Charli is a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent writer, speaker, and lived experience consultant. As an Autistic, ADHD, dyspraxic, and chronically ill person, their work explores how systems shape access, identity, and mental health.
They speak and consult for organizations including Activision Blizzard, YoungMinds, VISA, and Scope, and their writing has appeared in outlets like the Metro, Independent, Digital Spy, and The i.
Alongside their public work, Charli collaborates with NHS services and rights-based organizations to improve psychiatric care and autonomy for Autistic people. Their first book, All Tangled Up in Autism & Chronic Illness, was published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2023.
From chronic fatigue to sensory needs, overstimulation to pain, there is a lot to navigate.
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In this article we explore the intricate phenomenon known as "autistic masking," where individuals on the autism spectrum consciously or unconsciously hide their autistic traits to blend in with neurotypical society.