Following the Threads - Adult Autism Support and Masking

Ep 6: What Is Autism, Really? A NASA Scientist Explains It Through the Lens of Light

Show Notes Episode details * Season (Thread): 1 * Episode number: 6 * Release date: 2026-05-21 * Hosts: * Natasha Stavros, PhD — author of The Unmasking Diary and Burning Inside Out (coming to a bookstore near you in December 2026) [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] * Sarah Liebman — licensed marriage and family therapist [https://www.sarahliebmanmft.com/], ADHD-diagnosed, special interests all things neurodiverse * Audio Engineer and Composer: https://smithmusiclab.com/Noah Smith [https://smithmusiclab.com/] * Director: Linda Highfield * Duration: 00:30:50 * Audience and tone: Educational, conversational, supportive; stigma-free exploration of neurodivergence, diagnosis, and self-understanding using personal experience as a case study * Summary: What is autism — really? In the Season 1 finale of Following the Threads, Natasha Stavros, Ph.D. and Sarah Liebman, MFT break down autism spectrum disorder from three angles: the DSM-5 clinical criteria, the current state of neurobiological research, and what disability actually looks and feels like in daily adult life. They unpack why the diagnostic framework still skews toward children and boys, why the science remains correlative rather than mechanistic, and how ableism — both external and internalized — shapes the identity of every late-diagnosed autistic adult. The episode closes with a reframe: the shift from "I have autism and something is wrong with me" to "I am autistic, and the world wasn't built for my rainbow" is the moment unmasking, self-compassion, and real change become possible. Inspired by the forthcoming memoir After the Masquerade. Key takeaways about what is autism * The DSM wasn’t built for you. The clinical criteria for autism were designed around children — specifically boys — which is why so many adults, especially women, go undiagnosed for decades. Understanding that the diagnostic framework is incomplete, not that you are, is the first step. * Ableism isn’t just external — it lives inside you. The shame, the “I don’t try hard enough,” the sense that your struggles are a moral failing: that’s internalized ableism, not the truth. Unmasking means learning to separate your neurodivergent traits from the meanings a neurotypical world attached to them. * Your brain isn’t broken — it’s a different rainbow. Autism doesn’t mean deviation from normal; it means your brain function follows a different but persistent pattern. The disability isn’t the pattern itself — it’s what happens when the energy required to comply with a world built for the average rainbow exceeds your capacity. Resources and references For more information on this topic, check out Clarifying Autism in the DSM-5: A guide for adults by Embrace Autism [https://embrace-autism.com/clarifying-autism-in-the-dsm-5/]. While research has found correlation between ASD and neurobiological (brain and genetic) factors, a recent review Frontiers in Psychology shows that these studies do not sufficiently characterize the full clinical and behavioral heterogeneity [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1558081/full]. Part of that is data sufficiency and sample size across gradients of variation, and part of that could be ableism. A recent perspective piece in Frontiers in Psychiatry argues that autism science has a history of false leads in part because of unexamined ableist ideologies that undergird researcher framings and interpretations of evidence [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244451/full] What actually qualifies as disabled is when the amount of energy it takes to “fit” into the neurotypical mold exceeds one’s capacity. It’s not a choice. It’s a hardwired, physiological challenge that inhibits you from continued and sustained participation as “abled”. [https://theautismdoctor.substack.com/p/decoding-autistic-meltdowns-and-shutdowns] Don’t Miss Out on Early Access Join our community of late-diagnosed adults learning to unmask. Subscribe to get the next episode of Following the Threads directly in your inbox. Upgrade to paid for early access to the book and other resources. Leave a review and share your own diagnostic journey to help others feel seen. Thanks for reading A Jester's Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it. The Unmasking Autism Diary: Memoir Excerpt on Autism Beyond the DSM - Identity, Science, and the Spectrum My therapist asked me if I knew what autism is. Here is what I said. But first, you must know who I am so that you can understand my perspective. I am not a psychologist, a psychotherapist, nor a neuroscientist. I did get a PhD in quantitative forest ecology as the first person to quantify extreme fire events under climate change. I have a bachelors in mathematics, which had the oh so very big graduating class of about 30 people at an R1 university with over 30,000 students. Later, I did a post-doc at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Over the last six years I have written a book on science, innovation, leadership, and systematically changing broken systems. [Side bar: subscribers get updates on the book launch and substack paid subscribers get an early autographed, hardback copy of the book]. My understanding of autism comes from lived experience or from reading other people’s research and educational content as a researcher and scientist myself. I do have deep knowledge of science, measurement, mathematics, and systems. In science there are a few things that we can measure - time, length, mass, electric current, thermodynamic temperature, amount, luminous intensity, and electromagnetic energy. In remote sensing, my background of research, we measure either the electromagnetic energy of particles, or the collective vibration of atoms. Most of my work focused on measuring energy radiated and emitted across the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum spans radio waves to gamma waves. My area of focus extended just beyond visible light into the shortwave, mid, and longwave infrared. For simplicity, let’s use only the visible part of the spectrum - this is a rainbow. Imagine that everything you look at has a rainbow associated with it. That rainbow represents the unique characteristics of it – for example, the rainbow of a pine tree represents its water content, health, bark to leaf ratio, etc. Now, if we took all the pine trees and averaged their rainbows together, we would expect that whenever we saw a rainbow that looked like that, it could very likely be a pine tree. But what happens when a pine tree has to live in harsh conditions on the side of a cliff, and it is in nutrient poor soil with harsh winds? Its roots may be more present and it may have a skewed nutrient representation - both affecting that pine tree’s rainbow. Autism is like this. If we were to imagine that everyone’s brain function was a rainbow, it is not a leap to imagine how we build our society and our systems with the average rainbow in mind. But, someone who is autistic has a rainbow that doesn’t quite look like average. Technically, everyone’s rainbow differs from average, but it’s the amount of variation in your unique rainbow that determines how much energy it takes to comply with average assumptions. When the needed energy to comply exceeds your capacity, that’s when you become “disabled” and require more support to comply. Does everyone have a unique rainbow that differs from the average? Yes. Does everyone need support to function within the unimodal assumption of normalcy? No. What autism, ADHD, and AuDHD tell us is that there are persistent patterns in those rainbows of brain function, enough so – that brain function is not a unimodal distribution. Brain function is a multi-modal distribution, and we can map those patterns of difference in brain function to human behavior, and that’s what we see when we look at what autism is in the diagnostic statistical manual (DSM) for mental health. By classifying neurodivergent people as disabled, we inherently prioritize one way of living and penalize people for deviating from the average rainbow. This perpetuates ableism and supremacy – the idea that average brain function is a supreme way of being. When in reality, unique rainbows can harness immense creativity and exceptional ability. This text is a snippet from my next book: After the Masquerade. For early access to the book and other resources, upgrade to a paid subscription via substack at natashastavros.substack.com [http://natashastavros.substack.com]. Get full access to A Jester's Musings at natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe [https://natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep 5: How to Get an Adult Autism, ADHD, or AuDHD Assessment

Show Notes Episode details * Season: 1 * Episode number: 5 * Release date: 2026-05-21 * Hosts: * Natasha Stavros, PhD — author of The Unmasking Diary and Burning Inside Out (coming to a bookstore near you in December 2026) [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] * Sarah Liebman — licensed marriage and family therapist [https://www.sarahliebmanmft.com/], ADHD-diagnosed, special interests all things neurodiverse * Audio Engineer and Composer: https://smithmusiclab.com/Noah Smith [https://smithmusiclab.com/] * Director: Linda Highfield * Duration: 00:26:10 * Audience and tone: Educational, conversational, supportive; stigma-free exploration of neurodivergence, diagnosis, and self-understanding using personal experience as a case study * Summary: What actually happens during an adult autism evaluation — and how do you know if you can trust the person doing it? In this episode of Following the Threads, Natasha Stavros (Ph.D., autistic) and Sarah Liebman (MFT, ADHD) walk through the real experience of getting an autism assessment as an adult. They trace the evolution of the DSM from 1952 to today, explaining why the diagnostic criteria have historically missed women and late-diagnosed adults. They break down what to expect in the room, how to evaluate your evaluator for cultural competency, current research awareness, and neurodivergent-affirming practice, as well as what kind of resources and support you should expect to have in place. The episode closes with Natasha's personal account of the moment she received her diagnosis, and a frank conversation about why your nearest support circle may not be your best one. Inspired by the forthcoming memoir After the Masquerade. Key takeaways getting an adult autism, ADHD, or AuDHD assessment * The Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) of mental health is in its fifth version! It’s changed a lot over the years as we learn more about the variation in representation based on the breadth of experiences. It is still very much written in a way that centers a young boy’s experience. Girls have different social expectations that shape the experience that someone has and how they adjust their behavior to survive. * Evaluate your evaluator - how do you know if you should trust this evaluator with something so deeply personal as sharing what you have tried so hard to keep hidden? You want to do what you can to find out if your evaluator is taking a nuanced and current on the research approach, or if they are applying a cookie cutter approach without thought put into the difference in diagnosing children, and adults, and how gender and race plays a role. * Ring theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_theory_(psychology)] was developed by Susie Silk and Barry Goldman and it describes a social framework for navigating crisis through organizing support in concentric circles that prioritizes support for those closest to the situation. Often cartoons depict this theory with the individual at the center, and then spouse, family, friends, community, etc. The problem with that is that sometimes when getting an assessment, you might be the first person in your network to do it. It might be that your next circle of “closeness” from whom you would normally seek support, doesn’t feel safe. * We have built our lives in a world that begins to know you one way for better or worse, and how they have interacted with you shapes the narrative they hold of themselves. When you confront that, there is likely to be some confusion or the worst rejection. * But it’s so important to remember that as much as you may still feel you have to learn about your own autistic experience. We are often sharing these things with people who only have you know a pop culture, understanding or who themselves may feel kind of uncovered by you. Resources and references * Clarifying Autism in the DSM-5: A guide for adults by Embrace Autism [https://embrace-autism.com/clarifying-autism-in-the-dsm-5/]. * University of Oregon: The Autism History Project [https://blogs.uoregon.edu/autismhistoryproject/topics/autism-in-the-dsm/] describes the evolution of the * Free open-access academic review of Sex and gender impacts on the behavioral presentation and recognition of autism [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31815760/] * From The Autism Center, hosted on Sheppard Pratt Insights: The Autism Spectrum Gender Gap [https://www.sheppardpratt.org/insights/story/the-autism-spectrum-gender-gap/] * If you are looking for an adult autism assessment Prosper Health [https://www.prosperhealth.io/] is a US provider and is current in their research and methods with support services including assessment, psychotherapy, educational seminars, and an online community. Don’t Miss Out on Early Access Join our community of late-diagnosed adults learning to unmask. Subscribe to get the next episode of Following the Threads directly in your inbox. Upgrade to paid for early access to the book and other resources. Leave a review and share your own diagnostic journey to help others feel seen. Thanks for reading A Jester's Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it. The Unmasking Autism Diary: Memoir Excerpt on Adult Autism Assessment It’s been a month of evaluation – multiple online intake forms – both multiple choice and long answer, as well as many phone calls and nagging conversations with my husband and father to fill in their portions of the assessment – also online forms both multiple choice and long answer. Then, there were the two 1.5 hour assessments with a psychologist. It was funny sitting there with the psychologist. I am very familiar and comfortable with research and researchers, but for the first time, I was the object of study. When I had read the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, I was truly perplexed as to whether or not I was autistic. The DSM criteria are strangely specific and obtuse. By my rudimentary interpretation of the literal translation of the DSM criteria into assessing my world, I was surely not autistic. The psychologist performed her evaluation, sticking to the DSM criteria but asking clarifying questions to my answers. I never really knew if I was answering correctly for any one of the, what felt like, hundreds of questions I was asked. Then, today, she read me my evaluation. Autistic. The tears flooded my eyes. It was like coming up for air amidst the tire and terror of treading water, barely keeping my head above water and surviving in this world amidst severe depression and anxiety. Every cell in my body expanded with oxygen and I felt relief embrace my body. She started by explaining the organizational structure of the DSM and then reading evidence to support her evaluation of me within each criteria. As she read, she referenced common representations as they varied by identity in age and gender, but how when you account for that variation in lived experience, the patterns still hold. Society has normalized a depiction of autism spectrum disorder through movies and television that prioritizes one way of experiencing the differences in brain function that autism describes and the way that the world responds to those experiences. For example, as a woman, I have been conditioned to comply with and placate the people around me with niceties and humility. While leadership coaches and influencers advise speaking with confidence and removing unnecessary apologies and use of the word “just” to belittle my presumption for authority, I have found that this is not well received by people. Often I receive feedback that I should be “softer” or that I am “overly confident” or “arrogant.” This means that masking was taught to me as a means of likability and thus survivorship much earlier than it would have been if I was a boy. Similarly, as an adult I have learned what is accepted and I aim for it every minute of every day, judging myself and living the judgment of others when I fail. As a child, I was far less concerned with how others or myself perceived me. I just existed. It was through the psychologist’s study of these variations that she was able to interpret my responses in the context of the intent behind each criteria. She described each criteria and what it meant. Then she cited evidence from my, my husband, and my father’s testimony that supported how I qualified as meeting the criteria. As she read my evaluation, for the first time - I truly felt seen, not judged. This text is a snippet from my next book: After the Masquerade. For early access to the book and other resources, upgrade to a paid subscription via substack at natashastavros.substack.com [http://natashastavros.substack.com]. Get full access to A Jester's Musings at natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe [https://natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep 4: Preparing to get an Adult Autism Evaluation (3 of 3) - Tuning In, Not Out

Show Notes Episode details * Season: 1 * Episode number: 4 * Release date: 2026-05-07 * Hosts: * Natasha Stavros, PhD — author of The Unmasking Diary and Burning Inside Out (coming to a bookstore near you in December 2026) [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] * Sarah Liebman — licensed marriage and family therapist [https://www.sarahliebmanmft.com/], ADHD-diagnosed, special interests all things neurodiverse * Audio Engineer and Composer: https://smithmusiclab.com/Noah Smith [https://smithmusiclab.com/] * Director: Linda Highfield * Duration: 00:31:11 * Audience and tone: Educational, conversational, supportive; stigma-free exploration of neurodivergence, diagnosis, and self-understanding using personal experience as a case study * Summary: In this episode of Following the Threads, Natasha Stavros and therapist Sarah Liebman explore how “tuning in” to internal and external sensory signals is essential when preparing for an adult autism assessment. Natasha reflects on a moment of sudden overwhelm that revealed how she had spent years ignoring her body’s warning signs to fit social expectations. The conversation expands beyond the five traditional senses to include interoception, proprioception, neuroception, and more—highlighting how neurodivergent individuals may experience these signals as heightened or muted. The hosts also introduce the concept of “attacks on linking,” where people disconnect patterns in their behavior to avoid shame or self-judgment. A key theme is shifting from judgment to curiosity. By observing patterns without labeling them as “bad,” individuals can build self-compassion and better understand their experiences. This shift helps reveal long-standing behavioral and relational patterns that may have been compartmentalized. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that self-awareness—grounded in curiosity rather than shame—enables more accurate assessments, healthier boundaries, and a stronger sense of identity in the process of late diagnosis. Key takeaways to prepare for an adult autism assessment: * Tuning in to your senses is critical for accurate self-understanding. Preparing for an adult autism assessment requires noticing—not suppressing—your internal signals (e.g., overwhelm, discomfort, body cues). Many neurodivergent adults have learned to ignore these signals, which can obscure patterns needed for diagnosis. * Unrecognized patterns are often hidden by “attacks on linking”. People may unconsciously disconnect patterns in behavior (e.g., social challenges, sensory issues) to avoid shame. This prevents them from seeing meaningful connections that could explain their experiences and support diagnosis. * Curiosity, not judgment, enables self-compassion and clarity. Shifting from “what’s wrong with me?” to “what’s happening and why?” helps reduce shame, build self-compassion, and reveal consistent patterns. This mindset improves both the assessment process and long-term self-understanding Resources and references For more information on this topic, check out this fantastic article about the senses you can tune into: Learn more about sensory processing disorder [https://www.spdfoundation.net/fundamental-facts-about-spd/], a condition disproportionately affecting people with Autism and ADHD, and differences in children, teens, and adults [https://ilslearningcorner.com/2015-12-does-sensory-processing-disorder-look-different-adults-children/]. Don’t Miss Out on Early Access Join our community of late-diagnosed adults learning to unmask. Subscribe to get the next episode of Following the Threads directly in your inbox. Upgrade to paid for early access to the book and other resources. Leave a review and share your own diagnostic journey to help others feel seen. Thanks for reading A Jester's Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it. The Unmasking Autism Diary: Memoir Expert on When You Tune In, Not Out When I got the adult autism assessment it was because I couldn’t seem to hold down a job. I hadn’t really thought about how it could change relationships. While obvious in retrospect, I had somehow compartmentalized the problematic patterns of my life so that I couldn’t see them. Sure, I had friendship break ups before. So many that it caused tension with my husband, Noah, when we first got married. He was afraid that one day, it would happen to us. I didn’t understand how my lack of ability to hold friendships had anything to do with him. Now, I see it is all related. Every single relationship – my family, my friends, my lovers, my colleagues, my community…. the patterns of interaction hold. We get along until one day, we don’t. I cannot cope. I melt down and eventually shut down. I tune out and dissociate. Over the years, I have wondered how I connect with such diverse people from all walks of life, and to be frank - why others struggle to do the same. From the abusive boyfriends to drug dealers, the unhoused, the trustfund kid, the famous people, the strangers from other countries and everything in between, the one thing that every single person I’ve ever connected with on a deeper level had in common, was a need for friendship. Sometimes, that is literally the only thing we have in common, and I never questioned whether it was enough to warrant my trust, security, or acceptance. I would dive head first into a relationship. On my 39th birthday, I had a lovely morning with two friends getting pedicures at an upscale spa, which I have never done before in my life. I’ve always viewed “upscale” as very little value added to the functional service for which I am paying. After the pedicure, I was supposed to see a different friend for lunch. I hadn’t seen her in months and was excited to share about how much had changed. Within fifteen minutes, we arrived at the restaurant. I hadn’t even looked at the menu, and she began accusing me of having audacity and arrogance. My heart pounded. My chest tightened. I interrupted that that was not my reality, and then I stood and left. I walked in the slushy snow nearly a mile to meet up with a friend who could drive me home. When Noah got home, we talked. That friend at the restaurant had called and texted him concerned about my erratic behavior. He read to me his response. What struck me was his observation that he knows this can happen, and that for the first time, we have the understanding that I am autistic. That I don’t see the “red flags” that others do, and that he has seen with this friend for quite some time. When I finally notice how unhealthy the relationships are, I get overwhelmed with a deep need to protect myself, and in that panic – I yell, I get big, I swear…. a lot; and then – I cut ties. As I looked at him reading his text back to me, for the first time while being blamed as the cause of yet another fraught relationship, I felt seen, supported, and safe. By centering my experience, the physiological response to fear – rooted in real traumas of all the times my inability to respond appropriately ended in catastrophic, life altering events – I was able to shift from shame and blame to… empathy. My therapist asked me what results when that shift happens. I reflected this wasn’t too different from many of the other social conflicts I had experienced. I felt afraid that this person was feeding me an unbearable truth about me that was not my truth. So often I have felt misunderstood and absorbed others’ projected image of me as my own. By tuning in, acknowledging the autistic meltdown, I was able to remove myself from an unhealthy situation without judgement. I felt empowered to protect my truth: I am not an arrogant, abrasive, malevolent, or audacious person. I am imperfectly human; I am direct; and I am autistic, which means that I do not understand social dynamics the way others do. I am also prone to autistic meltdowns that are exhausting, involuntary reactions with a temporary loss of behavioral control when exposed to sensory, emotional, or cognitive stress [https://reframingautism.org.au/all-about-autistic-meltdowns-a-guide-for-allies/]. I need friends who are willing to accept this about me, and to work with me as an ally, rather than perpetuate disdain and judgment. This text is a snippet from my next book: After the Masquerade. For early access to the book and other resources, upgrade to a paid subscription via substack at natashastavros.substack.com [http://natashastavros.substack.com]. Get full access to A Jester's Musings at natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe [https://natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep 3: Preparing to Get an Adult Autism Evaluation - Self-study is Essential Homework (Part 2 of 3)

Show Notes Episode details * Season: 1 * Episode number: 3 * Release date: 2026-04-23 * Hosts: * Natasha Stavros, PhD — author of The Unmasking Diary and Burning Inside Out (coming to a bookstore near you in December 2026) [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] * Sarah Liebman — licensed marriage and family therapist [https://www.sarahliebmanmft.com/], ADHD-diagnosed, special interests all things neurodiverse * Audio Engineer and Composer: Noah Smith [https://smithmusiclab.com/] * Director: Linda Highfield * Duration: 00:29:18 * Audience and tone: Educational, conversational, supportive; stigma-free exploration of neurodivergence, diagnosis, and self-understanding using personal experience as a case study * Summary: In this episode of Following the Threads, Natasha Stavros and therapist Sarah Liebman explore how self-study prepares adults for autism assessment. Drawing from Natasha’s late diagnosis, they discuss recognizing patterns like sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation challenges, and masked behaviors. The conversation highlights shifting from self-judgment (“what’s wrong with me?”) to curiosity (“what’s different?”), using tools like journaling, social reflection, and online resources. They emphasize that self-awareness not only improves diagnostic clarity but also builds self-compassion—whether pursuing formal diagnosis or self-identifying as neurodivergent. Key takeaways to prepare for a late diagnosis autism assessment * Self-study is an important step that includes exploring relevance through social media, reflecting on past experiences (maybe even with a trusted person), reviewing online free resources from trusted sources, or working with a therapist. * Revisiting the transtheoretical model from Episode 2 on the transition to pre-contemplation to contemplation and how it serves to normalize neurodiversity and support vicarious reinforcement without social pressure or judgement. * Self study plants the seeds of the growing momentum to shift the perspective from “why am I bad” to “what’s different. What happens when I look at things from the vantage point of a diagnosis, without shame or judgement. Resources and references The 5-stages of change and what they mean to you describes the transtheoretical mode [https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/behavior/the-5-stages-of-change-and-what-they-mean-to-you/]l of change from non-thought to thought by Prochoska and DiClimente. Organization for Autism Research: Free Guidebooks for Families [https://researchautism.org/families/guidebook-series/?utm_source=OARacle+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=d45de29bf4-Libby_Feb26_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-e866d5f5ae-465153083] ProsperHealth.io [https://www.prosperhealth.io/] specializes in holistic adult autism assessment and resources. Don’t Miss Out - Early Access to the Book Join our community of late-diagnosed adults learning to unmask. Subscribe to get the next episode of Following the Threads directly in your inbox. Upgrade to paid for early access to the book and other resources. Leave a review and share your own diagnostic journey to help others feel seen. Thanks for reading A Jester’s Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it. The Unmasking Autism Diary: Memoir Excerpt on Autism Speaks Through Self-Study (Part 2 of 3) I first started on the path of getting a diagnosis slowly. My friend kept mentioning how certain things that I did aligned with autism. I started creating a list. Now, I would never just make a list, it had to be systematic. I started with a simple google search, for which the AI reported that people with autism struggled with emotional regulation, repetitive behaviors, unique ability, social communication challenges, sensory sensitivity, learning differences, and special interests. My immediate reaction was to intellectualize how I may or may not fit into these categories. But, through time, my lists began to fill. I wrote down things as I organically discovered them. As my list of indicators grew, I wondered if I might actually qualify autistic. That’s when the researcher in me turned on. My friend sent me the diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders (DSM), for autism specifically. As I reviewed it, I felt even more confused. By the letter of what was written, I wasn’t sure if I qualified as autistic. After nearly three months, I decided to schedule an assessment. I felt very strongly that whether or not I was classified as autistic would be a coin toss. I was nervous about what the results might reveal – not because I feared a diagnosis, but I actually feared not getting a diagnosis. If I wasn’t autistic, what could explain all of the challenges I had disproportionately faced compared to my peers? The evaluation is very matter of fact- it is nothing like therapy. It is important to articulate the distinction between these two activities. In therapy, I feel like a collaboration between me and psychotherapist, in the evaluation, I felt like an object of study. Throughout the evaluation the psychologist interviewed me against the DSM. They listened to me recall stories of my childhood and present life, used questionnaires from me, my dad, and my husband to translate my experience into the rigid structure of the DSM. I will say that while deeply uncomfortable, I felt safe through this process. When my evaluation came back qualifying me as autistic, and they read the evidence supporting a designation within each criteria, I noticed that the metrics cited were aligned with how much time I had spent thinking about my experiences. When it came to repetitive behaviors and stimming, I didn’t qualify. I had never given much active thought to how much I controlled my body to meet expectations. Fast-forward nearly six weeks after diagnosis, I began to notice that maybe my original evaluation may not have been complete. My birthday is coming up, but we – my husband and I – couldn’t get a babysitter for that weekend. Instead, we decided to have a date night early. I chose to go to a musical at a local dinner theater. It wasn’t anything fancy, we live in middle America and it was a community theater, so tailor your expectations on skill level, but it was fun, entertaining, and it was just us. On the way to the event, we talked about my current processing of the diagnosis, what it means for me, my life, my job, and our family. I found myself getting pre-emptively defensive. He remained calm and engaged in the conversation. Upon getting to the event and being seated at our table, I began shaking my leg. Like a light bulb, I realized that I was stimming. I am deeply uncomfortable with emotional intimacy. I know that I need to do it, not just for my husband, but because it’s human nature to need connection. Knowing that, and actually engaging with emotional intimacy are two entirely different things. As I sat there becoming more conscious of the involuntary movement in my leg, I noticed a chill pass over me. I asked my husband for his jacket and immediately used it to cover myself. I knew that my desire to wear a down jacket twenty-four seven fit somewhere in the diagnostic criteria, but I hadn’t really ever tapped into the circumstances or my internal experience that resulted in me feeling comfort from the coat. I assumed it had to do with sensory stimulus, but I hadn’t identified it as protection from engaging with my emotions. It’s not that I don’t have emotions. Quite the opposite. My emotions are big and intense, and when I engage with them, bad things happen. This text is a snippet from my next book: After the Masquerade. For early access to the book and other resources, upgrade to a paid subscription. Get full access to A Jester's Musings at natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe [https://natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep 2: Preparing to Get an Adult Autism Evaluation - Self-Acceptance, Victory in Surrender (Part 1 of 3)

Show Notes Episode details * Episode number: 2 * Release date: 2026-04-06 * Hosts: * Natasha Stavros, PhD — author of The Unmasking Diary and Burning Inside Out (coming to a bookstore near you in December 2026) [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] * Sarah Liebman [https://www.sarahliebmanmft.com/] — licensed marriage and family therapist, ADHD-diagnosed, special interests all things neurodiverse. * Audio Engineer and Composer: Noah Smith [https://smithmusiclab.com/] * Director: Linda Highfield * Duration: 29:31 minutes * Audience and tone: Educational, conversational, supportive; stigma-free exploration of neurodivergence, diagnosis, and self-understanding using personal experience as a case study * Summary: After Episode 1 focused on signs of adult autism misdiagnosis [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/signs-to-get-adult-autism-evaluation?r=3l45f2], Episode 2 of Following the Threads, Dr. Natasha Stavros and psychotherapist Sarah Liebman discuss the crucial first step in preparing for an adult autism evaluation: self-acceptance. Utilizing the transtheoretical model of change, they explore the transition from recognizing autistic traits to seeking a formal late diagnosis. Dr. Stavros shares her personal unmasking journey, highlighting how surrendering the pressure to meet neurotypical expectations is the foundation of neurodivergent self-advocacy. Key insights to prepare to get an adult autism evaluation: * The moment of change for Natasha was when she stopped fighting that she was inherently wrong as a change maker, and instead started asking what is wrong? In the survival guide for change makers, Burning Inside Out, [https://natashastavros.substack.com/p/this-is-not-a-self-help-book-its?r=3l45f2] Natasha struggled with the internal conflict of never belonging. Something explains these patterns, and the truth that she was fundamentally wrong, couldn’t be right. That’s when she could begin to ask what could explain her reality - her true intentions. Without that turning point from fighting the truth, to surrendering to a truth, not the idea that she was inherently bad, but a truth, was the moment she could entertain the idea that an assessment was not just worth doing, but even something to be considered. * There are many change models for different scales of change, for today we are focused on the ones that are within the self. The change from non-thought to thought. * There is victory in surrender, as Anaïs Nin said, “ and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud, is more painful than the risk to blossom”. Resources and references The 5-stages of change and what they mean to you describes the transtheoretical mode [https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/behavior/the-5-stages-of-change-and-what-they-mean-to-you/]l of change from non-thought to thought by Prochoska and DiClimente. The unthought known by Christopher Bollas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unthought_known] Join the community Join our community of late-diagnosed adults learning to unmask. Subscribe to get the next episode of Following the Threads directly in your inbox. Upgrade to paid for early access to the book and other resources. Leave a review and share your own diagnostic journey to help others feel seen. Thanks for reading A Jester's Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it. The Unmasking Autism Diary: Memoir Excerpt on Preparing to Get an Autism Evaluation (Part 1 of 3) When I think about the moment that I crossed from realizing that I might be autistic, to actually getting an evaluation. I had an epiphany - it was the end of 2025, my book Burning Inside Out was literally coming to a close, I was writing the last chapter. Burning Inside Out is a survivor’s guide for change makers to create an impact in a world on fire. It is a narrative nonfiction following my nearly twenty year career as a young woman in the man’s world of fire science and tech at NASA. I ended the book with five futures in play. One of those futures - was a low-level, below the radar, role at a University as admin, surely that would save me from being the demonized change maker that seemed my eternal fate. Then I realized that that story was all about fighting to be seen, to be recognized, to be accepted, and to belong. Burning Inside Out presents the lessons of a fighter, a wild fire burning hot and fast destroying everything to a point of self extinction. I had consumed my own will and drive to stay true to myself, while complying with the expectations of who I should be, inherently existing as an outlier to the systems we have in place. This next book in the series of my life, it started not with fighting, but with finding victory in surrender. With victory in surrender, I accept my truth and open the door to an alternate reality. I am no longer fighting to be seen just as I am. Victory in surrender is the moment of self-acceptance, and the moment you embrace customization for how you live your life. Only then can you begin to understand your rights and protections, the services you need, and what exceptions you might ask for. And we will talk about all of those throughout this book, but for today, I want to focus on the first step: surrendering to the truth that you are different and our system didn’t center you in its design. That is the truth, and it is ok. We can change the system and there are groups working on this. We can also change how you navigate within the system if it doesn’t change. Both can be true. You are not in a destined fate. Self-advocacy starts with identifying with your reality, surrendering to it - and in this act, there is victory - a calm, a contagious peace that demonstrates the change you need from others and from the system, an acceptance of your needs, not because your are bad, wrong, or evil, but because you are different. This text is a snippet from my next book: After the Masquerade. For early access to the book and other resources, upgrade to a paid subscription. Get full access to A Jester's Musings at natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe [https://natashastavros.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]