Flora Vesterberg wrote a poignant and informative article about recently being diagnosed with autism, which was published by British Vogue.
"Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with autism. I’ve struggled quietly with the challenges of my neurodiversity since childhood, but am now also able to perceive its strengths. Like many women, I only recently felt compelled to pursue a clinical assessment. It followed an urgent need for clarity ahead of beginning my PhD at The Courtauld Institute of Art."
The article's title is "Flora Vesterberg: Being Diagnosed with Autism at 30 was Unexpectedly Empowering."
Here is a link to the full text of the article:
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/flora-vesterberg-autism
Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images
Flora is the only daughter of James Ogilvy and his wife, Julia Rawlinson. She is married to Tim Vesterberg, a Swede. Her grandmother is the late Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin, HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Angus Ogilvy.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/11/flora-ogilvy-to-marry-tim-vesterberg.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2020/10/another-royal-wedding.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2021/09/flora-ogilvy-and-tim-vesterberg-have.html
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/02/flora-vesterberg-begins-phd-program.html
1 comment:
Good for her for making this public. There is so much misunderstanding and stigma attached to autism and other forms of neurodivergence and the best way to educate people is to talk about it. As a fellow neurodivergent academic (though my PhD is in history, not art history), I'm very familiar with the particular challenges faced by so-called "high-performing" neurodivergent people, including the bewildering paralysis and confusion when some things come so easily and others *just don't make sense* whatever you do. Added to that is the frequency with which questions or requests for help elicit the reply "You can't be/have 'such and such', you've completed [insert list of accomplishments)." Like Ms. Vesterberg, I experienced relief and a sense of empowerment after my diagnosis and she's fortunate to have this information at hand as she begins her PhD studies and at a relatively young age ("fun" fact: neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD are greatly under diagnosed and in girls and women because they do not typically present with the same symptoms popularly associated with these conditions). Despite her very, very minor "royal" status (I do understand that she is not actually royal, I meant her connection to the royal family more generally), today's media landscape grants her a platform if she chooses to use it and I applaud her for bringing attention to this important issue.
Post a Comment