AskingAutistics – David Rivera – How do you maintain a Healthy Relationship while on the Spectrum?

Lyric and David answer: “How do you maintain a healthy relationship while on the spectrum?” Continue reading AskingAutistics – David Rivera – How do you maintain a Healthy Relationship while on the Spectrum?

Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

It was August 23rd, 2016, when I went in for the first part of my autism assessment, an in-person interview with myself and the person who would be reviewing my childhood history and medical records.

By the end of August, all of the interviews would be concluded, and by early September 2016, at the age of 29, I would be diagnosed Autistic.

At that point in my life, being almost 30 and having such a bombshell of a piece of information dropped upon me, I skimmed a 13 page (actually 14 page) diagnostic report, but was very overwhelmed, and couldn’t process the report in front of me. In fact, I threw the report into a paper shredder, and destroyed the report.

However, recently, more than five years later, I’m feeling more ready to face the information that was in front of me all of those years ago. Continue reading Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Learning I’m Autistic has helped with some things, and made them easier. I am studying facial expressions and body language, to learn what some of that stuff means. I’m learning it in a very unnatural way, and I hear some people picked up on that naturally in life, which is hard for me to fathom… but I’m learning it.
I’m capable of understanding these things, it’s just like learning a foreign language to me. Some things, however, haven’t gotten any easier, because some things might be more difficult for some of us.
Continue reading The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Why Autistic and NeuroDivergent People May Not See Themselves in the Autism Diagnostic Criteria

This day, to day. This week, I am going to be talking about why some people do not see themselves in the diagnostic criteria for autism and other different forms of NeuroDiversity and things that are in that diagnostic manual.

NeuroDivergent People aren’t in control of our own narrative & the diagnostic manuals are one way the NeuroTypicals control the narratives around NeuroDivergent People. Continue reading Why Autistic and NeuroDivergent People May Not See Themselves in the Autism Diagnostic Criteria