Singer Jyotsna reveals she is diagnosed with autism: How she came to know

Noted vocalist Jyotsna has revealed that she has been diagnosed with autism. She said that she was opening up about her diagnosis to create awareness about autism in society. Jyotsna had made this significant revelation, which she claimed had answered some of the queries that had daunted her throughout her life, in a TEDEx Talk.

Jyotsna said that she had moved to the UK when she thought she wanted to escape from everything. She enrolled for a course there, which raised certain doubts about herself. Jyotsna then consulted a psychologist who recommended a few tests. She was diagnosed with autism in these tests. The singer says she took the test thrice to confirm the diagnosis.

“I am a highly masking autistic adult. You might think that I am lying, as I don’t look like an autistic person; that’s because you don’t know anything about autism. Some people might say that every individual is autistic in one way or another. But it is not the case. You are either autistic or not. Autism or neurodivergence means you see and perceive the world differently,” said the singer.

Apparently, she got the answers to many gripping questions that were daunting her when she was diagnosed with autism. “Only then did I understand why I was reacting emotionally to everything and experiencing things intensely. I realised why I had not been able to take things lightly or easily despite people urging me to do so. I was trying to mask myself in a world I created for neurotypical personalities,” she says.

About her reasons to reveal it, Jyotsna said, “I am openly speaking about it to make society aware of autism. I know that lots of people are asking themselves the same questions that I had been. The change should happen from the roots, beginning from our homes and educational institutions. The tools to diagnose autism should be accessible because autistic people are forced to live in a world that is not built for them. Their condition worsens when their struggles are not recognised.”

What is autism?
Autism is not a mental disease; it is a neurological and developmental disorder. The symptoms of autism would be different in each person. People with autism have differences in the brain's structure and functioning. The symptoms of autism generally appear within the first three years of life. Parents must be aware of their child’s growth and neurological development to recognise these symptoms. Children might be deprived of proper care and treatment when there is a lack of awareness. The highly masking autistic women are those who mask their behaviour to avoid uncomfortable situations. For them, it can be an exhausting performance. They may not show traits generally related to autism, but their coping strategies help them appear normal of fully functional.