Ask Autistic Advocates is an interview series that celebrates autism and how it enhances our lives.
Each week, a new interviewee gives readers a glimpse into what makes them, them, and how autism has helped shaped their lives. Today we’re getting to know Katie Zehr.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi, my name is Katie! I am 28 from Lowville, NY which is the true ‘upstate NY’. I live in Lewis County which is a small county.
My special interests are health and wellness, horseback riding, Harry Potter (I am a huge fan and have been since I was little – I am a proud Hufflepuff!), I am very big into pen paling, snail mail, and happy mail right now. Going on walks, going to cute and quaint little shops and antique stores, traveling whenever I get a chance which isn’t too often and won’t be for a while with these ‘covid-19’ times. Also spending time with family and friends, dogs, horses, and goats, and helping people from all walks of life.
When did you get diagnosed and describe the process?
I was diagnosed as being on the spectrum in November 2019 when I was 27, and on the same day I found out I had Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
In the summer of 2019, I started the diagnostic process as a result of me wrongly losing my job in April. My parents and I felt the autism assessment would help us determine why this happened. The assessment involved a few tests, followed by a report detailing the results.
The process lasted a few months. When I found out, I honestly didn’t know how to take the news. I guess I wasn’t expecting to hear that I was on the autism spectrum (high functioning).
My parents, I think, figured I was but, honestly, it wasn’t something I was really thinking that’s what I had. It took me a while to ‘take it in’ and ‘digest’ the news.
For years I had the learning disability, Sensory Processing Disorder. For a few years now I’ve had anxiety but, like I said, in November 2019 found out I had GAD.
Why and when did you become a Youth Peer Advocate?
During my rough patch last year between April-June (2019), I was trying to find a job. Subbing in schools as an aide and teacher assistant kept me somewhat busy.
I was in touch with an assistant director of an agency that helps people with disabilities become more independent in their lives. She told me that a position would be open soon as a Youth Peer Advocate. We were in contact for a few weeks.
In June, I had an interview with this agency for this position. Before I was hired and was waiting to hear if I got the job, I went to Youth Power!, an agency in NYS which is part of Families Together in NYS. I went to their University of Youth Power!, which taught me everything I needed to know if I were to receive the job offer.
Once I came back from the training, a few days later I got the job and I was so excited—bearing in mind I had been without a job for months and had felt ‘down in the dumps’ after my traumatic experience of losing my last job.
I enjoy helping people and it also kind of ties in with what I went to school for, where I achieved an Associate’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree in Wellness Management. I can work with youth and young adults aged 14-28, whether they have or may suspect or perceive something is going on: such as a disability, learning disability, mental health diagnosis, or are in the juvenile justice system, foster care system, homeless, and substance abuse issues.
I am a youth peer advocate because I want to help youth and young adults through the hardships, planning, and transition periods and/or years of their life. I am someone they can go to as I can relate to them through my personal lived experience.
Related: Bart Wapstra: Working With Autism
What do you love the most about being autistic?
Now that I am more accepting of myself being on the spectrum, what I like most about being autistic is that I am unique. I can help others, and work with co-workers and clients who may have disabilities or share similar experiences.
I like that sometimes I may have a different perspective from others. I think also being creative, persistent, and–most of the time–having the ‘thinking outside of the box’ mindset helps me stand out from others. People on the spectrum don’t like giving up.
I think this may be a mix of my ASD and my personality but I’m a ‘go getter’. I like to be involved in my community and gain leadership skills so that one day I can be a leader to people in my community in some sort of way—especially dealing with helping people and youth with disabilities and mental health conditions.
What myth would you like to bust?
A myth about ASD I’d like to bust is that not just children are diagnosed as being on the spectrum–adults can too. I am living proof of it.
Our experiences are completely different from those who grew up having the diagnosis so young, to us who found out so late in life.
As adults, we can relate to the experiences, however we had to wait longer for the diagnosis. I think people forget or aren’t aware that adults can be diagnosed as being on the spectrum–let alone have a disability all together.
If you could go back in time and tell your younger-self one thing, what would it be?
If I could go back in time and tell my younger self one thing it would be: “focus on yourself; don’t care what others think”.
In general, I am a very sensitive person so I appreciate how hard this can be. Still to this day, at times, I care what others think of me and worry that others might be better than me and/or might be working harder than me.
But, wherever possible, I say: focus more on yourself and don’t worry about people around you who may have opinions and thoughts about you. It doesn’t matter if others want to “carry their own weight” or not. What matters is that you are doing your best, giving it your all, always showing up to put in effort and work hard. No one can define you best but yourself.