This year I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – alternatively known as autism spectrum condition (ASC). This diagnosis was not a surprise to me. In my head and heart I have known for a long time – this was just the professional confirmation and validation I needed. I’m in my 30s now, and it pains me that my life could have been more successful had I been given this diagnosis in childhood. Sadly, a lack of awareness or education around the condition meant nobody ever identified my struggles, which led to me going without the support and understanding I so desperately needed until it was too late. Essentially, people assumed I was getting along just fine, so they decided that I wouldn’t need any support in life. Oh, how wrong they were.