Mikayla Balloch

I’m joining the movement to Run for Autism. But I need your help.

Why am I running 70km this October? Because 70% of Autistic people face mental health challenges.

I was diagnosed as Autistic in October of 2025. This is a late diagnosis, which meant I spent 29 years of my life trying to fit into a neurotypical world. How Autism presents in females is vastly different to the research which was primarily conducted on males. As a result, females are typically missed until later on in life. In my case, my diagnosis was a result of self-advocacy. The many professionals I saw to seek out mental health support unfortunately lacked the understanding and missed me. This resulted in me going round and round in loops of burnout, anxiety and depression without the root cause ever getting addressed and thinking there was something wrong with me that could never be fixed. As you can imagine, it was quite an exhausting and traumatic 29 years. It was like navigating a world that everyone else had the map to except me. I often wonder if I had the answers earlier, if I could have avoided many undesirable situations I was continually finding myself in.

Early diagnosis can lead to early intervention and supports, something I could have used the last 29 years to live a happier and healthier life.

Please donate and show your support to my fundraiser. You’ll also give me the motivation I need to log my kilometres as I go the distance throughout October.

Thank you!