Wentworth Miller Shares His Autism Diagnosis with Fans
Prison Break alum Wentworth Miller has been pretty quiet on social media over the past year. However, the actor recently shared some personal news with his millions of fans via his Instagram page. On June 27, 2021, he announced that he had been officially diagnosed with autism several months ago and shared how that knowledge has impacted him.
As autism can be difficult to diagnose, especially well into adulthood, it was Miller who first diagnosed himself as autistic. Following that, he was able to get an official diagnosis from those in the medical field. In his Instagram post, the Prison Break actor shared that the process was an arduous one, but still, one that he recognizes as a privilege.
Wentworth Miller reveals that he has been diagnosed with autism on Instagram
“This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis,” Miller shared with his 2.1 million Instagram followers. “Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis. It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old. And (it’s a “both/and”) I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy. Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise.”
Continuing on, Miller shared that even though he’s come to learn more about himself, he still had a ton to learn about autism in general. The actor stressed that it would take time for him to develop a deeper understanding and he doesn’t know yet how much of his platform he will be dedicating to speaking out about the experiences of being autistic.
The ‘Prison Break’ alum shares that he still has a lot to learn
“Meanwhile, I don’t want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room,” Miller shared. “The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don’t wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, ‘I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it).'”
The talented actor also shared resources for those who were interested in learning more about autism. “If anyone’s interested in delving deeper into #autism + #neurodiversity, I’ll point you toward the numerous individuals sharing thoughtful + inspiring content on Instagram, TikTok… Unpacking terminology,” Miller penned. “Adding nuance. Fighting stigma. These creators (some quite young) speak to the relevant issues more knowledgeably/fluently than I can. (They’ve been schooling me as well.)”
Miller thanks those who have given him grace throughout the years
Finally, Miller concluded by saying that he wouldn’t dream of changing his diagnosis and showed appreciation for those who had shown him support throughout the years. “That’s the extent of what I’m inclined to share atm,” he added. “Oh – this isn’t something I’d change. No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated. Oh – I also want to say to the many (many) people who consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years, allowed me to move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them… thank you. And to those who made a different choice… well. People will reveal themselves. Another gift.”
Thus far, Miller’s fans have thrown their support behind him and thanked him for sharing his story. We hope that the support for the actor continues and that people will take his advice and educate themselves about autism as he has suggested.
