Autistics and Neurotypicals are a perfect pairing. My husband is neurotypical. I'm autistic. Relationships aren't always easy, but there's something about our pairing that works. When we first got together, there were many miscommunications. They started with my blunt "I like you, I find you attractive." Which he assumed couldn't be fully genuine, because people … Continue reading Cobwebs: Autistics and Neurotypicals
Tag: Autism
Hiding or Ignored?
There have been a few articles of late about the under-diagnosis of women with autism. I've spent a lot of time nodding along. After-all, I'm late-diagnosed. I was raised with no acknowledgement of my sensory and processing issues. I'm one of the lost generations, lucky enough to be found. But sometimes the rhetoric behind it … Continue reading Hiding or Ignored?
I wanted to be good
That rule-following little girl, she really wanted to be good. She wanted to be able to eat all the food on her plate, even though the textures made her gag. She wanted to not shudder and press her ears to each shoulder in turn, every time you scraped your plate and it made that sound … Continue reading I wanted to be good
Autism and Work
Below is an account of a time when other people's poor communication, and my lack of understanding of myself, led to me having to leave a job for the sake of my health. Workplace bullying isn't restricted to autistic people, but it is very common. A perfect storm of social expectations, misunderstandings and being misunderstood, … Continue reading Autism and Work
Unexpected Side Effects of Autism
There are ways that I am far from the perfect parent. I struggle with the school-gate networking. I find changes to plans hard. I need down time after social occasions, I can't run from one to another constantly. I also struggle with certain routine tasks. Shopping is one of them. Eating regularly is another. My … Continue reading Unexpected Side Effects of Autism
The Autistic Community
One of the most incredible things that the modern world has given us, is a new way to communicate. I want to talk about an emerging group, the Autistic Community. When I first got diagnosed, I didn't really know what to do. I had no idea that such a community existed. I was still me. … Continue reading The Autistic Community
Autism is a Normal Neurological Variance
What is Autism? It's a social processing condition. It's a different way of processing sensory information. It's a different way of interfacing with the world. What isn't autism? Autism isn't a learning disability. Autism doesn't mean a low or high IQ. Autism isn't a behavioural problem. Autism isn't a person trapped inside a mental cage. … Continue reading Autism is a Normal Neurological Variance
Safety Nets
When I first got my diagnosis of autism, I was assured by the experts that nothing was different. I was still the same me that had walked through the door. And I agreed. When I told family about my diagnosis, I told them it didn't change anything, I was still me. And they agreed, When … Continue reading Safety Nets
Curing Autism
Can we talk about a cure? There's a real problem when it comes to Autism, and it's not to be found in us autistics. It's to be found in the focus of funding. Time and time again I see people struggling to get diagnosed, and then struggling when there is so little real support … Continue reading Curing Autism
Daisy Chains
In a field of wheat I'm a daisy. The stalks grow close and suffocating, Their shade starves me, Their paper touch deserts me. When the wind blows and they move in waves I cannot bend with them. I watch them move together, Beautiful and swirling, As they jostle my leaves. I am a daisy in … Continue reading Daisy Chains
Autism and Expectations 