism, as though it's some sort of disease equitable to COVID, or cancer, from the good (discovering Community and the character of Abed Nadir and finally, for once, being able to relate to an actually autistic character, landing an internship that helped me find my voice and ultimately encouraged me to start writing this blog), the bad (bullying, isolation, and the like), and the ugly (ableism, covert and more obvious, shitty "boyfriends"). And I know you're probably reading this and thinking "Wait, but there seems to be more bad than good." Well, you're not wrong. But those stories are there for a reason-to tell every other autistic person reading this blog what I wished I had known, what I could have or should have done-so no autistic person ever has to go through those experiences ever again. Think of me as the guinea pig, or if you'd like to be more imaginative, an older, Asian Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson is a special interest of mine) stepping into yet another battle, exhausted but weary as she scans for more monsters, knife at the ready-I came, I saw, I conquered. But this is just the beginning, starting with this post-because there's so much more to do, see, and experience (my apologies if I sound like one of those cheesy tourist brochures. You know the ones). And I can only hope that regardless if you're a parent/relative of an autistic person, or another autistic person, be it fifteen or twenty-five, a curious SLP, social worker, teacher, therapist or counselor, doctor, or nurse, neurotypical or neurodiverse, that you're ready to continue this journey with me. ❤

Alt text: a photo of me, smiling (and not looking like a goofass for once!)