19-Year-Old Woman with Autism Goes Viral on TikTok

Paige Layle talked about living with autism because her case is atypical of what people usually associate with the disorder

A 19-year-old woman who lives with autism is being admired after she went viral on TikTok, with her clips being collectively viewed over 8.5 million, for explaining her disorder, with hopes that people will stop perpetuating an unrealistic stereotype.

Paige Layle recently posted a four-part video series on the social platform, explaining how autism affects females, after she became frustrated that so many assumed she didn’t have the disorder, according to BuzzFeed.

The way she presented herself and interacted with others was atypical of what people typically associate with autism. “I get a lot that because I’m good looking, nothing can be wrong with me, so I want to show that mental illness is diverse,” Layle told BuzzFeed.

It wasn’t until she saw another TikTok video that featured people making fun of those living with autism that she decided to take action and make her educational videos.

“I feel like many people don’t understand how many people are autistic,” she told the outlet. Each of her videos focuses on a particular topic about autism, with her first explaining how the disorder presents differently for women compared to men.

Layle said that it typically takes girls years to be diagnosed because they are especially good at “masking” or hiding their traits and adopting the behaviors of people around them who do not live with autism.

In her case, the TikTok personality said she was diagnosed at age 15, partially because she never showed signs of being “less social” — a trait often presented in people with autism, namely men, that has since become a stereotype of the disorder.

“I am overly social, I give way too much eye contact, I’m really good in social situations,” Layle explained, noting that many girls with autism present these traits too.

Layle also said that girls with autism tend to live with mental disorders, disclosing that she currently has seven, including OCD. “All of these mental illnesses stem from having autism, but OCD, anxiety, and depression are very, very common, especially in girls,” she explained.

Speaking to BuzzFeed, Layle explained that her autism and mental illness diagnoses came after she attempted suicide as a teen. “I was an urgent case to talk to a special child psychiatrist who diagnosed me at the time with anxiety, depression, OCD, and autism,” she told the outlet.

Despite all those challenges, “the diagnosis has changed my life for the better. I can understand myself so much better, which is so beneficial for social situations, school/work life, and most importantly being alone,” she explained to BuzzFeed. “I can now function alone and understand my emotions better.”

Besides educating viewers, “I find the videos help me a lot and have been beneficial to my own mental health and it seems to be helping even just a few people out there and I love that,” she wrote on Instagram in November. “Thanks guys. It’s overwhelming to think of who cares about me when I thought no one did.”