Patricia Powell's Story

On a sunny March afternoon, Patricia Powell sits on a park bench outside the Cordell Hull Building near the Tennessee State Capitol. She takes a deep breath, regrouping after what’s already been a busy, emotionally charged day.

For the past three hours, Patricia has navigated the halls of the government building. She met with a lawmaker about making voting more inclusive for people with disabilities. She’s also connected with advocates from across the state—people who, like her, are driven by lived experience. 

If you’ve never attended Disability Day on the Hill, imagine hundreds of individuals with disabilities and their loved ones weaving through bustling hallways, meeting with lawmakers, sharing personal stories, and exchanging ideas. It’s exciting. A little chaotic. Sometimes overwhelming. Hence, Patricia’s deep breath.

But this isn’t Patricia’s first rodeo with advocacy. As Executive Director of Nashville Autism Peer Support, which is a nonprofit dedicated to creating safe spaces and community for individuals with autism and their support networks, advocacy is part of her daily life. 

“I enjoy watching the connections and conversations that are happening,” she says. “Just knowing that this is helping people.”

Patricia’s journey with advocacy started with a personal diagnosis. She was a sophomore in high school when she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, now considered part of the autism spectrum. 

“The funny thing is, a lot of people think autistics tend to be good at math and science,” she says, laughing. “Well, my poor ability in math is how we found out I was autistic!”

Then her tone shifts, more reflective. 

“I actually hated it. There was such a negative stigma around it still. I have Aspergers, not autism. So, while some people were relieved, I guess,” Patricia trails off, “It was difficult. I just remember feeling like I was a disappointment to my dad.”

She wasn’t. Not even close. It’s not something her father ever said or even thought.

“After I was told my diagnosis, when my mom and I got home, I sat down on my bed and cried. I thought I was a disappointment,” Patricia says, “Prior to my diagnosis, I thought that I was finally the 'good kid’ because I had nothing wrong with me.” 

At the time, her parents were having issues with her sibling, who was going through a rebellious phase. 

“I then got the diagnosis. That essentially erased the ‘good kid’ image for me because I then thought my diagnosis gave my parents another problem to deal with.” 

At the time—this was 2001—the resources were scarce, and public understanding of autism was limited. It was an isolating experience.

She chuckles while recalling how a well-meaning friend once offered to “pray the autism away.” 

To be clear, she doesn’t look back on that moment with bitterness. In fact, she laughs because today, she considers her autism one of her greatest blessings.

“I embrace my autism and accept myself for who I am, because I can see how God is using it in me to help others,” Patricia says, “He’s put it on my heart as just this passion to be an advocate for others.” 

And advocate she does.

Through Nashville Autism Peer Support, Patricia creates space for others to feel seen, accepted, and empowered. She lights up when sharing how one woman told her that the support group meetings helped her come to terms with her own diagnosis. 

“To me, especially with my faith, it’s just seeing how God is bringing these people together. It’s not me,” she says.

When asked about common misconceptions surrounding autism, Patricia doesn’t hesitate. 

“That we fit into a box,” she says. “That if you don’t look or act a certain way, you can’t be autistic.”

She takes issue with terms like mild, moderate, and severe—labels that, in her view, miss the nuance of the spectrum. 

She says while there is a spectrum, you’re either within it or you’re not. It’s not a hierarchy.

Her advice for anyone newly diagnosed? 

“Be okay with it. There’s nothing wrong with being diagnosed with autism. That goes for everything—learn all you can, and just give yourself grace in the process.”

Outside her advocacy work, Patricia is also a published author. One of her novels, Cowboy Dreams, is a romance featuring a woman with Asperger’s syndrome—a much-needed portrayal in fiction. 

Whether on Capitol Hill, in support groups, or on the page, Patricia Powell is helping rewrite the narrative around autism—one conversation and one story at a time.

For more information about Nashville Autism Peer Support, visit https://www.nashvilleautismpeersupport.org/. 

To check out Patricia’s novel, visit https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Dreams-Patricia-L-Powell/dp/1532028040