January 30, 2018

“How did you find out you’re autistic?”

In my mid-twenties, I met a new group of friends. I didn’t realize at the time that most of them identify as autistic. All I knew was that they understood me in ways that no one else did. They also actively appreciated parts of my personality that others …

January 29, 2018

“Why is neurodiversity important to autistics in particular?”

Many of the problems faced by autistics spring less from our autism, and more from how others react to it. We live in a world where other people make the rules for “normal” behavior, so it can create tension when we break those rules by accident, or …

August 12, 2017

“What is autism?”

Autistic people process information differently. Some things feel really intense, taking up a lot of our attention. Because of that, we pay less attention to other things.

This can affect our social interactions, communication style, relationships, physical movements, habits, interests, and sensory experiences. Autism is called a “spectrum” because of its unique …

August 12, 2017

“What is neurodiversity?”

It’s the variety of ways that human minds work. No two people think exactly alike, in how we perceive the world and process that information. But there’s a range that’s considered “typical,” and minds that fall outside that range sometimes get a label for what makes them unique. One of those labels …

June 12, 2017

Last week I led a discussion group on “Autism & Neurodiversity.” It was an incredible experience, because by the end of the evening, I felt like everyone there totally got what neurodiversity means, and why it matters. And they made me feel like I had done something beautiful and important by sharing it with them. …

April 14, 2017

It’s Autism Awareness Month, so here are some things I didn’t know a year ago.

1. I’m autistic myself! I’ve always been so, but found out last summer and was diagnosed this year.

2. Autism is a superpower, because it means perceiving an abundance of sensory details and patterns. Some things are overwhelmingly beautiful.

3. …