"It took me three years following my diagnosis to tell anyone beyond my immediate family. ... the dichotomy of being both authentic and visible, and striving to be invisible, remains. Fifty-five years (and counting) of trying to perfect the 'normal' persona is difficult to drop, although increasingly - with grateful thanks to menopause, recurring autistic burnout and ageing - my need and energy to maintain the pretence are just about gone."
Hendrickx, S. (2024). Introduction. Women and girls on the autism spectrum: Understanding life experiences from early childhood to old age (pp. 19-25). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN 978-1-80501-069-2










