Unrecognizable: The Shock of Realizing I Have Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness) In Adulthood
Continue reading Facing The Truth: Discovering Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness) In Adulthood
When Feeling Too Much Hurts: The Secret Pain of Hyper-Empathy – How Being Autistically Super Sensitive Can Be Debilitating
Continue reading Empathy Overload: The Hidden Cost of Being Hyper-Empathetic and Autistic
There are often arguments in various comment sections in Autism spaces over whether being Autistic is a disability or a difference.
Some Autistic People firmly believe they do not have a disability, while others say being Autistic is a disability (for them). I realize there are various opinions on this issue.
The point of this piece is not to tell anyone how they should identify their own Autistic experience. I aim to share my perspective and the perspectives of some Autistic People in my life whose viewpoints differ from mine to help shed light on these two (sometimes clashing) perspectives. Continue reading The Great Debate: Is Autism a Disability or a Difference?
The post addresses the confusion around the relationship between Autism and co-occurring conditions in Autistic individuals. Parents and caregivers sometimes struggle to understand that these conditions are separate from Autism, leading to online abuse of Autistic individuals with fewer noticeable co-occurring conditions. The author advocates for broader understanding and support for Autistic adults. Continue reading Autism Plus: Co-occurring Conditions and Disabilities Common in Autistic Individuals
Could an Autistic Person who’s been medically diagnosed lose their diagnosis if they gain enough support to thrive in life?
Continue reading What Does an Autistic Person Who is NOT Struggling Look Like? Would we even recognize their Autism?
![Dear Ms. Stagner, 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.](https://i0.wp.com/neurodivergentrebel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Dead-Name-1.jpg?resize=720%2C426&ssl=1)
A Journey of self-discovery and acceptance. How a late Autism diagnosis transformed my understanding of myself (and everyone around me).
Continue reading From Shame to Relief: How Getting Diagnosed Autistic at 29 Changed My Life Forever
I sat in on and gave testimony at multiple meetings, listening to representatives from various ABA organizations (including Autism Speaks) reading scripts intended to create fear that Autistic People would create “astronomical costs” for the state if we didn’t get ABA.
On one occasion, I listened in horror as an ABA provider casually and coldly threw in statistics about parents who kill their Autistic children because we are so challenging. Continue reading If Not ABA, then What? Increasing Communication, Language, and Academic Skills
Autism is not something I have “with” me. Autism IS me. If I were not Autistic, I would literally not be the same person.
Continue reading You’re “MORE than Your Autism” or “Stop Making Autism Your Entire Personality”
When I didn’t know I was NeuroDivergent, I used to feel like a failed NeuroTypical Person (because the expectations for me to be a “good” NeuroTypical seemed impossibly out of reach).
“Why can’t I just _______ ?” – Do something NeuroTypicals find simple.
“Why do they hate me? Why do they think I’m weird?”
“If I could only ______.” – Insert some activity that NeuroTypicals don’t struggle with.
“What’s WRONG with me? Why am I such a failure?” Continue reading I Used to Hate Myself When I Thought I was NeuroTypical
“Defiant,” “oppositional,” “strong-willed,” “opinionated,” “inflexible,” “disobedient,” “contrarian,” “insubordinate,” “rigid,” “unruly,” “bull-headed,” – if it’s another word for rebel I’ve been called it. This is the main reason I named my blog “NeuroDivergent Rebel” – because I’m reclaiming a term used to describe me for most of my life (one that was not intended as a compliment).
The reasons for my “rebellions” were often misunderstood by the adults around me, especially when I would “refuse” to do even the things I wanted to do and enjoyed (when those things felt compelled). Continue reading Stubborn Rebellious Child: Autistic, Demand Avoidant, and Anxious, with a High Need for Autonomy
