Some time in preschool, I was closely watched by special education people. Part of it assumed my brain was not hardwired for English yet (was born in Hong Kong). Learned how to speak, but no more than four words, and parents could not afford outside assessment. Was officially given HFA by 2009, I was 11.
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Shedding your shell can be hard.
Diagnosed Level 1 autism, Tourettes + ADHD + OCD age 9, recovering Borderline personality disorder (age 16)