Why I'm Not Afraid of Public Speaking as a Person With Asperger's Syndrome

As a self-advocate, I have done a lot of speaking engagements about my life living on the autism spectrum. I have presented at schools to students and teachers. I continue to share my story at trainings for therapeutic staff support and mobile therapists several times a year. I have even done a TEDx Talk called “The Natural Rhythm of Stimming.”

One of the most common questions I’m asked is whether or not I get nervous when I present. People tell me I’m so brave for speaking. Many are surprised when I tell them I usually don’t feel nervous, embarrassed, ashamed or anything like that. They are surprised when I tell them that speaking about my own Asperger’s syndrome experiences is easy for me. Then I explain why.

When I was in school, before I was even diagnosed, I tried to ask for help. Most people just told me I was fine and moved on. This was where I really started to struggle. It was hard for me to ask for help, and to hear someone say I didn’t even need it was so frustrating. I began to back down, and give up. Why should I speak up if no one wanted to listen?

Once I received my diagnosis in 10th grade, I noticed people began to listen more. They wanted to hear what I had to say. They wanted to understand. At that point, I realized that maybe I could get across to them the things I had been trying to say before.

For me, public speaking isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s a gift. It’s my chance to finally be heard after years of being ignored, misunderstood and doubted.

As Candice Cuoco, a designer on the TV series “Project Runway,” once said, “Whether people agree with your voice or they don’t, being able to speak it is what matters.”

People are willing to listen to me. Why wouldn’t I be willing to speak?

The Mighty is asking the following: What’s one thing people might not know about your experience with disability, disease or mental illness, and what would you say to teach them? If you’d like to participate, please send a blog post to community@themighty.com. Please include a photo for the piece, a photo of yourself and 1-2 sentence bio. Check out our Submit a Story page for more about our submission guidelines.