I am Dennie and I was born in 1986. I received my diagnosis in 1999. I was thirteen years old. Unfortunately, I had the misfortune of being bullied both before and after my diagnosis. Was being bullied without or with a diagnosis different? The bullying itself was not much different. People and children who bully focus on your weaknesses. And yes, I admit: everyone has weaknesses (but certainly also strengths!). I do not assume that both children and adults with autism have more weaknesses than NeuroTypicals (people without a condition such as autism). In my opinion, adults and children with autism are bullied more because of the way they respond to the bullying. In this testimony, I explain my journey from being a bullied child without a diagnosis to a bullied teenager with a diagnosis and even a bullied adult. What did I try? What did others try? What have I learned? But most importantly, where do I stand now, at this moment when I am no longer being bullied?

Testimony in collaboration with the Flemish Association for Autism.