Acting More Neurodivergent

Cartoon panel of a smiling white polar bear holding a rainbow flag labeled 'AUTISTIC' on a snowy light blue background with snowflakes. Handwritten text above: 'Hey, why do you seem MORE AUTISTIC now?' with 'MORE AUTISTIC' underlined. The 'NeuroWild' logo with small leaves is in the bottom right corner.

Cartoon panel from the NeuroWild polar bear comic. A white polar bear stands looking slightly worried beside a rainbow flag that droops against its pole, with the letters 'AUTIST' visible on the folded flag, against a snowy light blue background. Text above: 'Good question. So I've always been Autistic but I have spent most of my life HIDING my Autistic traits.' with 'always been' and 'HIDING' underlined. Text below: 'Because somewhere along the way, I learnt that being Autistic is a bad thing.' with 'bad thing' underlined. The 'NeuroWild' logo is in the bottom right corner.

Other neurodivergents do the same thing too. We want to fit in and be accepted. Some of us are better at it than others.

Cartoon panel from the NeuroWild polar bear comic. A white polar bear sits happily with arms crossed over its chest and eyes closed, laughing, beside a rainbow flag that droops against its pole, with the letters 'AUTIST' visible on the folded flag, against a light blue background. Text above: 'Bears are much happier when they are surrounded by support.' Text below: 'I'm really looking forward to just being me.' The 'NeuroWild' logo is in the bottom right corner.

NeuroWild polar bear comic panel. Text above: 'If you notice me acting MORETISTIC around you, this means that' with 'MORETISTIC' in rainbow letters surrounded by small stars. A smiling white polar bear holds a rainbow flag on a snowy hill against light blue, with a speech bubble: 'Do you like my new word? 'Moretistic' = more Autistic!' Text below: 'I feel that you are a safe person for me, and I want to show you my true self.' The NeuroWild logo is in the bottom right corner.

NeuroWild polar bear comic panel. Text above: 'It's pretty scary letting my Autistic traits show, especially after hiding them for so long.' with 'scary' and 'so long' underlined. A sad white polar bear sits hunched in falling snow on a light blue background, holding a drooping rainbow flag. Text below: 'Sometimes I won't be brave enough.' The NeuroWild logo is in the bottom right corner.

NeuroWild polar bear comic panel on a light blue snowy background. Text at top: 'So I've decided to stop hiding them! You might notice me:' followed by eight colorful cloud-shaped labels: 'STIMMING', 'Using tools to help regulate', 'Self-advocating', 'Using less eye contact', 'Moving around when learning', 'Asking for accommodations', 'Communicating more directly', 'Setting more boundaries'. A happy white polar bear leaps joyfully through the air at the lower right with sparkles around it. The NeuroWild logo is in the bottom right corner.

NeuroWild polar bear comic panel. Text above: 'Luckily, I have recently learnt that Autism is actually just a different kind of brain. Different, and not worse!' with 'different' and 'not worse' underlined. A smiling white polar bear with small pink hearts around it holds a rainbow flag against its belly on a snowy hill. Text below: 'My natural traits, Autistic social skills, and communication style are different - and that's OK!' with 'that's OK' underlined. The NeuroWild logo is in the bottom right corner.

NeuroWild polar bear comic panel. Text above: 'The truth is, it made me feel really SAD and EXHAUSTED to constantly hide my true self.' with 'SAD', 'EXHAUSTED' and 'true self' underlined. A white polar bear lies curled up and drooping on the snow in falling snow, resting on a rainbow flag, looking tired. Text below: 'I didn't know how long I'd be able to keep it up.' with 'how long' underlined. The NeuroWild logo is in the bottom right corner.

Doing this is called masking. Masking our neurodivergence isn’t healthy, but we do it because we want what everyone wants – to be included.

NeuroWild comic panel of a smiling white polar bear walking on a snowy hill, carrying a pole with a rainbow flag reading 'AUTISTIC' that is surrounded by colorful sparkles, against a light blue sky. A small yellow bird flying overhead says in a speech bubble 'Oh! Your flag is BEAUTIFUL!' and the bear answers in a bubble 'Thanks!' Caption below: 'I am Autistic and I belong here.' The NeuroWild logo is at the bottom right.

About The Artist

NeuroWild is a comic strip series created by Emily Hammond. Emily is a speech pathologist with ADHD and Autism herself and a proud mother to neurodivergent children. Click here to learn more about the artists we promote and how to support their work.