Biography
Biography: Nichole Conolly
Abstract
Life is Not Always A Cruise is a poignant personal memoir intertwined with comical reflection and scholarly findings. The topic reflects on why many girls and women on the Autism Spectrum are either misdiagnosed or missed completely. I believe it is important to my audience, both of academic professionals and family and individuals because the presentation tells a story from the perspective of someone living with autism. In 2014, 9 years after being diagnosed with Aspergers/ Anxiety and Depression, Nichole realised she had the opportunity to combine her love of writing and story telling with educating others regarding celebrating the differences of ASD whilst not forgetting the challenges. My presentation is underpinned by the scholarly studies throughout history and highlights the beliefs of the time as a background to the challenges I faced when being diagnosed. I hope that my story will plant seeds of understanding and a desire to change the future for the better into the minds of attendees. Autistic people deserve to tell their stories and be more involved in unravelling the why and how.