A guide to help you decide when, how, and who to share your autism diagnosis or autistic identity with
Deciding whether to share that you're autistic is a personal choice and an ongoing process. There's no right or wrong answer - it depends on your situation and your goals, which can vary from person to person and time to time.
The aim of this guide is not to persuade you to share, but to support you in exploring your options and figuring out what's right for you. In instances where you want to share, this guide may help you better express what you want to say from a place of empowerment, and it also gives some tips to make sharing go as well as possible.
This guide was co-designed with autistic adults as part of research, adapting evidence-based strategies from the 'Honest, Open, Proud' and ‘Up to Me’ programmes originally developed by Professor Patrick Corrigan and colleagues.
Getting started
About the Guide
Learn more about what's in this guide, where it came from, and how to use it
Our Language and Approach
Understand our language choices and approach to autism and disclosure
Before You Start
Read important notes on wellbeing, privacy, accessibility, and intersectionality
What to expect
There are three main sections in this guide:
Weighing the pros and cons of sharing in different settings and different levels of disclosure
⏱️ Approx. 1 - 1.5 hours
Crafting your personal story and choosing what to share from it in different situations
⏱️ Approx 1.5 - 2 hours
Identifying a good person to share with and preparing for possible reactions
⏱️ Approx. 1 - 1.5 hours
In each section, you'll find:
Real-life examples
Quotes and videos are used to show the different views and experiences that autistic people have. You may relate to some more than others. This is to be expected as there is no 'one size fits all' approach to disclosure.
Practical exercises
Worksheets are designed to help you to apply what you have learned to your own situation. Your responses are completely private and not for us or anyone else to see (unless you choose to share them).
Tools to support your journey
We understand that people will be at different stages of exploring and sharing their autistic identity. We hope these tools can support you wherever you are in this journey and however you choose to use this guide.
New to autism?
You may find it helpful to look at further information on what autism is, before or alongside using this guide.
Want to track your progress?
You can use this checklist to navigate the guide and tick off sections as you complete them.
Need a summary?
There is an overview of key steps and a decision-making flowchart for times when you need a quick reference.
Prefer to work offline?
You can download the original PDF version. (Note: it contains core content but may not reflect latest updates on the website.)
