NeurobeautifulMusicals feel like heaven to me, because they portray a world that solves some specifically autistic problems.
For example, I’m not great at reading between the lines to figure out a person’s true intentions. Musicals solve this through solo songs that reveal exactly what the character is thinking and feeling.
Also, the real world has …
Elijah McClain’s self-advocacy was the kind that I aspire to – clear, concise, and compassionate.
“That’s my house,” he told three police officers. “I was just going home. I’m an introvert. I’m just different. That’s all. I’m so sorry… Ow, that really hurt.”
It wasn’t enough to save his life.
I have this fantasy that …
I’ve noticed a communication pattern among autistics, myself included – we often try to express solidarity through similarity. “I’ve experienced something like that” is the most natural way for me to tell someone that I support and sympathize with them.
Unfortunately, this contributes to the false stereotype that autistic people lack empathy, because it can …
I want to acknowledge some ways in which autistic people are being extra brave right now.
We’re making big changes to our routines, though we don’t even like to make small ones.
We’re trying to follow new social rules, though we can’t even fathom the old ones.
We’re bearing the discomfort of masks, though we …
Many of the actions that make autistic people seem “weird” are actually very effective tools for self-soothing. In a global pandemic, we could all use a little soothing – so here are some ideas that you may find surprisingly calming.
ROCKING – Play a song that you enjoy, something that usually makes you sway from …
A meltdown doesn’t always mean that I’m upset. Often, it simply means that I’m depleted.
Today, after five minutes of ordinary conversation with my boyfriend, I collapsed into tears on his shoulder. There had been nothing upsetting about the talk, and I quickly told him so.
But there had been lots of multitasking and miscommunication …
A schedule is an anchor. The chaos of a day may swirl around it, but there is comfort in knowing what will happen at certain times.
With work and school closures, external schedules disappear. But it’s a creative opportunity to design a new, internal schedule.
What would you like to be doing every day – …
One great thing about being a teacher assistant, instead of the main teacher of a subject, is that I get to spend time in different classes, seeing how kids on the autism spectrum react to different environments.
For example, one student focuses well in English class, but participates very little in music class. Another student …