The Highs and Lows of Functionality

I want to talk about my relationship with the functionality of Autism. This is not based on research. This is not based on how I compare myself to other autistic people, and how we fit on some imaginary scale of usefulness. This is just about me. I don't like the term High Functioning. Perhaps it's … Continue reading The Highs and Lows of Functionality

Autscriptic

You don't look autistic. Yes I do. You don't act autistic though. Yes I do. Yeah, but you're not like "properly" autistic. Yes I am. You can make eye contact. Yes I can. You don't flap all the time. I do at birds. You flap at birds? I flap at birds. Why do you flap … Continue reading Autscriptic

From Brilliant to Mediocre

I used to be special. I used to be an interesting neurotypical and now I'm an everyday autistic. I'm not original after all. All those actions. All those ways of being that marked me as an oddity. All those things that both attracted and repelled people in equal measure. All those idiosyncrasies, all my inspiration, … Continue reading From Brilliant to Mediocre

Me and Disability

I've been disabled my whole life. I just didn't know it. As I tell people about my Autism diagnosis, I reassure them that nothing about me is any different. In some ways that's true. My brain has always worked the way it does now. In some ways it's not. I will now work within my … Continue reading Me and Disability

Putting the Me in Social Media

I'm not good at this. I'm putting that out there. I'm not good at social media. I'd like to blame the period I grew up in. Just before social media was huge, but not so long before, that I get a free pass from understanding it all. I love technology. I love computers. I love … Continue reading Putting the Me in Social Media

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: Hypermobility Type doesn’t really roll off the tongue…

It's Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month. I haven't written about EDS. I haven't really thought about it that much. I haven't been as aware as I should have been. Perhaps it's because I feel like a bit of a fraud talking about it. I don't feel like it's about me. I'm ok. I'm not … Continue reading Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: Hypermobility Type doesn’t really roll off the tongue…

You shall not pass!

I've been thinking a lot about the invisibility of autistic adults. We see a lot of focus on autistic children, and getting them to adulthood with the skills they will need. And about parents of autistic children, and what they should do, and how they can be supported. These things are important. But it … Continue reading You shall not pass!

If the world was built for me

If the world was built for me. There would be nothing wrong with me. I would be happy and safe and certain and successful. If the world was built for me, when I met people there would be no expectation of physical contact or small talk. We may ignore each other, with a socially acceptable … Continue reading If the world was built for me

Risks, Rules and Relationships

Looking back, with the illuminating force of my diagnosis, I can see a huge gap between what I thought was happening in my relationships, and the reality of it all. Although the following advice is universal, it's something that needs clearly stating for young people on the spectrum. Autistic people tend towards black and white … Continue reading Risks, Rules and Relationships