NeurobeautifulWhenever my autistic friends post autistic memes, they get comments like: “I’m definitely not autistic, but I relate to this so hard!” And I always want to say…
What makes you so certain that you’re not autistic?
Are you looking at autistic people, and noticing traits that you don’t have? Or are you looking at …
Why do some autistic children ask the same question over and over again? I’ve seen this discussed in blog posts, along with its usual answer: The child is seeking reassurance.
This makes sense, since autistic people often struggle with “object permanence,” or the feeling that something still exists when it’s out of view. It may …
Here’s a simple script for self-advocacy:
“Autistic people often [general trait].
Since I’m autistic, I [specific example of general trait], which makes it difficult for me to [do a hard thing].
I would be able to [do the hard thing] more easily with [accommodation that would help me do the thing].
Is that possible?”
That …
Around 9 years old, I could already tell that most people experienced life very differently than I did. However, I suspected that there might be a few whose experiences were closer to mine, or almost matching, if we found ourselves in matching situations.
Every once in a while I would spot a stranger, or sometimes …
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
I’ve been seeing this quote a lot today, after the tragic loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg yesterday. I resonate with her advice, which feels just as relevant for autistic advocacy as …
I’ve learned that “How are you?” is usually meant as a greeting, not a question. But if I give a trite answer, and the person responds by repeating the question a second time – slower, with emphasis – then I know it’s truly a question.
That’s when it gets complicated.
Many autistic people experience “alexithymia,” …
I’m terrified of improvisation, so I often spend more time preparing for things than actually doing them. It feels like building a staircase into the sky – I could attempt to fly, but falling is so painful that it isn’t worth the risk.
As a teacher assistant, I sometimes have to substitute for absent teachers. …