Sia, a famous singer, songwriter, and film-maker with several hits such as Chandelier and Cheap Thrills, recently revealed that she is on the autism spectrum.
The Australian pop star opened up about her condition on a podcast about the American TV series Survivor, where she revealed she's "on the spectrum."
"I've felt like for 45 years, I was like, 'I’ve got to go put my human suit on’ and it's only in the last two years have I become fully myself."Sia, on Rob Has a Podcast
Although she did not reveal the extent of her condition, she spoke about her experience with other individuals on the spectrum.
"I was finally able to sit in a room full of strangers. We told each other our deepest, darkest, most shameful secrets," Sia said.
"Everyone laughed, and we didn't feel like pieces of trash for the first time in our lives; we felt seen for the first time for who we really are," she added.
This interview took place two years after Sia’s film Music faced severe backlash due to its portrayal of autism spectrum disorder.
The musical drama directed and co-written by Sia was released in 2021 and followed the story of a non-speaking autistic teenager and her caregiver.
In rebuttal, Sia issued a statement saying that it was based on the experiences of a "neuroatypical friend."
However, later she issued apologies on Twitter stating, "...my research was clearly not thorough enough, not wide enough.”
Throughout this period, Sia did not mention her own struggles and experiences with the disorder.
What Does It Mean to Be on the Autism Spectrum?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition in which people experience social, communication and behavioral difficulties along with complicated sensory processing.
It is a lifelong condition, and it's characteristics usually present earlier on during infancy. However, due to a lack of awareness, it is often not diagnosed until much later.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), about one in 100 children have autism.
(Written with inputs from the Guardian and Marca.)
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