What is autism and why is it difficult to get it diagnosed? In her talk Carrie shares her own personal journey towards diagnosis of autism: why it took 35 years, and what are the root causes for such invisible diversity?

Carrie BeckwithFellows is a freelance writer and vlogger from England. She has written for various online publications, including The Huffington Post, Autistica, the National Eating Disorders Association USA and her own blog, where she shares the reality of living with autism and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a complex and lifelimiting illness. Diagnosed as autistic at the age of 35 has allowed Carrie to explore the world again from a new perspective. Aware that a late diagnosis can cause issues with identity, relationships and perception, she launched a website that explores the unique postdiagnosis experience to raise awareness and to support other autists diagnosed as adults.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx