When someone with autism masks, they are trying to blend in with people who are neurotypical. They want to be accepted and not be looked at differently. They want to fit in as much as they can. During this time, someone would start to pick up social cues from people around them. They do what they can to make sure their autism isn’t known to whoever they are around. It can eventually lead to anxiety because they are trying to be someone they are not. In a lot of situations, t

When I was in California with a friend, we were out front of Knotts Berry Farm for the shuttle to take us back to our hotel. As we were waiting, a woman came up to us and started chatting with us. She asked where we were from and once she heard Canada, she started to ask questions, the one that stuck out the most was if Canada was like anything like Degrassi. Which got me thinking of how different schools are in both Canada and in America or how people think what they see on

Having a brother or sister with autism can be hard. If the siblings have a close relationship then it is beneficial since they have someone that they are comfortable with, but it can also be challenging because the sibling with autism is going to get more attention since they're going to need extra help in their daily lives. Every autism family is different, there’s no two families that are the same. Getting an autism diagnosis is going to be hard and there are going to be a

When you're on the autism spectrum, it's hard to figure out where you belong. You live in a world that isn’t adapted for people who face physical and mental challenges. Growing up knowing your different is a struggle. You want to fit in, but you don’t want to hide who you are. There are ways to make sure that a child with autism can feel more accepted and more independent as they get older. Instead of using autism as an excuse, use it as an advantage. Embrace the difference

People believe that the puzzle piece that symbolizes Autism doesn’t represent the condition at all because the puzzle piece makes it look like someone who is on the spectrum is “missing” a piece, makes them look like they're “incomplete” or that they're a “puzzle that needs to be solved. There have been times in history that organizations have tried to “cure” autism by changing the way someone is behaving, by turning something “negative” into a “positive.” Instead of embracin

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. Wishing you all good things in 2026.

Social anxiety is hard at any time of the year, but the holidays make it worse since there is a lot going on. Some people thrive on being busy and doing a million things at once, but there are other people who tend to freeze when it comes to just stepping into a store on Christmas eve. Christmas is crazy and intense and if you are someone who struggles with anxiety, it can seem like the holidays will never end. You have to try and make the best of it and know that it’s going

I’ve recently gotten some news, it’s good news, but the way I was told this news was in a way I thought could have gone better. I feel like with this type of news, I would have been told a lot sooner. I feel like if we were as good as friends as I thought we were, I would have learnt about this a lot earlier. Don’t get me wrong, this is something to be happy about, but I’m disappointed, angry and heartbroken. There are so many things I’m feeling regarding this situation. Mont

My birthday message for Lou Ferrigno Jr.

Bullying for anyone is hard, but it’s especially when the person that is getting bullied is different from their peers and classmates. It makes for an easy target for bullies. As much as kids are more open to other kids being different, they may not get treated that fairly at home which makes them act out at school. They may use their anger towards others. They don’t know that it’s wrong. When someone is different and doesn’t understand certain things like emotions and facial