The individual commented: “I’ve found having the diagnosis to be very positive. The most beneficial thing has been allowing me to think more positively about myself. Somewhat unexpectedly I’ve also started writing poetry. I started writing when feeling overwhelmed as I struggle to articulate my feelings and discovered that writing is a good way of working through my thoughts. I wanted to share one I wrote about autism (see poem below). P lease pass on my thanks to all your colleagues. I feel very lucky to have been able to use your service and had such a positive experience of something that was quite a big deal”.
A Letter to Past Me:
My darling girl
I watch you scratch and fight with the world
I watch you lose the fight and shrink
All you can hear and feel right now are
Loud critical ‘you’re doing it wrong’ voices
But you will learn, with time
To turn their volume down
As you turn yours up up up
And once upon a not yet day
You will have a word for all of this
One day, a kind woman in a pale room
With soft seats and leaflets
Will give you a word
It will fit
Like a key
Like a glove
Like a hand in a hand
Autism
And you will have a set free kind of feeling
And you and I will start to make friends
