The Canadian National Autism Foundation

This is about a young lady named Suzie who is diagnosed with autism.

Its truly amazing.

Please take a listen

Hi, my name is Susie Marie Strowbridge and this is my story.

I spent the first 16 years of my life not knowing why I felt so different from others. Why

things that were easy for some, were so difficult for me. Or why we thought of things differently.

It wasn’t until June 2024 when I told my mom I thought something was different about me that we learned about my diagnosis.

In September of 2024 I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Many wouldn’t

have thought, including my own mother because I’ve spent so much of my life learning to

internalize the way I felt, however, that can be extremely exhausting.

Now, I’m not telling you all of this looking for pity, but to promote awareness for people

like me. Autism can present in a wide spectrum of ways from person to person and it’s

not at all linear. No single person with Autism is exactly alike to another.

While I do struggle, I am fortunate enough to be able to articulate my emotions and

express the way I feel. When I decided I wanted to start this journey of sharing my story

to spread awareness I figured rather than tell you about it, the best way to explain is by

showing you, so, below I’ve attached a video of a monologue I wrote and just recently

where I won the talented teen award.

I’m so grateful for the support from my friends and family in helping me learn that my

diagnosis is more of a blessing than anything else. It’s what makes me who I am as a person and I wouldn’t trade it for any other lifetime.

The reason I’m sharing this is the hope that we can develop ourselves as humans into ones

that don’t judge based on appearance, form opinions on actions, or think that someone’s

life is easier because you don’t see externally what they’re going through. We are so fortunate

to live in a world where everyone is different, so please, just be kind.