I am Marieke, I’m 49, and I have helped with the translation of the interviews on this site to English. I live in the north of the Netherlands, in a quiet village together with my three cats. I keep myself busy with my volunteerwork at an antique shop, and my biggest hobby: cooking. 

I’m Sabine, I’m 34 years old and happily married to my husband since 2017. We live together and have a dog. I volunteer at a daycare center for children, which is located in a wooded area with animals, and I'm having a great time. I am a friendly, cheerful woman who is compassionate and kind to people and animals. I am creative and ambitious.

My name is Elena, and I am 7 years old. I live with my sister Talitha, my father and my mother. I like horse riding very much. I go to the equestrian facility to ride Suus three Saturdays a month. I adore Suus! At first I rode in a group, but that caused too much stimulation. Now I get private lessons; I think that’s nice.

My name is Sem van Hofwegen, I’m 32 years old, engaged to Dao, and I live in beautiful Noord Brabant, together with our dog, cat and 7 guinea pigs. I love singing, playing guitar and drawing. I also like to share my experiences, tips and tricks regarding my autism diagnosis through my blog on Asperwoman.Autism has a negative as well as a positive impact on my life. Before my diagnosis, my life was continuously one big battle which eventually led to an autistic burnout. Many things are difficult for me, but this always happens internally , and therefore isn’t visible on the outside. People are often amazed when I tell them I’m autistic, and sometimes they even question it. That hurts a lot.

I'm @ Nathalie Brandt, I’m 46 years old and I’m a mother of two children (@bruggen_bouwen ). I like walking in nature and I enjoy photographing what I come across during my walks. I also like exercising (fitness, swimming, kickboxing) and making music. I’ve been divorced twice and am currently happily in a LAT-relationship.

I’m Talitha and I’m 4 years old. I like to cuddle my favorite pony River.I have autism. An advantage of this, is that I’m very good with numbers and letters, I’m very good at remembering lyrics, and I can flawlessly sing along in all languages. I can also withdraw myself well, and I don't care what others think about me. And my humor is amazing. A disadvantage is that I often have meltdowns, I also don’t yet understand a lot of things.

I’m Nova. I am 13 years old and live with my father, mother, 2 brothers, a dog, a cat and a hamster. I love to be creative, I like to watch Ginny and Georgia and other series on Netflix. I also like to spend time on TikTok and Instagram. I like to experiment with makeup as well. Next to that, I like to take care of animals. Animals make me very happy. Fashion is also something that I adore.

I’m Ingrid, I’m 42 years old and together with my husband I have a 12-year old daughter and a 10-year old son. I work 24 hours a week and in my spare time I enjoy reading, writing or being creatively active in other ways.

My name is Maxine. I was diagnosed with ASD 2 years ago, after a long search and a severe depression. The diagnosis has helped me tremendously and I have learned so much about myself.

My name is Monique (29). I got my autism diagnosis a year ago, when I was 28 years old. I’ve been together with my dear husband for 13 years, of which we have been married for 3,5 years. I have studied pedagogy, but in May I will start a traineeship to become a software developer. My hobbies are everything that has to do with creativity: from drawing to photography, from crochet to programming and from diamond painting.

My name is Lisa, I’m 31 years old and I’m an all-round creative person. I create, write, want to know and understand everything, often want too much which makes that all the possibilities can overwhelm me and nothing more will come out anymore. Phone off, internet off, rest and my dearest friend nature and especially the sea. Recently I discovered the bass guitar, that brings peace to my head with its heavy, vibrating notes.

I’m Marjanne, I’m 41 years old and I live on my own (with 2 rabbits) in Veenendaal. I volunteer at a shelter/pet hotel (mainly cats) and at a hospice. I was diagnosed with ASD almost a year ago, after years of having a different diagnosis, which was a relief for me.

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My name is Willeke and I am 33 years old. I have my own house with a garden in which I like to keep myself busy. Scouting is my biggest hobby. Being active outdoors with the children in my group or with other adults. It’s a place where almost anything is possible.

I’m Aaliyah, I’m 17 years old and I just got diagnosed with autism. My hobbies are horseback riding and I do wing chun, which is a martial art. I am currently studying to become a hairdresser.

My name is Jip. I am 7 years old. I only found out a few months ago that I have autism. My mother had been suspecting it for a while. I live with my super, super, super sweet 6-month-old dog Max, our tomcat Roger, my father Michel, my mother Isabelle and my sister Kees, she is 5 years old. We used to have two cats, but Freddy died recently. I felt very sad, but also strange, because you don't really notice that she has died. I often argue with Kees because she doesn't always want to do what I want and vice versa, but we also like playing together.

My name is Anne-Claire (38 years old). I graduated as a movement technologist and remedial educationalist, and I have autism, ADHD and dyslexia. I prefer to be in nature, where I can truly relax. I also have a lot of interests and hobbies, such as drawing, reading (especially fantasy and SciFi), astronomy, construction material and playing the piano.

Hey! I'm Nikki (@oh .so.neurodivergent). I am 34 years old and I live in Roosendaal, with my husband and two cats. I am studying to become a social worker (Social Work, mental health work). On June 22, 2021 (one month before this photosession) I got diagnosed with autism, after a search of more than two years.

Hi! My name is Sylvana, I’m 33 years old, and I live together with my dog. I am a nurse by profession (not currently employed). One of my big passions is dancing salsa and bachata! I find relaxation in this. I have a huge heart for animals and I like to be creative.

I am Karin, 45 years old. When I was 24, a care provider thought I might be autistic, which was called Asperger’s back then. It wasn’t something I had considered myself, and I didn't recognize myself at all in the picture of autism that I encountered, after I started looking into it.

My name is Suzanne, I'm 33 years old, I live with my boyfriend and I'm expecting my first child.

My name is Eden and I am 12 years old. I live with dad, my mum, my brother, my sister and the cat Emma. I have autism. It irritates me when children tap me when they want to tell me something.

I am Quinte, I’m 16 years old. I love the Efteling, baking and cooking and animals... and that is why I happily work at the cat-café that’s located in my neighborhood.

My name is Linsey and I am 34 years old. I work as an Experience Worker in mental health and I am also studying Social Work. I love travelling, music, photography and looking up information on all kinds of topics that interest me.

My name is Lidiya and I'm 15 years old. I was born in Ethiopia, but I've lived in the Netherlands for pretty much my entire life. I live with my parents, my sister and two cats. Currently, I’m at the VSO TL in the final year and I am also taking two extra courses.

My name is Margot van Schendel, I am 27 years old and I work in autism care. Currently I work there as pedagogical counselor, lived experience worker and trainer for Stichting de As [The As Foundation]. From September 1st I’ll be working as a residential social worker and as a job coach for a protected housing facility of Jados.

I am Myrthe, I’m 47 years old and I live alone with my cat. I like reading, walking, being in nature, photography and at times I also like to write. I like to develop myself, gain new knowledge and applying it right away.I work part time as an assistant archivist and I am currently setting up my own business.

I am Katja. I’m 18 years old and I live with my parents, my sister and two cats. I love nature very much, so you can often find me outdoors.

Hi, I am Nanda, I am 31 years old and I live with my lovely husband, my son and my dog in the beautiful city of Amersfoort. I would describe myself as a creative introvert. And I'm sure we can have a long chat about travelling, films, series and games.

My name is Anne, I am 25 years old and I live in Tilburg with my cat Ollie. I studied biology and now work 20 hours a week as a data analyst. In my spare time, I do a lot of sports, play the piano and enjoy sailing. I also enjoy writing and one and a half years ago I published my book of poetry "Oververhit Brein".

I’m Nina, I’m 22 years old. I live at home with my parents, our 2 dogs and 1 cat. I have known for 3 years that I am autistic. I work at a cemetery for 20 hours a week, where I maintain the greenery. My hobbies are: watching TV, listening to music, sports, shopping and photography.Out of all the autism traits, I suffer the most from changes and overstimulation, of course. I have less energy compared to someone without autism, so I cannot do everything I want to.

I am Michelle, I am 29 years old and born in Nijmegen. I have autism and live under supervised care at 's Heeren Loo.

“She had counselled children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the past.... and now she was discovered to have this herself?” - Bep

My name is Nieke. I’m 29 years old and I live in an assisted living facility in Almelo.

My name is Rebecca. I am 17 years old. My hobbies are photography and horse riding. I have been riding horses now for 10 years.

My name is Janyke, I am 26 years old. I live on the beautiful Zuid-Veluwe where I love to cross through the woods on my mountain bike. Coloured trainers, coffee, puns, a good conversation with friends, brownies, happy dogs, surfing, snowboarding, music, books and watching a Lord of the Rings/Disney movie make me happy. I work as a data manager at UMC Utrecht and I am a Christian, by ups and downs ;)

My name is Jonina and I’m a Dutch teacher at an MBO school (secondary vocational education) in Rotterdam. I live together with my boyfriend, his son (half of the week) and my dog ​​Loes. I read a lot and I like to be in the woods. Autism is seemingly intertwined with everything in my life. I don't know yet how this works exactly; the diagnosis is still fresh. It confuses me how I suddenly have a diagnosis that feels so fitting. I don't understand why I didn't realise this before, since - as a teacher - I have been a learning coach for students with ASD, among other things.Talking about autism in education is laced with prejudice. Unfortunately, there is still little knowledge, and that’s reflected in statements which have touched me a lot lately. Since the diagnosis, I seem to be even more sensitive than I already was. However, I’m very happy with that sensitivity. I see, feel, hear and experience things much more intensely than others. That breaks me up regularly, but it also gives me some kind of superpower. Now that I know that this is part of autism, I also know that others don’t have it. I always thought that everyone experiences everything the same way I do.

My name is Virginie, I’m 53 years old. A Sunday child, because I was born on a Sunday and everything seemed to go very smoothly. I was a happy child, I liked going to school, had many friends and was always on the tennis court. I was born quite a few years later than my siblings. It was tranquil at home, perhaps that's why there were no visible signs of autism. When I started studying, I immediately experienced more difficulties. I graduated on willpower, hard work and perseverance. I didn't follow the usual career path, devised all kinds of loopholes, because I instinctively felt that I wouldn't make it otherwise.When I was 28 years old I got burned out. Many professionals bit off more than they could chew on my case. The fatigue was linked to mononucleosis and Lyme. From 2018 on, my life turned into a rollercoaster. Due to multiple experiences of loss in quick succession, my world was turned upside down. My training as a yoga teacher became my grip. I learned to know myself better, and I met the right people.

My name is Esther, I am almost 17 years old and I love animals very much. My hobbies are being around animals and drawing. I will start my paraveterinary training (veterinary assistant) in 2022. I was diagnosed with autism when I was 15.

I am Zoë, I’m 21 years old and I’ve known that I have autism since I was 16 years old. I enjoy writing and that is why I started a blog (Ins and Auts) where I post many informative articles.

I’m Kim, I’m 40 years old, a veteran and I’m currently working in the logistics sector. 

My name is Sus,  (@autismeverhalen ). I am 16 years old. Since the age of 7, I have known that I have autism ( at the time: Asperger's). Since 2018, this is called autism. I currently work at a restaurant and I am in the fourth year of secondary school (HAVO) in special education.Autism has a very large impact on my life. For example, I cannot always participate in a family activity when I would like to. In addition, all the stimuli and stress prevent me from going to school.

My name is Willemijn and I’m 26 years old. I like drawing, painting and animals. I’m creative, sensitive and thoughtful.Having autism and growing up is a difficult combination to me. I’ve almost completed my engineering studies, but I cannot yet imagine myself as a professional. The responsibilities, the workload and the interaction with colleagues scare me. I feel like I’m a child among 'grown-ups'. Completing my education means the start of something new. I’m experiencing this transition as very difficult currently. When I think about it, the world seems to break into pieces, together with me. That's why I prefer to keep everything the same. Familiar and safe. But that just happens to be impossible.I’ve been living in the Autism Clinic in Heiloo for a few months now. Here, I hope to gradually develop more self-confidence, and to become more resilient. To discover how I can shape my life in a way that suits me.

I’m Dèbra, I’m 36 years old, and residing in Burgh-Haamstede.

My coming out. You’re so athletic, you’re creative, you’re social, you’re spontaneous, you’re a good mum, you do so much… etcetera, etcetera.

My name is Madelief, I am 19 years old and I’m from Schiedam. In daily life I’m a busy person, I study biology and medical laboratory research, and I’m working on setting up my own creative company (@madeby .liev).

Hello, my name is Iris, I am 26 years old and I live in Wageningen, where I also study.I am currently in the final phase of my master's degree at Wageningen University & Research and writing my thesis, in the field of health and society. I also enjoy playing sports, violin and hanging out with friends.Lately, I have been feeling good about life. I get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction from my studies and I enjoy living with my housemates. 

I'm Yvonne. I’m 27 years old, married and living together, and I have 2 kittens. I work as a pharmacy technician preparing medication, and my hobbies are photography and making costumes based on games/movies.