*Although we specialize in highly masked women and girls (a much less understood presentation of autism), we also specialize in neurodivergence in clients of all genders, ages, and abilities. 

Dear Dr. Welterlin and the NCAWAG Team,

Much of my life has been spent feeling out of step. For decades, I tried to understand what was “wrong” with me—confusion born not from a lack of effort, but from misunderstanding, misperceptions, and misdiagnoses. 

Much of the anxiety and frustration I experienced was not rooted in negative thinking patterns, but in being given diagnoses and interventions that never resolved the issues I was actually struggling with. I understood the mechanics of what I was experiencing—the systems, the processes—yet I felt trapped inside a soundproof room. It was as if my voice had been taken from me, as though I were speaking another language that no one could understand, unable to communicate in a way that anyone could truly hear.

At my core, I am a problem solver. I have solved many complex problems throughout my life. And yet, I felt like an absolute failure because I could not solve the most important problem of all: myself. Not because I was incapable—but because I had been given the wrong instruction book and the wrong tools. The wrong diagnoses. The wrong interventions. The problem was never me. I was simply trying to operate with the wrong manual for my model—my brain, me.

You gave me the correct manual. 

You provided the translator. 

And in doing so, you helped me find my voice again.

You helped me solve the puzzle, and suddenly the pieces came together as if magnetized. Everything clicked into place. My past finally makes sense. The present still brings challenges, but now I am facing them with the right tools. And because of that, the future feels more hopeful. The explanation you gave me has brought a level of peace that I struggle to put into words. It affirmed something I had long felt but could never fully articulate: that I am a capable woman, and that my strengths are not diminished by my challenges.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Aurelie Welterlin, PsyD, for creating a clinic dedicated to women and girls with autism, and to Dr. Welterlin and Megan Bergeron, LCMHCA, CRC, for the time, care, and presence they brought to my intake, testing, and diagnostic feedback. I am also deeply grateful to Jessica E. Goldblum, PhD, for her role in my assessment. Each of you contributed meaningfully to this process, and I felt supported and respected every step of the way.

Thank you for not pathologizing me or reducing me to deficits or incapability. Thank you for honoring both my strengths and my challenges. Thank you for being the first psychological providers, in 51 years, who made me feel truly seen, validated, and listened to. I am deeply grateful for your dedication to women and girls with autism—and for the care, respect, and understanding you bring to your work. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

With sincere gratitude,

TR