But Everyone Feels This Way

How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life

By: Paige Layle

Narrated by: Paige Layle

Autism acceptance activist and TikTok influencer Paige Layle shares her deeply personal journey to diagnosis and living life autistically.

“For far too long, I was told I was just like everyone else. But knew it couldn’t be true. Living just seemed so much harder for me. This wasn’t okay. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t functioning. And it certainly wasn’t fine.”

Paige Layle was normal. She lived in the countryside with her mom, dad, and brother Graham. She went to school, hung out with friends, and all the while everything seemed so much harder than it needed to be. A break in routine threw off the whole day. If her teacher couldn't answer “why” in class, she dissolved into tears, unable to articulate her own confusion or explain her lack of control.

But Paige was normal. She smiled in photos, picked her feet up when her mom needed to vacuum instead of fleeing the room, and earned high grades. She had friends and loved to perform in local theater productions. It wasn’t until a psychiatrist said she wasn’t doing okay, that anyone believed her.

In But Everyone Feels This Way, Paige Layle shares her story as an autistic woman diagnosed late. Armed with the phrase “Autism Spectrum Disorder” (ASD), Paige challenges stigmas, taboos, and stereotypes while learning how to live her authentic, autistic life.

©2024 Paige Layle (P)2024 Hachette Go

Critic reviews

“Paige Layle’s book will be especially helpful to provide insight for women diagnosed with autism later in life.”—Dr. Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and Visual Thinking

"Paige’s heartfelt and honest account illustrates why first-hand storytelling is important for diving into the deep minds of autistic people.”—Jory Fleming, author of How to Be Human: An Autistic Man’s Guide to Life

"We are in the middle of a moment of self-discovery and awakening for many Autistic adults, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Paige Layle's But Everyone Feels this Way is an important contribution to this movement, and in its pages, I am certain many Autistics in search of understanding and a place within our growing community will see themselves.”—Dr. Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism and Unlearning Shame

Relatable

As a neurodivergent human this story of finding how to live as one was very relatable. It’s a hard life and figuring yourself out is so important. It definitely made me cry

Read by the author

Thank you for a glimpse of your life and story, from an allistic trying to learn more about autism.

Life changing and FINALLY SEEN😭🥹

I am not even finished with this book but I had to write a review. As a later diagnosed autistic young woman I feel so seen. I was diagnosed at that same age, age 15 as Paige was. I have never accepted it. It’s making me want to go back to DBT therapy and work through my issues. I am wanting to do advocacy now and even possibly get my degree in psychology. Her education through TikTok about how autism kids can get help to navigate their autism and how to navigate it as an adult. I was suicidal for majority of school and probably thought about it from a young age. This makes me want to face my childhood trauma and remember it again because I’ve blocked it out. There are things I’m ashamed of. But she has taught me not to be ashamed and to embrace it. I can truly relate to her experience and this is just the tip of the iceberg on my journey to truly healing my childhood trauma and navigating my autism. This book came at the right time as I had to leave college on medical leave postponing my first degree another year. As another ambitious person, I want to get 3 bachelors degrees. Plus masters and e phds. Sorry. In going on a tangent. She gives me hope. And I’m also an aspiring entrepreneur. This book is helpful to hear another’s experience. And when I get to it how to get through the autism.

Articulate and informative

The clear-eyed and self-reflective journey of a bright young woman fumbling her way through life as an autistic person undiagnosed until the age of 13. Candid and helpful for understanding the lived experience of an autistic person, especially the social isolation and existential torment of not feeling understood by anyone, not even one's closest family members.

This book is one of my personal favorites on ASD, absolutely a must read!

Oh Paige, thank you SO much for writing this book on your life, trauma, and journey as an autistic individual both prior and post diagnosis. I resonate with a lot of your story and it made me feel more understood and not so alone. This perspective is so needed in the ASD community and for those that are neurotypical as well. I wish you the very best!

Paige's vulnerability and honesty was appreciated

I really appreciated the opportunity to listen to Paige's lived experiences as an Autistic female. I also really appreciated her vulnerability and honesty! I would recommend this book to any individuals looking for resources on Autism Spectrum.

Great listen

I enjoyed so much about this book. I enjoyed getting to hear 1st hand stories of the childhood of the autistic author. I also loved the life lessons at the end and the cognitive suggestions on how to be ok with yourself. I would have liked it even more if it didn’t have the F word in it so much. But all-in-all a very well written and helpful book. Thank you Paige for your words and for sharing your story with the world.

I FEEL SO SEEN!! 😭

I am a late diagnosed autistic woman, & I can’t describe how much this book has touched me & helped me during a very difficult time in my life! I was misdiagnosed as “bipolar, BPD, anxious” and “depressed” when I was a teenager. I spent years, in and out of hospitals & I remember having my first thoughts of ending my life as young as 6. I’ve always felt like an alien.. observing humanity & wondering why I didn’t fit in.. Why I couldn’t function like everyone else. Why I had to go on disability in my early 20’s because I couldn’t work a simple fast food job without having meltdowns every half hour. I had a baby a year ago and my sensory issues got SIGNIFICANTLY worse! That was when my current psychiatrist suggested getting tested for ASD. I was re-assessed for everything I had been diagnosed with, & told I was misdiagnosed. I have autism. Around the time of me starting that testing process, I found Paige on TikTok & came across this book. SO many of her experiences resonated with me & it has helped me accept that not only is this is the correct diagnosis, but that I’m not broken. There’s nothing wrong with being autistic, so I don’t need to be “fixed.” I just need to understand myself better, stop obsessing over how I look in public and actually tend to my needs and accommodate myself where necessary. I have earplugs now for when sound hurts. I no longer bully myself & say, “just suck it up! No one else is having this problem!” I give myself the grace and understanding that I would my friends. This book played a huge role in me taking those first big steps to understanding myself and going easy on myself. So, thank you!! Thank you for writing this! You have no idea how much of a positive impact it has had on my life!

an awesome book!

an incredibly valuable book adding to awareness and advocacy for the ND community. this work will help save lives.

Honnest

I loved it very much.It is to the point, honest, informative, and sensitive. Thank you. Narration is great too.