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Photo of Lyric from several years ago, when they had short green hair, posing in front of a vibrant rainbow wing mural outdoors. They’re wearing purple ankle boots, dark blue jeans, a grey tank-top with the word ‘Autistic’ on it in a rainbow font, and a black leather jacket, while standing in a power pose.

Autistic Burnout – The ‘Mystery Illness’ That Doctors Missed for 30 Years (And Why a Vacation Won’t Fix It)

Lyric Holmans

Autistic burnout is a topic that I know intimately, for multiple reasons.

As an Autistic person who was not identified as such for most of my life, due to not knowing about my Autistic mind and the accompanying needs associated with my Autistic brain and nervous system, I spent most of my life cycling in and out of Autistic burnout.

It was also Autistic burnout that, eventually, led to me finally being diagnosed as Autistic a few months before my 30th birthday.

Being burned out was, for many years, my normal. Continue reading Autistic Burnout – The ‘Mystery Illness’ That Doctors Missed for 30 Years (And Why a Vacation Won’t Fix It)

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A purple book cover with a rainbow flower in the middle. At the top it reads Rebecca Duffus and Lyric Rivera in lavender and pale teal text. Below that, on top of the rainbow flower, it reads "Autism, Identity and Me" in a bold white font and below that it reads "A Practical Workbook to Empower Autistic Adults"

It took me 10 years to figure out my Autistic needs. We built a shortcut – Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook to Empower Adults, the Autism workbook I needed.

Lyric Holmans

Ten years ago, I walked out of my diagnostician’s office with a label and a list of memoirs about other people’s lives. No one told me how to figure out mine… Continue reading It took me 10 years to figure out my Autistic needs. We built a shortcut – Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook to Empower Adults, the Autism workbook I needed.

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Workplace Neurodiversity Rising (a purple book with a pink brain on the cover) and Neurodivergent Rebel's The Weight of Normal (A pale teal book with a pink brain on the cover)

The Dream I Almost Gave Up On – Young Me Thought My Life Wasn’t Interesting Enough to Write About. I Was Wrong.

Lyric Holmans

Growing up, I struggled a lot in school. Academics weren’t my strengths, with one exception – reading and writing.

From my earliest school days, and even before I started school, I was in love with books and dreamed one day I might write them. However, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever achieve this goal. Continue reading The Dream I Almost Gave Up On – Young Me Thought My Life Wasn’t Interesting Enough to Write About. I Was Wrong.

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Dog in a burning office at a table drinking coffee, smiling meme: Neurodivergent people in workplaces with Toxic positivity are like… “This is fine.”… But it wasn’t fine at all…

Organizational Culture: It’s More than Ping Pong and Beer Taps – Excerpt from Workplace Neurodiversity Rising by Lyric Rivera

Lyric Holmans

In cultures that champion self-sufficiency, and discourage people from asking for help, or speaking about struggles and weaknesses, people with disabilities may feel unable to ask for the accommodations they need (and are legally entitled to), because doing so means they may be looked down upon by leadership and peers. Continue reading Organizational Culture: It’s More than Ping Pong and Beer Taps – Excerpt from Workplace Neurodiversity Rising by Lyric Rivera

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“Dear Ms. [REDACTED],We have decided that we wish to defer testing [DEAD NAME] for learning disabilities at this time. We wish to pursue other options just now. We are considering private testing and tutoring as we research their possible problems. Thank you for calling this to our attention. We will get back to you soon.”

Autistic & Creeping Up on 40, Birthday Reflections Around Being 1 of Many Missed Generations of Autistic People

Lyric Holmans

Thoughts on late diagnosis, growing up undiagnosed, changes to the definitions and descriptions of Autistic people in the DSM since the 1980s, and how being identified late in life can be lifesaving. Continue reading Autistic & Creeping Up on 40, Birthday Reflections Around Being 1 of Many Missed Generations of Autistic People

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An article titled 'Uta Frith: why I no longer think autism is a spectrum,' featuring a digital illustration of a character expressing dismay, alongside a red 'X' mark over the title.

An Autistic Response to: Uta Frith’s “Why I no longer think autism is a spectrum.”

Lyric Holmans

“The autism spectrum has widened to the point of collapse, affecting how teachers should support autistic pupils in the classroom,” researcher Uta Frith tells Helen Amass in a recent interview, and my response as a late-diagnosed Autistic adult. Continue reading An Autistic Response to: Uta Frith’s “Why I no longer think autism is a spectrum.”