Being autistic brings various challenges and joys with it. I adore my hyper-focus and passions, but I loathe the inevitable misunderstandings and sensory bombardments. I am a carefully balanced human. I know that things that won’t be stressors to other people will be problematic for me. I know that spending time in a group will … Continue reading Autistic Exhaustion
Tag: asc
Low Functioning
I’m having a bad day. I move slowly. I wash my hands and feel my fingers slide over each over, caught in the fascination of how slowly I am taking things in. I usually flash from one thought to the next, but that’s gone now. I am in treacle. I keep getting stuck on things. … Continue reading Low Functioning
Finding your Polytunnel: Autism
What on Earth has a polytunnel got to do with autism? What even is a polytunnel? What are you talking about? Is this a tangent too far? All fair questions, and all with answers - tangential as they might be. I’m writing this from my polytunnel. It’s a ten metre, steel-framed structure covered in some … Continue reading Finding your Polytunnel: Autism
Mindfulness for the Perpetually Mindful
I had a marvellous time recently at the Welsh Autism Conference run by ASDinfoWales. It was a carefully thought out day run for adult autistic people without additional learning difficulties. Many of the speakers and people running workshops were autistic, and it was my pleasure to have been invited to run a couple of workshops … Continue reading Mindfulness for the Perpetually Mindful
All the Autism Awareness
It is World Autism Awareness Day and my autism is making itself known. One of the most frustrating parts of my being autistic is the exhaustion and headaches that follow big events. All that processing, all that sensory bombardment, all that concentration on interactions, and no matter how wonderful and amazing the day, I shall … Continue reading All the Autism Awareness
Autism is a Woman-Thing
On Wednesday I put a post up about ten things autism isn’t. Today I shall add number eleven Autism isn’t just a male thing More and more women are being recognised as autistic now that we have stopped making assumptions based on sex. There are no Male or Female brains (Check out Gina Rippon's new … Continue reading Autism is a Woman-Thing
Ten things Autism isn’t…
I was going to write about what autism is, but as I wrote it transmogrified into what autism isn’t, so here is my list of what autism is not:- 1. Autism is not being socially awkward It’s not awkwardness. Autistic people are often excellent at socialising with each other, where they can avoid eye contact, … Continue reading Ten things Autism isn’t…
Mistakes
😉 For all that I love emojis I have a blind spot for the difference between emoji and emoticon. Just to ensure we are all on the same page (and remind me when I inevitably forget again):- This is an emoji This is an emoticonI use emojis a lot in informal written communication. They are … Continue reading Mistakes
The Power of Empathy
I’m one of those people who uses humour to deflect. When someone compliments me, or says something kind, I usually have a witty quip to help me emotionally duck-under their emotional reaching-out. But here’s the thing, “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” I’ve always thought that only applies to people being mean. I … Continue reading The Power of Empathy
Meltdown
This week I had my first meltdown in a really long time. The cause was poor communication from an organisation. It included unclear plans, a changing schedule, not being informed of those changes, and concluded in a social lie that is supposed to be an acceptable way of communicating, but is actually really painful. There’s … Continue reading Meltdown
