So, speaking to that false stereotype that "real" autistics are science and maths oriented, and those who aren't drawn to that must not be as smart or gifted, or not as representative of the autistic world:

Some of us are drawn to the arts (or to all kinds of other interests), and this doesn't have anything to do with being less intelligent or "not as autistic".

It's just that autistic artists don't get as much media attention, nor are we profiled in books about autism.

So why was I drawn to study ballet as a teen and young adult? How did that tie in with being #actuallyautistic and #adhd? Aren't #autistics usually drawn to STEM subjects? And don't we lack coordination?

I always excelled in most school subjects. I could oddly pass exams without even having studied the topic. Later as an adult I'd get full college credit by passing subject equivalency exams in topics I'd never really studied. The problem I had with school from the outset was the school environment, which for several reasons felt very alienating, one of which was the fact that my mother taught as a civilian teacher at my elementary school on an army base in Puerto Rico, where we lived, since my father was a beekeeper on that island.

That school was a toxic environment for her, and even more toxic for me. The car ride to school was horrible with a lot of noise, traffic, with my mother visibly stressed. I hated going to that school. It was full of far too many people; scary, mean, critical adults; and scary, smelly public bathrooms. I was made to read out loud in class. I was questioned about things I didn't want to answer. After all the stories my mother told at home about the school principle and a teacher being pushed off a cliff when at a party at his home, the place seemed to be the worst place on earth to a young 5 year old.

(continued)

Part 1 of 2