"clumsy in social situations." - Quinte

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 autism diagnosis has ensured that I was able to work through the things that I had/have problems with, or to 'blame' them on the autism diagnosis. Things like having trouble maintaining long friendships, sudden changes, things that I'm not prepared for, knowing how to say things… all of which make me clumsy in social situations and at times make me lose myself.

I am proud that, despite my diagnoses, I still do a lot of things outside of school. I am a member of the student council, the debate club and next school year I will be the chairman of the GSA at my school. I am proud that, despite the fact that the circumstances aren’t optimal sometimes, I continue to commit to things that I believe are important.

My tip for people with autism is: If you don't like the way of doing something in a certainway, look for something that does suit you, because only then you can really make sure that you move forward and help yourself.