From Challenges to Advocacy: My Path
From Challenges to Advocacy: My Path
Embedded Files
Every story starts with a hello – here’s mine...
Hi, I’m Patricia MacDowell. My life has been a mosaic of storytelling, exploration, and self-discovery, shaped by a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
For much of my life, I struggled to fit into a world that often felt confusing and overwhelming. The discovery of my neurodivergence in adulthood was both liberating and disorienting — like suddenly finding the missing piece to a puzzle I’d been working on my whole life. It wasn’t a magic fix, but it gave me a new lens through which to view my experiences.
After years of masking without even knowing I was doing it, learning to live more authentically felt both freeing and terrifying. Along the way, I’ve encountered systemic barriers in areas like housing and mental health support, battles that so many of us face in silence.
Storytelling found me before understanding did.
I’ve been slowly developing Shadows to Spectrum — a documentary rooted in my own late autism diagnosis. It’s a deeply personal project that reflects how life can change when we finally begin to understand ourselves. As it evolves, I hope to include other late-diagnosed voices as well — especially those who, like me, spent years not being seen clearly. This isn’t just about representation — it’s about creating space for honesty, connection, and the kind of visibility many of us never had.
Personal stories can open minds, shift assumptions, and help others feel less alone. That’s what drives my advocacy.
Whether you're autistic yourself, questioning, or simply trying to better understand someone you care about — this story might speak to you, too.
Before Shadows to Spectrum, I made a narrative feature film that unknowingly captured the same themes, I was still trying to name.
That film was called Sweeping Forward.
Sweeping Forward (2014)
Sweeping Forward (2014)
A fictional film I wrote, directed, and financed — long before I knew I was autistic.
This story helped me express what I couldn’t yet name.
🏆 Winner of Most Popular Canadian Film –
Montreal World Film Festival
Watch the Full Film
🎬 Click here to rent Sweeping Forward for CA$4
You can now stream the full version of Sweeping Forward through PayHip — safely and simply.
This fictional story was my way of reaching for something I couldn’t name at the time.
Looking back, I see how much of myself was already in it — even if I didn’t yet have the words.
Global News Interview
Global News Interview
A behind-the-scenes conversation filmed during the early days of production on Sweeping Forward.
I spoke about what brought me to the project, and how mental health and lived experience shaped the story from the start.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse