But Everyone Feels This Way

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How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life

In But Everyone Feels This Way, Autism acceptance activist and multi-million-follower TikTok influencer Paige Layle shares her deeply personal journey to diagnosis and living life autistically.

It all started out pretty normal: Paige lived in the countryside with her parents and brother Graham. She went to school, hung out with friends, and all the while everything seemed so much harder than it needed to be. A break in routine threw off the whole day. If her teacher couldn't answer 'why?' in class, she dissolved into tears, unable to articulate her own confusion or explain her lack of control. But Paige was normal. She smiled in photos, picked her feet up when her mum needed to vacuum instead of fleeing the room, and did well at school. She was popular and well-liked. And until she had a full mental breakdown, no one believed her when she claimed that she was not okay.

Women are frequently diagnosed with autism much later than men, often in their late teens or early twenties. Armed with her new diagnosis, Paige set out to learn how to live her authentic, autistic life, and discovered how autism could be a source of strength. She challenges stigmas, taboos, and stereotypes so that everyone can see themselves authentically. Along the way, her online activism has spread awareness, acceptance, and self-recognition in millions of others.