“I am proud that I have made many new friends.” - Jade

I am Jade. I am 17 years old and live in Belgium. I have a brother Woud and a sister Eden. I also have a cat named Emma. I have been taking drama classes for years and love acting. I am superfan of One direction, Harry Styles and Zayn.

After a difficult time, I was diagnosed with autism when I was 14 years old. Because my classmates did not understand me very well and I had a really hard time coping with this, I went to a special school for children with autism 2 years ago. I really like being there and have many friends with autism who understand me very well.

I do not tolerate smack noises well and I am a difficult eater because I cannot handle many textures. I also have a lot of social anxiety which makes it difficult for me to eat in public places. I also find it hard to cope with changes and like to have stable habits. At the table, I always sit in the same place, even when we have visitors.

I am proud that I can already go by bus alone and that I have made many new friends and am therefore much more social now.

My tip for others with autism: I have already experienced for myself that when things get too much for me, music makes me calmer, but crafts and reading also help me. Maybe this can help you too?