faced but never understood enough to give a name. I sought a formal diagnosis, quit my job and started working at building a life better suited to my needs, strengths and challenges. I had written a first draft of my book ‘Please Don’t Hug Me’ before I was diagnosed, but once I knew that about myself I realised that was what I was writing about with my protagonist Erin, so I went back and rewrote the manuscript. It was a healing and emotionally intense period, and I used writing as a way to process my own feelings about all of the years I lived not knowing this intrinsic thing about myself. My self esteem and sense of self is so much stronger now, knowing why it is I find some things difficult that others seem to find easy. To me, it’s been the difference of understanding between feeling like I was failing at being neurotypical and now feeling like I’m succeeding as an autistic woman.