(Provided by Autism-Society.org)
I'm on the spectrum
Growing up as a teenager with autism is not a walk in the park. Being autistic in a world where socializing is the only way of life, it's hard to get by. People are constantly talking about things like new music and the latest fashions (which look extremely uncomfortable to me).
A lot of people would say I'm either very childish or very grown-up for my age. It's very difficult for me to decide which of these I am.  Yes, I am very childish in some ways—I don't wear jeans, I watch children's movies and I start crying at the simplest things. But I am mature in other ways—I know who I am, I can analyze things critically and most of my friends are grown-ups.
I connect with adults better than kids my age because they don't constantly talk about shopping, video games or relationships. All of that talk really makes my head hurt. I don't understand how teenagers like talking about that stuff; it just bores me to tears.
When I do talk, it's about theatre or the latest story I've written. My mom always says I'm the chattiest when I've come back from a rehearsal or audition. It's what I'm interested in and know about, so I talk about it. That's what other people do, right? Talk about their interests?
Although autism has presented challenges for me, it's forced me to stand up for myself in difficult situations—like inviting a friend for a sleepover or asking for a more difficult tech job backstage on a show when I'd only done easier stage-hand work.
Communicating my thoughts to other people besides my parents is probably the hardest thing. I may be a high-functioning person with autism, but I still have my struggles.