Navigating school and sixth form as an autistic girl

My name is Betsey, I’m nearly 19 and I was diagnosed as autistic nearly two years ago, during my first year of sixth form. My favourite thing to do is listen to music and go to concerts, and I’m currently studying Psychology in my first year of university.

I really struggled throughout my time at secondary school and sixth form as being an undiagnosed autistic girl in an environment that certainly isn’t built for your needs takes its toll. I’ve discovered that connecting with other autistic people has massively reduced feelings of loneliness and so I’m hoping that this blog post will have a similar effect and that you’ll know you’re not alone.

I found various aspects of school difficult, but I’d say my main struggles were social, sensorial and emotional. I definitely didn’t find it easy to make friends and so I often felt isolated and misunderstood because I didn’t have peer support around me, this also added to feelings of being ‘alienated’ which is how plenty of autistic individuals have also described their social experiences. Emotionally, I struggled with the constant demand of the environment and was constantly exhausted and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t cope like everyone else. Schools tend to also be extremely busy, loud and unpredictable environment which caused a lot of distress for me.
 

Experiencing autistic burnout  

These struggles led to me experiencing autistic burnout for the majority of my school experience, which also included having meltdowns regularly or having to take time out of school. I know that many autistic people like me have also felt the need to constantly mask throughout education in order to attempt to fit in with an environment where we often feel like we don’t belong.

I hope to also provide some hope for any autistic people that are struggling in school that things can get better. I am now enjoying university with the support I need, and with friends that are accepting and understanding of me.  
 

Accommodations that support my needs

Examples of accommodations I’ve received include: 1:1 meetings with a mentor, extra time in exams and extensions on assignments, not being put on the spot in class and being able to leave if I become overwhelmed. Even though I haven’t used all of my accommodations yet, just knowing that they are available gives me peace of mind.

One of the key changes I’ve made in my life since discovering I’m autistic is giving myself grace when things are hard and accepting help when I need it. I’ve also found that choosing the people you surround yourself with can make a huge difference- for example I’ve connected and made friends with other autistic people who understand my ways of thinking and can relate to my experiences, which has made me feel so much less alone.

I hope this post has either also made you feel like you’re not alone or perhaps provided you with some hope that things can improve over time.
 

About the author

Betsey is 19 and was diagnosed as autistic nearly two years ago during her first year of sixth form. Her favourite thing to do is listen to music and go to concerts. She is currently studying Psychology in her first year of university.