Women on TikTok Inform About Life with Autism
Chloé Hayden (Instagram photo @princessaspien) and Cheryl Fyfield (Instagram photo @_thislineismine) are rising TikTok stars for sharing their experiences with autism.
Besides learning the newest dance trends on TikTok, women on the autism spectrum are using the platform to post videos on the app that bring awareness to life on the spectrum.
TikTok user Chloé Hayden is using her platform as @princessaspien to share how beautiful the autism community is with her 195,000 followers. Her videos range from funny to heavy topics, such as masking during social situations and being bullied for being on the spectrum since her diagnosis at age 13.
"I make videos for other autistic people, knowing what it was like growing up without that representation myself—I want to give us a voice that we didn't have,” Hayden said in an article published on Paper. “I make videos because I want to show the world that we are different, not less."
The 22-year-old said in the interview that since her growing TikTok popularity and after accumulating more than 3.4 million likes on her videos, the response to her account has been unbelievable.
"I'm getting daily emails from parents, kids, you name it, telling me that my videos have helped them to understand themselves or those around them better, or that I've inspired them to go out and live their dream and take on the world," Hayden said in the article published on Paper.
Cheryl Fyfield is another TikTok user who is using her platform as @_thislineismine to inform other women who may be on the spectrum. Fyfield was diagnosed at 22, but struggled to receive a diagnosis after discussing possibly having autism at 16.
She said in the interview by Paper that she hopes her videos can help women who are experiencing similar situations.
"If people can educate themselves on autistic female symptoms, which tend to differ from the 'well known' autistic symptoms, more females might get diagnosed earlier, which would increase mental health for autistic women," Fyfield said in the article published on Paper.
Fyfield has inspirational videos that have accumulated more than 570,000 likes and feature her popping balloons with hurtful words written on them and sharing her sensory needs.
"Suddenly, TikTok became this place I could talk but importantly be heard. I decided to keep posting about how autism affects me,” Fyfield said in the article published on Paper. “It's helped me accept myself a lot and be proud of myself. It's also helped me to heal."