The Four Social Rules every Autistic Person needs to Learn

Trigger warning - although this post doesn’t mention any detail of abuse, it is about the dangers of teaching someone not to trust in their right to say no From a young age I was taught three things:- The messages I get from my body are wrong Not wanting to be touched is wrong That … Continue reading The Four Social Rules every Autistic Person needs to Learn

How I Show Love: Autism

Communication is a two-way street and when it comes to autism, it's often one-way traffic. When I say that people usually assume they know what I mean. They think I mean that autistic people are disordered and can't communicate as well as non-autistic people. That's not what I mean. Communication is one-way traffic insofar as … Continue reading How I Show Love: Autism

The Power of ‘Can’ over ‘Should’

I love words. I love how they roll around my tongue and catch on my teeth. I love how they dangle and splutter and sometimes struggle to find their way out. Last week I did something new. I entered poems in a competition that required a reading. It was easy enough, I signed my name … Continue reading The Power of ‘Can’ over ‘Should’

Adieu Autism Awareness

As another Autism Awareness month is over, I'm feeling silent. Acceptance or not, I shall carry on being here. Diagnosis or not, I shall carry on being who I am. Noticed or not, I shall still be. Wasn't it Descartes who said, "I think as an autistic, therefore I am an autistic"? Or something like … Continue reading Adieu Autism Awareness

Neurotypical Awareness

Being diagnosed late in life has meant that I've needed to learn a lot about a new subject that I didn't know applied to me. I've read personal accounts written by autistic people, I've read research papers, I've looked into coping mechanisms - and mostly found that I've built my own solutions over the years … Continue reading Neurotypical Awareness