13-year-old Kaitlyn’s parents suspected she had autism from an early age as she had tremendous difficulty in social situations. She is also very intelligent for her age and is classified as gifted. Therefore, Kaitlyn was very good at masking her autism and hid under the radar. This meant that practitioners pushed back on the parents’ fears when they asked for an autism assessment. Variety funded Kaitlyn with a private autism assessment and she finally received a diagnosis at the age of 12. Since receiving the designation, her parents are hoping that this will open up more resources and support that they need so that Kaitlyn can get the help she needs in and out of school.