"You’re most beautiful and fun when you are your true self." - Monique

My name is Monique (29). I got my autism diagnosis a year ago, when I was 28 years old. I’ve been together with my dear husband for 13 years, of which we have been married for 3,5 years. I have studied pedagogy, but in May I will start a traineeship to become a software developer. My hobbies are everything that has to do with creativity: from drawing to photography, from crochet to programming and from diamond painting.

Of course, autism has a big impact on my life, but I always try to look at it as positively as possible. Although some stimuli can be intense and annoying, they can also be very intense and beautiful. I see the most gorgeous details, and certain songs can make me very happy. The challenges I have experienced because of my autism have taugt me a lot of perseverance. And because of all the negative things, I really see how valuable all of the positivity is in my life. It has taught me to appreciate what I cán do and what I already have!

I am proud of my perseverance. As a result, I completed my VWO and obtained my HBO pedagogy diploma. I am also proud that I now dare to take the bold step into programming. And I am very proud as well of the website that I am currently setting up, I hope to be able to give a more positive view on autism, but above all a more realistic view. Finally, I am immensely proud of my husband and how he deals with my autism.

My tip for people with autism is mainly to be yourself! It’s very hard and exhausting to pretend to be different from who you actually are. By being yourself, you give yourself more peace of mind, but perhaps the most important thing: you’re most beautiful and fun when you are your true self!