FAQ

Here you’ll find answers to a number of frequently asked questions.
Is your question not listed? Feel free to email me at blog@toeps.nl

Getting an autism diagnosis can be overwhelming, so give yourself some time to recover from it. But after this, things really do get better. You now have valuable new information that can help you understand yourself better and start living in a way that actually works for you.

Start by reading But You Don’t Look Autistic at All, my book that has already helped more than 50,000 people gain greater insight into themselves or someone in their life.

You can also check out my list of autism resources (in Dutch), featuring organizations, tools, and media related to autism.

Well, nothing is mandatory, of course. But if you want more certainty, you could consider going through a diagnostic assessment with a professional who specializes in autism. A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist with experience in adult autism can help you explore this.

An autism diagnosis can offer greater self-understanding and, in some cases, access to support or accommodations.

That depends. I generally enjoy helping people, but I don’t always have the mental capacity for it. It helps if you’re specific in your request, and for school projects I’d appreciate a bit more information about the assignment upfront. Emails that start with “we have to do this for school…” don’t stand much of a chance ;)

Sometimes people offer to translate my book into French, Spanish, or Portuguese. And while I would absolutely love for my books to be published in those languages, the process isn’t that simple. My Dutch publisher currently holds the rights, and for a translation to happen they would need to sell those rights either to another publisher, or back to me (in which case I would act as the publisher myself). The latter involves a lot of work, especially in a language I can’t read myself.

If you’d like to see my book published in another language, the most helpful thing you can do is contact publishers in that language area, link to my book, and ask whether they’d be interested in releasing a translation.

Well, I actually find Japan much calmer than the Netherlands. You might be picturing streets full of bright neon billboards, but that only applies to a few specific areas. And even there, people tend to be calmer, more organized, and more polite. (Generally speaking, of course – there are unpleasant Japanese people too.) On top of that, Japan has incredibly beautiful nature.

What also helps is something this YouTuber calls the foreigner strategy. When you’re clearly an outsider, your autistic differences stand out less, because people already expect you to be different. I wrote about my move to Japan in This Autistic Girl Went to Japan.

I always find this a difficult question, because I don’t know exactly what matters to you or what your ideal trip looks like. One person loves anime, while another wants to spend time in nature. That said, I’m working on a series of posts called Japan 101, in which I explain the basics. So far, I’ve written two parts: Getting to and from the airport, and When should you go? (Currently Dutch only, translations coming soon!)

Yes, absolutely. I work with clients from different countries. I regularly travel to Europe to give talks and trainings on autism, and to do photoshoots. I also do shoots in Japan, more about those here.

My web development work can be done from anywhere with a stable internet connection. In fact, living in Japan has its advantages: I can often handle maintenance and updates while clients in Europe or elsewhere are sleeping.