JESS Kellar has found that often, there are just no words for thoughts and feelings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But creativity - particularly art - could be a beautiful way to bring what is on the inside out.
On World Autism Awareness Day, the contemporary artist had hoped to share the artworks of women and girls on the spectrum in an exhibition for her honours research project, Thinking In Pictures.
Instead, she is looking at virtual options, and having a "closing ceremony" if or when the COVID-19 crisis passes.
"I decided to do an honours program with design and illustration, even though I had come from fine art," Ms Kellar said. " At first I was looking into the brain. Then my brain. But the project gradually evolved into female autism, then my autism."
Ms Kellar worked "fast and furiously" to create 15 paintings and 10 illustrations for the exhibition, while she recruited and profiled other females on the spectrum who could contribute pieces to the project too.
She had curated an exhibition full of vivid and expressive abstract paintings, detailed drawings, and experimental pieces to help explain the inner workings of a different mind.
"I wanted to show the differences between males and females," she said. "I think everybody still has these old fashioned ideas about what they think autism is, and there is a lot of outdated and unhelpful stereotypes.
"Females tend to get diagnosed a lot later.
"Often the male to female ratio starts out at 5.8:1. Then in adolescence it starts to become 2.3:1, and by the time we get to adults it's 1.8:1."
Ms Kellar, 33, said it was usually a longer path to diagnosis for women - particularly if they were quite academic, and had no obvious problems.
She was 31 when she received her diagnosis.
"I had a difficult journey," she said.
"I finished my degree and a week later, I got my diagnosis. And I was like, 'Man, all that struggle - was it really necessary?'
"There was grief - for missed opportunities and traumatic experiences. Even finding out five or 10 years ago would have been good.
"I think too - the expectation increases as you get older. When you're a kid, your mum and dad drops you at school or sport or whatever, and you're under their guidance. And as the pressure increases and you're supposed to be in control, and figuring out things for yourself, I think that's where girls come undone. They can start to realise something is missing, or having other mental health problems that confuse the original issues.
"Hopefully the younger girls coming through now get a better outcome."
