A San Diego woman says receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult helped her better understand herself, build lasting friendships and embrace her identity. Katie Phelps, 43, was diagnosed with autism in 2022 after years of masking traits that went unrecognized while she was growing up. “I gre w up highly masked,” Phelps said. “Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, nobody really flagged it.” Rather than changing who she was, Phelps said the diagnosis gave her the freedom to live more authentically. “It’s really freed me to be my truest self,” she said. The following year, Phelps joined the Autism Society of San Diego through one of its social groups for autistic adults. She has since become a member of the organization’s board of directors. She credits the nonprofit with helping her form meaningful relationships and expand her social circle. “There’s social groups, I’ve made new friends and I’ve got a lot of experiences through the different groups and stuff that I attend,” Phelps said. One of those friendships has become especially meaningful. “I have a best friend, his name is Noah and I met him through the Autism Society, a social group for adults, and we do adventures all the time,” she said. Phelps also identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She said she has always been comfortable with that part of her identity. “I’ve always had pride in myself and who I am,” she said. Although she is not attending this year’s San Diego Pride Parade, Phelps said she appreciates what Pride represents and the decades-long fight for equality and acceptance. “I think it’s really important to have a Pride Month to show that we’re just humans, we just love different,” she said. She added that acceptance should extend to everyone. “We all deserve to be accepted for who we are,” Phelps said. Research has consistently found that autistic people are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than the general population, although researchers say the reasons for that association are not yet fully understood. Phelps said she does not define herself by the intersection of those identities. Instead, she hopes people recognize that every individual has their own unique experiences. “Everyone’s different. Everyone with autism is a different person than other people with autism,” she said. She also encourages others not to let anyone else define them. “You shouldn’t let anyone else try to say who you are, only you can,” Phelps said. “You don’t choose to be one way or the other, you just are.” Phelps credits much of her personal growth to the Autism Society of San Diego, which has served the community since the 1960s. The nonprofit offers support groups, educational programs and other resources for autistic individuals and their families. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less