Chrisette Michele Responds to Critics Who Questioned Her Autism Diagnosis
Chrisette Michele is the latest singer to open up about her autism diagnosis. But the reaction to her news wasn’t all positive, as she reveals she’s received backlash from some who have questions about her story. While we’re not here to take sides, some science supports her experience.
The “Epiphany” singer recently sat down for a lengthy chat on her YouTube channel in which she detailed how she received the diagnosis over a year ago. The news came amidst a demanding tour schedule that led to her decision to step away from music and prioritize her health. Michele decided to share the diagnosis with her fans and followers, posting to Instagram about what her doctors discovered and why she’d be pausing her music journey.
But, in an unfortunate turn of events, her admission was met with scrutiny, skepticism, and outrage from folks who felt as if she had no right to speak on being on the autism spectrum, as she didn’t “look” the part and had made a successful name for herself.
Related: Stop Dragging SZA For Revealing Her Autism Diagnosis
Michele responded, explaining that autism doesn’t look the same in every case.
“There’s a lot of comorbid mental health issues that can exist along with autism. And a lot of times, on the outside or people outside of the autistic community see someone who has a comorbid or co-existing mental illness or has an IQ of this number or that number—they will assume that, ‘in order to be autistic, your IQ has to be this. In order to be autistic, you have to also be experiencing this,’” she said.
She added that many people aren’t clear on the definition of autism and often make judgments based on prejudice.
“So because one autistic person or one person on the autism spectrum doesn’t look or act or sound or speak or not speak like this person on the spectrum, then you can’t possibly be autistic,” Michele said.
Upon seeing the response, the “Blame It On Me” singer eventually decided that her next best move was to try a gentler approach to the conversation around the autism spectrum rather than cause more confusion. Now, after getting the help that she needs, Michele has found healthy ways to live with her diagnosis and talk about it.
“I have been in therapy, autistic affirming therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, therapy in general. I’ve been writing, I’ve been finding the things in my world that I need,” she explained.
Michele’s experience echoes that of fellow singer SZA, who recently shared with the world that she’d been diagnosed with autism later in life and received negativity on the backend. But if you look at current studies, there’s a good reason why the knowledge is just now coming.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the experiences of Black autistic women and girls are often “missing from medical and educational research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD).” This makes it harder for proper programs, services, and treatments to be developed, as studies aren’t done with their unique lived experience in mind.
Additionally, Black girls and women generally receive autism diagnoses years later in their lives in comparison to their white peers. The NLM also stated that by the time they receive it, Black women and girls have a higher chance of having intellectual disabilities and challenges.
