Series List, Descriptions, and Links
If you’re brand new and want to know what my Substack is all about, click the button below to get up to speed.
[Series List]
You’ll find a variety of posts on ‘yes, ampersand’ about late-diagnosed autism, trauma, society, and whatever else I think is relevant. Below is a list of series with descriptions and links.
Click the “Series List” button on any post to come back to this page if you get lost.
Practical Unmasking
Performing, Pretending, Passing: Why We Learn to Hide Ourselves
An ongoing series
Practical Unmasking is a space to explore the realities of unmasking in a world that doesn’t always make it easy to be ourselves. Through storytelling, self-inquiry, and the Acceptance and Commitment Coaching lens, I write about what it means to slowly let go of roles, expectations, and behaviors that were once necessary for survival but may no longer serve us. Expect honest reflections, occasional humor, and a deep commitment to honoring the complexity of this work. Unmasking doesn’t have to be dramatic or complete to be meaningful. Every small shift matters.
What to Expect in This Series
Each post will explore different aspects of the unmasking journey, from the subtle ways we shape ourselves to fit in to the moments we reclaim our truth in everyday life. You’ll find accessible reflections on identity, safety, self-trust, and change, grounded in the Acceptance and Commitment Coaching (ACC) approach. Whether you’re new to the concept of masking or deep in the process of unlearning, this series is here to meet you where you are. There’s no pressure to transform overnight; just space to breathe, notice, and grow at your own pace.
Series Links
Uncredited
Unmasking the Truth About Success and Self-Doubt After a Late Autism and/or ADHD Diagnosis
Posted May 2025
Success didn’t silence the self-doubt—it deepened it. I checked the boxes, earned the degree, and still felt like I’d slipped through the cracks. This series speaks to those of us who pushed through systems not built for our brains—quietly overwhelmed, constantly overcompensating. For late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD adults, even our achievements can carry a trace of guilt. With graduation season in the air, I’m revisiting what it means to deserve what we’ve earned, even when the path looked nothing like the one we were “supposed” to take.
What to Expect in This Series
Over two posts, Uncredited explores themes of shame, imposter syndrome, and the pressure to succeed while masking as a college student. This series invites you to reflect, unlearn self-doubt, and reclaim your own story of resilience.
Series Links
A Mask They Put On
A Series for the Undiagnosed Neurodivergent Child Who Survived
Posted April-May 2025
You’ve just discovered you’re autistic—or finally received a diagnosis after years of wondering. Maybe ADHD is part of your story too. And now you’re looking back on your life with fresh eyes, asking: What happened to me? What could have been different if someone had known?
This five-part series, The Mask They Put On, explores the lived experience of growing up with generational trauma as an undiagnosed autistic child with ADHD. It’s a story of survival, of misinterpretation, and of reclaiming self-understanding and compassion.
I’m a late-diagnosed autistic adult myself. I write this series for people like us, newly diagnosed autistic adults, who are piecing together a lifetime of being “othered,” masked, and misunderstood.
What to Expect in This Series
Over five posts, I’ll tell stories of my childhood—not as pathologies, but as evidence of the brilliance, resilience, and sensitivity that went unseen. I’ll view my younger selves not as broken or problematic, but as heroes who adapted in a world that didn’t make space for us.