NeurobeautifulMany autistics despise being called robots, because it falsely implies that we lack emotion, empathy, and even humanity. Seriously, never compare someone to a robot unless they’ve already done so themselves.
That being said, there are also autistics who feel warmly about robots, and see them as a useful metaphor for our differences. I am …
Why do bullies (of all ages) tend to pick on autistic people (of all ages)? Is it really just that we’re weird enough to make an easy target?
Or, do we threaten their power somehow?
I’m socially oblivious in many ways. Besides established authority figures, I don’t know how to figure out who has power, …
You may have seen the phrase “autistic culture” in posts about social interactions that autistic people often enjoy – like blunt communication, expressing empathy through a personal story, or infodumping.
But what makes it a culture? Why not just call it a set of shared preferences, or habits, or traits?
To call something a culture, …
I’m trying to pay closer attention to my harmless urges to move in unconventional ways. Sometimes I might follow them, and sometimes not, but at least I want to notice them.
Today I noticed, as my boyfriend told a complex story, that I was imagining all the nouns in the story as invisible blocks, floating …
My body knows what it needs. But I’ve spent most of my life fighting it, because if I give in, people might perceive me as a threat.
Percussive movement, such as stomping my feet or whacking my palms on my thighs, is threatening because it looks like violence.
Sudden movement, such as stretching out my …
I enjoy occasionally flabbergasting my autistic students with insights into neurotypical culture. It feels like being a tour guide on a safari.
One such insight – which, being autistic, I only learned recently myself – is that some people correct factual errors as a power move.
That’s one reason other people might get angry when …
As an autistic person begins to trade the heavy armor of hypervigilant self-preservation for the spinny sundress of safe authenticity, each step forward may seem like a step back.
They may look “more autistic,” as they embrace the calming power of natural movements.
They may request more support, as they recognize the cost of facing …