I didn’t grow up thinking anything was wrong with me.
There was no moment where I felt different in a way I could name.
No one pointed anything out.
No one suggested anything.
But looking back… the signs were always there.
I Wasn’t Broken is a deeply personal and eye-opening memoir of a woman who spent a lifetime trying to get it right—only to discover, later in life, that nothing about her was ever broken.
Through powerful storytelling, Lisa Wylie traces the patterns that shaped her life:
- the need for structure and predictability
- the confusion around relationships and social expectations
- the quiet, constant effort of masking
- the overwhelm that built over time
- and the moment everything finally made sense
When she receives a late diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, her past begins to reassemble—not as a series of failures, but as a clear and connected pattern that had always been there.
This is not just a story of diagnosis.
It is a story of recognition.
As her journey unfolds, Lisa explores:
- how masking can go unnoticed for decades
- why everything can suddenly feel harder later in life
- the impact of misunderstood needs in relationships, parenting, and work
- and what happens when you stop trying to fit—and start understanding yourself instead
This book is for:
- women navigating a late autism diagnosis
- those who have spent their lives masking or “holding it together”
- parents recognizing patterns in themselves through their children
- anyone who has ever felt different—but couldn’t explain why
This is a story about patterns—across a lifetime, across generations, and across systems that often misunderstand neurodivergence.
Most of all, it is a story about what happens when everything you thought was wrong with you… finally makes sense.