Meet Ella, a 14-year-old neurodivergent teenage girl with rainbow-colored hair. Ella wants you to know that if you find out that she is Autistic, it is just a part of who she is, and she wants people to accept her for who she is, including her stimming behaviour. Stimming is an essential part of Ella’s coping mechanism and helps her regulate herself. Ella carries a plastic snake with her, which she shakes to regulate herself.
Ella is interested in many things. Her newest interest is Sally Face, a point-and-click horror game about a boy named Sal Fisher. She loves the story of the game and the character makes her really happy. Arcane is a show based on a game that she’s waiting for the next season of because she loves literally everything about the show and all the characters. Another favourite of Ella’s is How to Train Your Dragon (he has been a fan for almost 10 years!). Ella has also always been interested in art, mostly drawing, but she is now trying to expand what she does and learn more art forms and crafts.
Ella doesn’t go out very often, but when she does, it makes her happy to be able to hang out with a friend. Ella wants you to know that she is a unique person, and no two Autistic individuals are the same. Autistic individuals may not be what you think they are, and Ella wants you to understand that. She encourages others who are autistic to “just be yourself” and to never let anyone judge them based on their behaviour.
Every Autistic person has different strengths, interests, challenges, and aspirations. Ella is a reminder that we should not generalise or stereotype others, but rather see them as individuals with unique talents and abilities.
