BUT EVERYONE FEELS THIS WAY

Autism acceptance activist and multi-million-follower TikTok influencer Paige Layle shares her deeply personal journey to diagnosis and living life autistically.

Paige Layle was normal. She lived in the countryside with her mom, dad, and brother Graham. She went to school, hung out with friends, and all the while everything seemed so much harder than it needed to be. A break in routine threw off the whole day. If her teacher couldn't answer "why" in class, she dissolved into tears, unable to articulate her own confusion or explain her lack of control.

But Paige was normal. She smiled in photos, picked her feet up when her mom needed to vacuum instead of fleeing the room, and received high grades. She was popular and well-liked. And until she had a full mental breakdown, no one believed her when she claimed that she was not okay.

In But Everyone Feels This Way, Paige Layle shares her story as an autistic woman diagnosed late. Women are frequently diagnosed with autism much later than men - in their late teens or early twenties. Armed with the phrase "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD), Paige set out to learn how to live her authentic, autistic life. She challenges stigmas, taboos, and stereotypes so that everyone can see themselves. Along the way, her online activism has spread awareness, acceptance, and self-recognition in millions of others.


Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 15, Paige Layle is an advocate and influencer for a better understanding of Autism on social media. Paige began making videos in March 2020 in response to a degrading post about autistic people. She initially created a 4-part video series to address common misconceptions about Autism, and her platform has grown from there. Now at 22 years old, Paige is an Autism acceptance activist, YouTuber, and TikTokker. Paige also works part-time as a lash technician, and shares her life with her German Shepherd service dog, Macey. An avid bookworm, she is thrilled to have recently put her public speaking and theatrical skills to work as the narrator for the Audible Original audiobook American Girl, by Wendy Walker, "an instant #1 Audible bestseller." She lives in Canada.