InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 34 | Page 90

Sara has pushed through the hard spots of ASD, by putting herself out there and continuing with her work in social media. Suffering through meltdowns, pressure, and having a recent move, which caused her much distress due to her inability to socialize, causing high anxiety, and not knowing how to make friends. She would have to watch others to see how they reacted and acted and mimic these behaviors to be able to reach out, make friends, and get herself through the modeling industry, which is no cake walk. Sara is a highly intelligent, strong willed woman and is not set back by her diagnosis. For her, as she explained to me it was a relief to finally know what was going on and why she felt like always the outsider, not understanding. Not that knowing has come easy for her. When telling friends and social media of her condition, people either did not believe her, say they had similar symptoms and that wasn’t the case, and brutally attacking her on social media. Through all of this, she has had to stand up for herself and others who have ASD. She has no shame in her diagnosis, nor should she. Sara, through her many social accounts wishes to help those with the disorder not feel that shame and to educate others on ASD, not to treat them differently, and to remember that they are people too, and highly capable ones. Also, she advocates for dropping the stigma of the disorder, wanting to de-stigmatize it so that others can speak out freely as she has on their ASD and to also encourage others that feel as though they have ASD to seek help and find the right doctor in which she has the platform to do through her YouTube channel and other social outlets. 88 INKSPIREDMAGAZINE.COM