Autism Reflections on Autistic Pride Day
It is my understanding that if I’m not “seen,” I won’t be able to survive in this world, but I don’t just need to be seen on June 18.
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Tag: autistic pride
Autistic Empathy – Autism and the Double Empathy Problem
It has been years since Damian Milton rocked the world with the paper: On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem.’
In Damian’s paper, the double empathy problem was defined as:
A disjuncture in reciprocity between two differently disposed social actors which becomes more marked the wider the disjuncture in dispositional perceptions of the lifeworld – perceived as a breach in the ‘natural attitude’ of what constitutes ‘social reality’ for ‘neuro-typical’ people and yet an everyday and often traumatic experience for ‘autistic people.’
What does that mean in more simple language? I will explain in this month’s video. Continue reading Autistic Empathy – Autism and the Double Empathy Problem
Who am I? Rediscovering the Hidden Parts of Myself Through an Adult Autism Diagnosis
Learning I was Autistic was like being hit over the head with a stick, reversing a block in my mind that had obscured many of my childhood memories.
Continue reading Who am I? Rediscovering the Hidden Parts of Myself Through an Adult Autism Diagnosis
From Shame to Self-Discovery: My Journey with Autism, Sensory Overload, the Pain of Behaviorism, and the Relief in Unexpected Places
I am a 37-year-old Autistic Adult who has fairly intense sensory sensitivities (that can trigger disorientation, vertigo, migraines, nausea, and other stomach problems). However, I did not understand this crucial fact about myself for most of my life.
One might ask, “If things were so bad, why wasn’t your Autism identified earlier?”
When I was first diagnosed Autistic (more than seven years ago now), I had the same question, though now I know the answer -it was noticed and mislabeled. Continue reading From Shame to Self-Discovery: My Journey with Autism, Sensory Overload, the Pain of Behaviorism, and the Relief in Unexpected Places
On the Myth Autistic People Lack Imagination
Challenging the common assumption that Autistic People lack imaginative play, highlighting the importance of broadening our understanding of the Autistic experience.
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Autistic Me: What I’ve Learned Since Being Diagnosed “with Autism” at the Age of 29
For almost the first thirty years of my life, I masked my Autistic traits because those around me had convinced me these traits were not there.
Pushing through (denying, hiding, and ignoring) over twenty-five years of regular headaches, migraines, vertigo, disorientation, physical pain, and overloads triggered by the unsupported differences that nobody knew I had. Continue reading Autistic Me: What I’ve Learned Since Being Diagnosed “with Autism” at the Age of 29
Burned Out – The Hidden Toll: A Cautionary Tale of Autistic Exhaustion, Autism, and Burn Out
Exploring the hidden toll of exhaustion, societal expectations, and the transformative power of self-acceptance for Autistic People
Continue reading Burned Out – The Hidden Toll: A Cautionary Tale of Autistic Exhaustion, Autism, and Burn Out
What is NeuroDiversity: Why it Matters to Autistic People in Autistic Acceptance Month & All Year Long
NeuroDiversity: Refers to the idea that there is a natural and broad spectrum of experiences and expressions that occur within the human brain and nervous system (including differences in cognitive, sensory, and emotional experiences), that can vary significantly from person to person. Continue reading What is NeuroDiversity: Why it Matters to Autistic People in Autistic Acceptance Month & All Year Long
Embracing my Autistic Identity: Do you ever get the feeling you are finally becoming who you were meant to be?
I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on who I used to be when I did not yet know I was Autistic, as well as who I am now (that I’ve known the truth about my mind for over seven years).
Unaware of Our Reality: The Failure of Autism Awareness and the Need for Change
It’s April.
April is “Autism Month” (also known as Awareness Month, Acceptance Month, or Appreciation Month, depending on who you ask).
As an Autistic Person who belongs to multiple communities that are seen as lesser by the social hierarchies our society enforces, I’m tired of awareness days and months. Continue reading Unaware of Our Reality: The Failure of Autism Awareness and the Need for Change