I am Autistic - Neurodivergent Rebel

I AM Autistic – Please Don’t Ever Call Me a ‘Person with Autism’

Why, to me, “Autistic person” and “person with Autism” are two VERY different phrases, and why I never want to be called a “person with Autism” – please note this is just my PERSONAL preference. Over the years, I’ve often … Continue reading I AM Autistic – Please Don’t Ever Call Me a ‘Person with Autism’

NeuroDivergent Rebel's The Weight of Normal by Lyric Rivera - a teal book with purple text and a pink brain, there is also a person holding a heavy boulder on their shoulders - cover text reads: Assimilate or Be Punished: A NeuroDivergent, Queer Memoir of Survival and Awakening in a World That Demands Conformity A Look at the harms and traumas of NeuroDivergent Conversion "Therapy" and other methods of forced assimilation.

The Autistic Burnout That Led Me Home to Myself: The Life I Built Was a Prison. My Autism Diagnosis Handed Me the Key.

My Battery Was Draining Faster Than It Could Charge. My Needs Weren’t the Problem. Ignoring Them Was. When I was diagnosed Autistic, more than 9 years ago now, I was at a low point in my life. I was in … Continue reading The Autistic Burnout That Led Me Home to Myself: The Life I Built Was a Prison. My Autism Diagnosis Handed Me the Key.

Lyric, last year, deep in depression, with green hair and a black leather jacket.

Invisible & Drowning: My Negativity Was a Cry for Help – Toxic Positivity Kills: My Year of Being Told to Smile While Drowning

When Your Rock Bottom Goes Unseen – Why Expressing Pain and Discomfort is a Disruption to the Status Quo and What Happens When You Can’t Fake Being Fine
Continue reading Invisible & Drowning: My Negativity Was a Cry for Help – Toxic Positivity Kills: My Year of Being Told to Smile While Drowning

A person wearing a box on their head that has a frown drawn on it.

Shutdowns and Unspoken Pain: The Weight of Repressed Emotions and Unmet Needs

Isolated. Hurting… Ashamed. I’ve spoken about the reasons I feel that Autistic overloads are not that different from overloads in non-autistics in the past (on multiple occasions). Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much more I’ve been asked to “put away” … Continue reading Shutdowns and Unspoken Pain: The Weight of Repressed Emotions and Unmet Needs

20-something Lyric, in a hot pink wig and patching hot pink outfit, hooping with a pink and purple hoop on their knee at one of the indoor Electro Circus events.

Leaving No Trace – Better Than I Found It: A Guiding Principle for Life – My Journey Toward Leaving the World a Better Place

Leaving things (places, situations, people, the world) better than you found them and the personal growth and community involvement that comes with it.
Continue reading Leaving No Trace – Better Than I Found It: A Guiding Principle for Life – My Journey Toward Leaving the World a Better Place

Breaking Free from the Critic: Learning to Love Myself and Others More Completely I realized many of the traits I'd "filed away" and deemed as "bad," "shameful," and to "never see the light of day" could be attributed to being Autistic (or other forms of NeuroDivergence I embody).

Breaking Free from the Critic: Learning to Love Myself and Others More Completely

I realized many of the traits I’d “filed away” and deemed as “bad,” “shameful,” and to “never see the light of day” could be attributed to being Autistic (or other forms of NeuroDivergence I embody).
Continue reading Breaking Free from the Critic: Learning to Love Myself and Others More Completely