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
Tag: autistic
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
I would have built robots
When I was little I wanted to make robots. I was going to be an inventor. Robots were the future, they were going to be everything, and I was going to design them. I'd spend ages drawing pictures of different tin-cans with claws and wheels and springs. I remember being frustrated that I didn't know … Continue reading I would have built robots
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
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
Autism and Expectations 