Not the Stereotype

Jill Holly
Feb 16
2 min read

During my Autism assessment in 2022 I genuinely didn't think I had any special interests.

Then I realised I had spent my entire life fascinated by people:

Volunteering with a Special Needs Respite charity aged 16.
10 year Career in Human Resources.
20+ year Career in varying people support roles: A&E, Homelessness, Careers Advice, School/Student Welfare, Family Work.
Attempting to study Counselling/Psychology age 28, 32, 42 and 45 (at last).
9 year Career as a Counsellor and now Supervisor.

My Career really is that long.

I'm 56 this year and I grew up in a London Council house where very few folk went to University, so at 16 I started working in a Bank. 40 years ago this year.

Side note: I was in a Bank because I loved the idea of serving people and had practiced as a child with a make-shift Post Office Counter made from cardboard boxes and loo rolls, sprayed Silver (I've always loved stationery). Blue Peter (children's wholesome 70s Telly) would have been proud.

The bank job only lasted a year because it involved manually, boringly, badly, stamping values on to the back of cheques. Loads of errors (I'm also Adhd) resulting in all staff having to stay late most days because the till records never added up.

So of course I never believed I could be a Counsellor even though I wanted to, because I couldn't even succeed as a Bank Clerk.

Alongside my (lots of) peopley jobs, I always had my 2nd passion.

Hair .

Brown, Red, Auburn, pink, Lilac and Blonde. Sometimes all that was on the same day.

So y'see I never thought I was Autistic.

Some of us don't have hobbies or interests that look like 'Autistic' hobbies.

I had people fascination. And hair.

As a girl/woman, my interests were likely deemed just 'silly' things.

And it's why I/we go unnoticed.

Because girls/women/Trans/Non Binary folk may not look like the Boy-type Autistic Stereotype (which only exists because we live in a Patriarchal Society where Research prioritises boys/men*).

But my Autism was always there.

The Big Emotions, Monotropism, Sensitivity, Justice Insensitivity - yup, I'm Autistic.

Always was, always will be.

So please don't think Autism has a look.

It doesn't.

*(To be clear, different male/female types of Autism isn't a Thing. Autism is Autism).