Hello! My name is Blake (unless you're from TikTok, where I go by Brae). I started this GoFundMe to raise funds for an Autism evaluation, and depending on the outcome, a diagnosis.

I have had poor experiences with mental health since I was a child. I was raised in an extremely chaotic environment and was 1 of 8 siblings and step-siblings. My health came to a head after college in 2014 when I entered a psychiatric outpatient program for suicidality. The next year, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Since 2014 I have attended more than 10 of these psychiatric outpatient programs; I have had many diagnoses from panic disorder to bipolar to dissociative identity disorder. Despite this, I had a successful career working on medical devices at companies including Dexcom (continuous glucose monitors), Apple Corporate (the ECG app for Apple Watch), and Becton Dickinson (COVID tests).

In 2018 I was forced to leave Apple Corporate due to uncontrollable mental health issues. Since then, my mental health and physical health has declined leading to many close-calls with my mortality. I began to lose the ability to take care of myself; my career suffered and I have become a burden on family and friends.

Unable to take care of my mental and physical health, I took to TikTok and began forming a community of wonderful, supportive friends. In 2023, I met the love of my life, Ford, on TikTok, and he made the long distance trek from North Carolina to be with me in California. About a year ago, I began learning about Autism Spectrum Disorder and immediately I felt seen. After months of research, I am no longer satisfied with just thinking I am autistic. I want to pursue a professional evaluation.

I took three questionnaires: the Autism Quotient, the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire, and the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale–Revised Questionnaire. In all of these assessments I fall squarely within the range of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Beyond that, I mapped my symptoms to the criteria in the DSM-5 and I meet most if not all of the criteria, the most notable is a severe inability to form successful social relationships.

So, if I'm self-diagnosed, what's the point of a formal diagnosis? The most important reason for me is to give an answer to all of the mental health issues I've suffered from my entire life. It would give me validity, peace of mind, and a new direction to take my life in. Beyond that, having a formal diagnosis opens doors to resources, accommodations, and appropriate therapy. Finally, I want to be believed--by family and non-specialist professionals, all of which turn their nose up to my pleas to be understood as an autistic adult.

The medical insurance I'm on does not cover an autism evaluation. My family refuses to contribute to an evaluation. As such, I am asking for $2000. This goes to:

If you made it this far, I am eternally grateful for your time and interest in contributing to this project. To have community support will solidify the knowledge I am headed in the right direction in health, life, and love.