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Below, we summarise the key steps you may wish to go through when making disclosure decisions in the future. You may also want to take a moment to think about your own main takeaways and ways forward.
Putting it all together
Putting it all together
The next time you have to make a decision about sharing your autism diagnosis or autistic identity:
Write out the pros and cons of sharing in that particular setting.
Remember that you can choose between different levels of disclosure: social avoidance, secrecy, selective disclosure, open disclosure, and advocacy. Your choice can also change over time.
Draft what you want to share beforehand. Remember not just to include your challenges but also your strengths, and to rephrase any self-stigmatising statements.
Ask yourself what is your reason for sharing in that situation. Knowing your goal will help you decide how much information to share.
Remember there are characteristics you can look for in a person to help you decide if that person will likely help you meet your goal after you disclose to them. Consider gauging that person's reactions before sharing with them.
Think about possible reactions to your disclosure and prepare for how you may respond to them.
Planning next steps
Planning next steps
Finally, you may want to reflect on your own takeaways and future directions:
What are the main things you have learned about disclosure from this guide?
What are your goals for sharing your autism diagnosis or autistic identity in the future?
What support might you need to achieve these goals?
One of the things you might wish to do is to join a peer support group. You may find it helpful to know that you are not alone in making complex decisions about disclosure. You may also find that sharing is easier when you stand together with other autistic people.
For information on where you can find peer support and other services in the UK, please see Support Resources.
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