Wentworth Miller is opening up about being diagnosed with autism just last year — at 48 years old.
The Prison Break alum took to Instagram with the update, noting that while the diagnosis came as a “shock” to him, it wasn’t a complete “surprise.” Alongside a photo of a blank white square, the 49-year-old actor told his followers:
“This isn’t something I’d change … immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated… This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis. It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old.”
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Miller noted that “access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy,” but stressed that he didn’t want to speak for the community as a whole, as he’s still trying to fully understand his experience with the disorder. He continued:
“I don’t know enough about autism. (There’s a lot to know.) Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens… Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for… I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).”
If only everyone on social media could be this thoughtful!
Of course, there are plenty of people who are experts in this area, and Miller went on to direct his followers to the “numerous individuals sharing thoughtful + inspiring content on Instagram [and] TikTok,” whom he praised for “unpacking terminology,” “adding nuance,” and “fighting stigma.”
“These creators (some quite young) speak to the relevant issues more knowledgeably/fluently than I can. (They’ve been schooling me as well.)”
The actor concluded his message by expressing his gratitude for those who “consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years” and allowed him to “move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them.”
We applaud the star for opening up about his diagnosis — and we applaud him even more for not trying to come across like an expert about it!
Take a look at Wentworth’s full post (below) for more.
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
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